BioTelemetry has been making strategic acquisitions and gaining steam. The connected health solutions portfolio is taking the company to new heights. 

By Gergana Koleva

BioTelemetry, the leader in cardiac medical devices and remote monitoring, has been on a mission over the past decade: to dominate the space much as I.B.M. did with mainframes and Intel and Microsoft did with personal computers. In order to fulfil this ambitious goal, the Malvern, PA.-based company has gone on a major buying spree, acquiring nearly a dozen companies since 2012, which have put it well on its way to consolidating its power across complementary markets. While moves such as these often bring with them attendant stress, the connected health giant has more than doubled its sales and net income in the last eight years. The secret: not just buying, but finding organizational synergies prior to each strategic purchase.

According to Joseph Capper, BioTelemetry's president and chief executive, the company's appetite has hardly been satisfied. “Like all successful growth companies, we seek to augment our growth through the acquisition of other accomplished innovators whenever possible,” said Capper in the Q3 2019 earnings call last November.

BioTelemetry is a mature, established player in the cardiac monitoring space with a long and rich history of innovations, acquisitions, internal pivots, and advances on multiple fronts. It is not just an MCT player or a Holter service provider, nor is it focused on only one lever of the cardiac monitoring space – rather, its comprehensive portfolio spans devices, data management platforms, and synergistic collaborations in clinical trials.

Since its inception, and especially since it went public in 2008 (NASDAQ:BEAT), BioTelemetry has been refining and expanding its focus on the diagnosis and monitoring of cardiac arrhythmias. In 1999, it developed a proprietary integrated patient management platform that incorporates wireless transmission of data from medical devices, FDA-cleared algorithms for processing the data, and 24-hour monitoring service centers. Through the hub, the company offers cardiologists, electrophysiologists, neurologists and primary care physicians a full spectrum of cardiac monitoring solutions – ranging from extended-wear Holter monitors, event monitors, and pacemakers to its flagship mobile cardiac outpatient telemetry (MCOT) patch – unified under a single source.

Amplifying further the effect of its all-in-one platform and thanks to a network of more than 30,000 unique referring physicians per month, the BioTelemetry provides cardiac monitoring and reporting for over one million patients per year, processes over four billion heartbeats each day, and supports some of the largest clinical trials studies.

“BioTelemetry´s technology is extremely well tailored to address the current and, importantly, future needs of payers and providers. We will continue funding a myriad of investments designed to expand our addressable market with and beyond traditional cardiac monitoring,” Capper said on the earnings call.

Amidst a string of acquisitions BioTelemetry has made since 2012, two stand out for their strategic value in consolidating and extending the company´s connected health capabilities internationally. The first of them came in July 2017, when the cardiac monitoring giant made a splash with the announcement that it was acquiring the second largest leader in the space, Zug-based LifeWatch, for $283 million in cash and stock. LifeWatch´s main asset was its operations on four strategically situated markets: the U.S., Switzerland, Israel and Turkey. A classic industry consolidation move, the combined coverage and technological prowess of the two companies would allow BioTelemetry to grow at an annual rate of approximately 10%, while simultaneously extending its value proposition to hospitals and physician practices in key international markets.

The second acquisition, in 2019, of Geneva Healthcare, solidified BioTelemetry´s dominance in the connected health market through the adoption of Geneva´s market-leading cloud-based platform that aggregates data from all the leading cardiac monitor vendors, including implantable devices. Because the platform is compatible with multiple software products, the acquisition effectively gave BioTelemetry a new recurring revenue model by way of processing device data from all of these vendors.

“This solution is transforming the way physician offices consolidate and manage data from implantable cardiac devices, giving precious time back to the staff to focus on patient care,” Capper explained in the earnings call, underscoring the value of the Geneva acquisition for BioTelemetry and the healthcare organizations it partners with.

Commenting on the company´s overall strategy, both in terms of acquiring companies that bring new capabilities and in terms of innovating internally, Joseph added: “Over the years, our commitment to product innovation, combined with exceptional client service, has provided us with numerous competitive advantages and consistent results. We now possess an unrivalled portfolio of connected health solutions that is taking the company to new heights. Our innovation in the cardiac monitoring market has produced the most technologically advanced and expansive offering in the industry. As a result, BioTelemetry remains the far and away leader in this market.”

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Comprehensive Monitoring Solutions

Our innovation in the cardiac monitoring market has produced the most technologically advanced and expansive offering in the industry. As a result, BioTelemetry remains the far and away leader in this market.

Joseph Capper, President and CEO of BioTelemetry Inc.

BIOTEL HEART:  COMPREHENSIVE CARDIAC MONITORING

Firing on all cylinders

In Capper´s words, it “executed beautifully in 2019” and its outlook for 2020 is strong – and perhaps it holds a few more surprises of the kind the company has been serving through acquisitions and partnerships with consumer wearables. “Each day we work with our customers and business partners to make a difference in the lives of our patients and communities.”

We now possess an unrivalled portfolio of connected health solutions that is taking the company to new heights.