Layco

What Layco does

Layco (legal entity: Layco Holding B.V.) is a Netherlands-based medical device company founded in 2020 as a spin-off from the "Surgery for All" research group at TU Delft. The company develops vela™, a manually operated, reusable obstetric vacuum extractor designed for vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery. Its product targets obstetricians, gynaecologists, hospitals, and healthcare facilities — particularly those operating in low-resource settings — and is positioned as a sustainable alternative to single-use disposable vacuum extractors.

vela™ is engineered around simplicity and reusability: it reduces component count from approximately 25 (typical of competing devices) to 5, enables single-user (single-practitioner) operation, uses a universal single-cup design for all foetal positions, and reaches the required vacuum level in three manual movements. The device is rated for at least 100 reuse cycles and is intended to support autoclave-based sterilisation. The company reports quantified sustainability benefits of 40% CO2-eq emissions reduction, 98% biomedical waste reduction, and a 43x disposal reduction factor relative to disposable alternatives. Clinical validation has been completed in the Netherlands, Kenya, and Uganda, with the vela™ prototype reportedly performing at "golden standard level."

Layco monetises via direct hardware sales of vela™ to hospitals and healthcare providers, supported by a distributor network and partnerships with international organisations. Pricing is quote-based and undisclosed publicly; the company operates a not-for-profit impact model offering discounted pricing in countries where UN SDG targets 3.1 (maternal mortality) and 3.2 (neonatal mortality) have not been reached. To date, the company has raised approximately €300,000 in a 2023 convertible loan from Innovatiefonds Noord-Holland, supplemented by an RVO MIT R&D grant in 2021. As of 2024, Layco is an 8-person team working toward the final development phase of vela™ ahead of broader commercial launch.

Name

Layco

Legal name

Layco Holding B.V.

Website

https://laycomedical.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Layco is a Dutch medical device startup (spin-off from TU Delft) developing vela™, a reusable, single-operator obstetric vacuum extractor designed for global hospital use, with a discounted pricing model for low-resource settings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Obstetric Medical Devices

NAICS

Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing (339112)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Single-Use Surgical Devices & Procedure Packs (Disposable instruments, drapes, kits) (HLAHADAM)

Keywords

• Obstetric vacuum extractor
• Reusable medical devices
• Childbirth assistance equipment
• Manual vacuum extraction
• Obstetric care devices

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Medical device sales: LAYCO generates revenue from the sale of reusable medical devices (vela™ vacuum extractor) to healthcare providers, hospitals, and distributors. The company also offers discounted pricing in countries where SDG targets have not been reached as part of its not-for-profit impact model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Layco develops and sells reusable medical devices for obstetrics, centered on the vela™ manual vacuum extractor used during childbirth for vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery. The vela is designed as a single-user, reusable device assembled from five components with a universal single-cup design and a swift manual pumping mechanism that reaches required vacuum levels in three movements. The product is built for reuse at least 100 times and is offered to hospitals and maternal health programs in both high-income and developing-country settings.

Product overview

LAYCO is a medical devices company offering a portfolio centered on its flagship product vela®, a reusable obstetric vacuum extractor. The company positions itself as a sustainable alternative to single-use medical devices, providing practitioner-friendly solutions designed for reusability, sterilization, and global accessibility. vela® is supplemented by training and education services to enhance healthcare worker skills.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• vela™ vacuum extractor A manually operated, reusable vacuum extractor used during childbirth for vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery, indicated for maternal or foetal indications. Features single-user operation, five-component (dis)assembly, a universal single-cup design for all foetal positions, simplified vacuum indication, and a swift pumping mechanism reaching required vacuum in three movements. Engineered for reuse at least 100 times and offered to hospitals and maternal-health programs in both high-income and developing-country settings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% CO2-eq emissions reduction
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Technical University Delft (TU Delft) - Surgery for AllcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLAYCO is a spin-off from the Surgery for All research group at TU Delft. This research group focuses on making medical devices accessible in low-resource settings, providing the foundational research and expertise for LAYCO's reusable device development.
• Hospitals in Kenya, Uganda, and NetherlandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative hospitals that participated in the co-creation, design validation, and testing of the vela® device, ensuring it meets real-world clinical needs across different healthcare settings.
• Amsterdam UMCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical testing facility for vela® development and validation studies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Stryker: Major medical device manufacturer with a broad surgical instruments and equipment portfolio. Relevant incumbent for benchmarking medtech commercialization, regulatory, and hospital sales requirements, though Layco's product focus is far narrower.
• BD (Becton Dickinson): Large diversified medical device company with a broad portfolio that touches obstetrics, surgical instruments, and infection prevention. Broad incumbent that competes indirectly in hospital procurement budgets and sets the bar for regulatory and quality expectations in the reusable device category.
• Mölnlycke Health Care: Global medtech company focused on wound care and surgical solutions with strong reusable-product credentials and ESG positioning. Comparable in the reusable-vs-disposable shift narrative for hospital procurement, and a relevant benchmark on sustainability-driven commercial strategy.
• Teleflex: Diversified medtech manufacturer with portfolios in OB, anesthesia, and surgical devices. Indirectly competing for the same hospital OB procurement budgets and a relevant incumbent for understanding regulatory pathways and OB sales-channel dynamics.

Direct peers

• CooperSurgical: Dominant global manufacturer of obstetric vacuum delivery devices, most notably the KIWI OmniCup vacuum extractor system. Directly competes with Layco in the same vacuum-assisted delivery procedure category, with a much larger installed base, deeper regulatory clearances, and established hospital relationships.
• Aspen Surgical: Manufacturer of reusable and disposable surgical instruments, including reusable blades and OR consumables. Comparable in reusable surgical instrument design discipline and hospital procurement channels, though operating more broadly across OR rather than focused on OB.
• Sinapi Biomedical: South African medical device company focused on reusable obstetric devices — most notably the Sinapi OmniCup — designed for both high-income and low-resource settings. Closest direct peer to Layco in terms of product form factor, reusable design philosophy, and focus on emerging markets.
• Clinical Innovations (Laborie): Now part of Laborie, Clinical Innovations manufactures vacuum-assisted delivery devices such as the Vacca Reusable OmniCup. Directly competes with Layco in reusable obstetric vacuum extraction, with broader OB product portfolio and established international distribution.

Emerging players

• Maternova: US-based maternal health innovation company developing devices and supplies aimed at reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in low-resource settings. Comparable emerging-stage player with overlapping mission and customer base (obstetric providers in developing markets).

Others

• Stericycle / Reusable Sterilization Ecosystem Players: Stericycle-style reusable medical device reprocessing and sterilization service providers. Adjacent ecosystem participant whose growth or pricing directly affects hospital economics for reusable devices like vela — relevant for partnership and channel opportunities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/layco-medical-devices

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Layco