Medela
Medela is a Swiss-founded medical device and consumer health company (founded 1961) that designs, manufactures, and sells breast pumps, breastfeeding accessories, and the Thopaz+ digital chest drainage system, serving new and expectant parents, hospitals, lactation professionals, and surgical care health systems across 35+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1961
- HeadquartersBaar, Switzerland
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Medela does
Medela AG is a Swiss-founded (1961) privately held medical device and consumer health company headquartered in Baar, Switzerland, operating through wholly-owned subsidiaries in the U.S., China, Germany, U.K., and Australia. The company operates two principal business lines: (1) breastfeeding and pumping products — a comprehensive portfolio of wearable InBra pumps (Motion, Melody, Magic), classic electric pumps (Swing Maxi, Solo, Freestyle), the hospital-grade Symphony pump available through rental, manual pumps (Harmony), and an extensive accessories ecosystem (shields, bottles, storage bags, breast care, pumping bras, cleaning, NICU/special feeding devices); and (2) medical vacuum technology — the Thopaz+ Digital Chest Drainage System sold to hospitals for post-cardiothoracic procedure monitoring.
The company's core technology is centered on proprietary 2-Phase Expression technology (mimicking natural infant sucking behavior), FluidFeel technology in the Magic InBra wearable, evidence-based PersonalFit Flex breast shield sizing, and the digital Thopaz+ chest drainage platform. Medela holds ISO 13485, MDR, MDSAP, and ISO 9001 certifications across its global entities.
Medela generates revenue through three primary streams: (1) consumer and retail hardware sales of pumps and accessories via direct e-commerce (medela.com), Amazon marketplace (including Prime Day promotional events), and physical retail; (2) recurring hospital-grade Symphony breast pump rentals to hospitals and home-use rental programs; and (3) enterprise medical device sales of Thopaz+ through the Vizient contract reaching 1,450 hospitals and 5,000+ health system members. Customer segments span new and expectant parents (primary), hospitals and lactation professionals (secondary), and surgical care hospital systems (secondary). The company maintains operations across 23+ countries with 1,001-5,000 employees and distribution in 35+ countries.
Medela firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Medela
- Legal name
- Medela AG
- Website
- https://medela.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1961
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Medela is a Swiss-founded medical device and consumer health company (founded 1961) that designs, manufactures, and sells breast pumps, breastfeeding accessories, and the Thopaz+ digital chest drainage system, serving new and expectant parents, hospitals, lactation professionals, and surgical care health systems across 35+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Medela industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Breast Pumps and Breastfeeding Products
- NAICS
- Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510), Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113), Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (33911)
- SIC
- Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Personal Medical Devices & Home Diagnostics (Thermometers, Blood Pressure Monitors, Glucose Meters, Rapid Tests) (CRADAMAK)
Keywords
Where Medela is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Baar
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
Medela business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Breast Pump and Accessory Hardware Sales: Sale of breast pumps (wearable, electric, manual), breast care products, maternity/pumping bras, breast milk storage bottles and bags, cleaning solutions, and NICU products through direct e-commerce, Amazon marketplace, and retail channels.
- Hospital-Grade Breast Pump Rentals: Symphony hospital-grade breast pump available for rental, providing recurring revenue from hospitals and home-use rental programs for mothers who need frequent pumping.
- Medical Device Sales (Thopaz+): Thopaz+ Digital Chest Drainage System sold to hospitals and healthcare networks through Vizient contract, reaching over 5,000 health system members and 1,450 hospitals.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Harmony with Colostrum Collection and Feeding Kit 4-in-1 system |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Prime Day promotional pricing across breast pump range |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Medela product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Medela manufactures and sells breast pumps (wearable, classic electric, manual, hospital-grade), breastfeeding accessories (storage bags and bottles, breast care, maternity and pumping bras, cleaning products, special feeding devices, NICU solutions), and medical vacuum technology including the Thopaz+ Digital Chest Drainage System for hospitals. Products are sold direct-to-consumer through medela.com, Amazon, and retail stores, and to hospitals via the Vizient contract and rental programs for the Symphony pump.
Product overview
Medela offers a comprehensive breastfeeding and pumping product portfolio comprising wearable electric breast pumps (InBra line including Motion, Melody, and Magic models), classic electric breast pumps (Swing Maxi, Solo, Freestyle), hospital-grade Symphony pump for rental, manual Harmony pump, and hands-free collection systems. The portfolio includes extensive accessories: breast milk storage solutions (bags, bottles, cooler bags), breast care products (Purelan lanolin cream, hydrogel pads, nursing pads, nipple shields), maternity and pumping bras (Keep Cool, 3in1 Nursing and Pumping Bra), cleaning solutions (Quick Clean Microwave Bags, Quick Clean Spray), special feeding needs products (Supplemental Nursing System, SpecialNeeds Feeder), and NICU solutions (Calesca warming device). The offering also extends to surgical care with the Thopaz+ Digital Chest Drainage System. Medela supports mothers through the Medela Family App for tracking pregnancy, breastfeeding, and pumping journeys.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Medela Family App: Mobile application helping mothers track pregnancy, breastfeeding, and pumping needs.
- Symphony
- Harmony
- Purelan
- Thopaz+
Products and services
- Motion InBra Wearable Electric Breast Pump Wearable electric breast pump highly efficient and anatomically designed for everyday use at home, work, and on the move, using Medela's InBra wearable platform.
- Magic InBra Wearable Breast Pump Lightweight wearable breast pump (approximately 7 ounces) with hospital-grade performance, featuring FluidFeel technology that mimics natural breastfeeding, advanced sensors, and app connectivity for mothers seeking a discreet in-bra option.
- Melody InBra Wearable Breast Pump Wearable breast pump supporting efficiency, comfort, and discreet use for mothers with diverse breastfeeding needs.
- Freestyle Hands-free Double Electric Breast Pump Medela's first wearable hands-free double electric breast pump, designed so users can carry on with other tasks while expressing milk.
- Freestyle Mini Hands-free Double Electric Breast Pump Slim, cordless double electric breast pump design allowing mothers to express milk throughout their schedule.
- Swing Maxi Hands-free Electric Breast Pump Hands-free electric breast pump for on-the-go use with the convenience of multi-tasking while pumping.
- Swing Maxi Double Electric Breast Pump Compact and easy-to-use double electric breast pump with improved mobility to fit seamlessly into a mother's lifestyle, using 2-Phase Expression technology.
- Pump In Style Pro+ Breast Pump
Quantifiable outcome
- Double pumping yields 18% more milk and milk with higher fat content compared to sequential single pumping
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Medela
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Medela technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Medela partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- AmazonminorMedela utilizes Amazon as a marketplace channel partner for promotional events such as Prime Day, offering up to 30% off select breast pumps and breastfeeding essentials from June 23-26.
- Vizient, Inc.coreMedela's Thopaz+ Digital Chest Drainage System was awarded a Vizient contract, making it the first system in Vizient's newly created digital chest drainage category. The contract provides Vizient's network of over 5,000 health system members and 1,450 hospitals with access to Thopaz+.
- NEC SocietycoreMedela established a global campaign partnership with the NEC Society for NEC Awareness Month, contributing a total of $75,000 since 2024, including $45,000 in 2025 for the NEC Society Symposium grant support. The partnership includes employee mobilization worldwide for an NEC Awareness Run & Walk on May 16, with fundraising supporting research, education, and advocacy initiatives for necrotizing enterocolitis awareness.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Medela competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Philips Avent: Philips Avent is Medela's largest direct competitor in the global breast pump and baby feeding category, offering a full line of electric and manual pumps plus accessories. Both brands are widely distributed through hospitals, retail, and online channels and compete head-to-head on lactation technology and brand trust.
- Tommee Tippee: Tommee Tippee is a UK-based competitor offering breast pumps, bottles, and baby feeding accessories globally. The brand is a fellow member of the top global infant-brand owners alongside Medela, Philips Avent, MAM, and Dr. Brown's, and competes directly on retail shelf space and consumer trust.
- Lansinoh: Lansinoh is a direct peer specializing in breastfeeding products including breast pumps, nipple creams, and storage accessories. The brand is comparable because it competes for the same breastfeeding-mother wallet share and is similarly focused on hospital-channel lactation professionals and direct-to-consumer sales.
- Spectra Baby USA: Spectra Baby USA is a direct competitor offering hospital-grade and personal-use breast pumps popular with lactation consultants and home users. The brand competes head-to-head with Medela on the Symphony hospital-grade category and is often recommended alongside Medela products by lactation professionals.
- Ameda: Ameda is a long-standing competitor in hospital-grade breast pumps, with strong presence in US hospitals and birthing centers. Ameda is comparable because it serves the same hospital and lactation professional channel as Medela's Symphony pump and competes for the same NICU and maternity ward contracts.
- Dr. Brown's: Dr. Brown's is a baby feeding brand offering bottles and breast-related accessories, and is part of the same global infant-brand cohort as Medela (50-55% UK baby bottle sterilizer share cohort). The brands compete on retail shelf, e-commerce, and consumer mindshare for mothers' feeding-related purchases.
- Evenflo Feeding: Evenflo is a competitor in the US baby products market offering breast pumps, bottles, and feeding accessories at mid-tier price points. It is comparable as a broad-line baby feeding competitor to Medela's consumer line, with overlapping retail and online distribution.
Emerging players
- Elvie: Elvie pioneered the wearable in-bra breast pump category with strong DTC marketing and competes directly with Medela's Motion InBra, Melody InBra, and Magic InBra lines. Elvie is comparable because it targets the same premium, hands-free mother segment with a tech-forward positioning.
- Willow (Willow Innovations): Willow is a venture-backed wearable breast pump company that competes in the same premium wearable category as Medela's InBra line. It is comparable as a category-creating emerging player with overlapping target customers and a direct-to-consumer go-to-market approach.
Broad incumbents
- Teleflex: Teleflex is a large incumbent in medical devices with a portfolio that includes traditional chest drainage systems overlapping Medela's Thopaz+ digital chest drainage business. Teleflex is comparable as a hospital-channel competitor pursuing the same cardiothoracic procedure market that Thopaz+ addresses via Vizient.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Medela social profiles
Digital presenceMedela compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Medela financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Medela leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Medela subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Medela funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Medela M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Medela
What does Medela do?
Medela manufactures and sells breast pumps (wearable, classic electric, manual, hospital-grade), breastfeeding accessories (storage bags and bottles, breast care, maternity and pumping bras, cleaning products, special feeding devices, NICU solutions), and medical vacuum technology including the Thopaz+ Digital Chest Drainage System for hospitals. Products are sold direct-to-consumer through medela.com, Amazon, and retail stores, and to hospitals via the Vizient contract and rental programs for the Symphony pump.
Is Medela a public or private company?
Medela is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Medela founded?
Medela was founded in 1961. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Medela based?
Medela is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Medela make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Breast Pump and Accessory Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are hospital-Grade Breast Pump Rentals and medical Device Sales (Thopaz+).
Who are Medela's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Philips Avent, Tommee Tippee, Lansinoh, Spectra Baby USA, Ameda, Dr. Brown's and Evenflo Feeding. Emerging players are Elvie and Willow (Willow Innovations). Teleflex is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Medela have an API?
No public API is recorded for Medela.
What industry is Medela in?
Medela's product category is Breast Pumps and Breastfeeding Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAMAK, Personal Medical Devices & Home Diagnostics (Thermometers, Blood Pressure Monitors, Glucose Meters, Rapid Tests). Its NAICS code is 334510 and its SIC code is 3841.