AQF Medical

What AQF Medical does

AQF Medical is a B2B contract manufacturer specializing in custom-engineered foam and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) components for medical device OEMs. Founded circa 1982-1984 (sources vary), the company is headquartered in Navan, Ireland (Mullaghboy Industrial Estate) and operates a wholly-owned regional manufacturing subsidiary, AQF Asia, in Singapore. Both facilities run ISO Class 8 cleanroom manufacturing under ISO 13485:2016 and ISO 9001 certifications. The company employs between 11 and 50 staff and serves medical device manufacturers globally across three primary verticals: orthopedic implant packaging, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), and blood filtration, with secondary presence in respiratory/HME filters, wound care dressings, robotic surgical drapes, and ancillary medical foam applications.

The product portfolio spans 11 lines built around three core materials — reticulated polyurethane foam, cross-linked polyethylene foam (XLPE), and aromatic biomedical-grade TPU — with processing capabilities covering reticulation, felting, lamination, moulding, die-cutting, thermoforming, and welding. Orthopedic packaging (hip, knee, spinal, fixation) uses XLPE and TPU components engineered for puncture, abrasion, and multi-sterilization-method (ETO, Gamma, E-beam, Autoclave) compatibility. NPWT and wound-care products leverage reticulated polyurethane foam with porosity from 10 to 100 pores per inch. Blood filtration and HME filter products serve autotransfusion, ECMO, and respiratory applications. Robotic drape systems target minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery platforms.

AQF operates on a direct enterprise sales motion targeting medical device OEMs from design through prototype to volume production, with field-based technical sales engineers and rapid prototyping facilities. Pricing is project-based and not publicly disclosed. The company markets through industry trade shows (Foam Expo Europe, MedtecLive, Med In Ireland), a multilingual website (English, French, German), and organic social channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, X). The company received a capital event from Renatus Capital Partners in November 2021 (amount undisclosed), underwent a 2019 rebranding, and is led by Managing Director Seamus Fagan under legal entity AQF Ltd.

Name

AQF Medical

Legal name

AQF Ltd

Website

https://aqfmedical.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AQF Medical is a B2B contract manufacturer of custom-engineered foam and thermoplastic polyurethane components for medical device OEMs, specializing in orthopedic packaging, wound therapy, and surgical applications. Operates ISO Class 8 cleanrooms in Ireland and Singapore.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Device Foam Components Manufacturing

NAICS

Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Collaborative Robots (Cobots) (IMAHAHAB)

Keywords

• Medical foam manufacturing
• Cleanroom contract manufacturing
• Orthopaedic implant packaging
• Medical device components
• Thermoplastic polyurethane fabrication

Headquarters

HQ city

Navan

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Foam Component Manufacturing: Contract manufacturing of custom engineered foam and TPU components for medical device companies. Revenue generated from design, prototyping, and volume production of medical device components including orthopaedic packaging, wound care products, filtration foams, and surgical drapes.
2. Contract Manufacturing Services: Third-party manufacturing services including cleanroom manufacturing, kitting and assembly, primary and secondary packaging, laminating, and thermoforming. Supports short-term demand surge and dedicated manufacturing environments for specific customer products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AQF Medical is a contract manufacturer that designs, engineers, prototypes, and volume-produces custom-engineered foam and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) components for medical device OEMs. Products are fabricated in ISO Class 8 cleanrooms under ISO 13485 and ISO 9001 quality systems and serve applications including orthopaedic implant packaging, wound therapy dressings, blood filtration, HME filters, robotic surgical drapes, and wound care dressings.

Product overview

AQF Medical is a B2B manufacturer of custom-engineered foam and flexible thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) components for medical device companies, operating ISO Class 8 cleanroom facilities in Ireland and Singapore. The portfolio spans 11 distinct foam and TPU product lines: Hip & Knee Packaging Solutions and TPU Packaging Solutions for orthopaedic implant protection and sterilisation compatibility; Robotic Drape Systems for minimally invasive robotic surgery; Blood Filtration Filters and HME Filters for respiratory/cardiopulmonary applications; Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) Foams, Wound Debridement Foams, and Woundcare Dressings for wound management; Skin Prep Foams for preoperative skin preparation; Wicking, Filtering & Dispensing Foams for fluid management; and Mammography Pad Foam for patient comfort during imaging. These are complemented by Contract Manufacturing and Custom Manufacturing Services, including die cutting, lamination, thermoforming, kitting, and assembly, all manufactured under ISO 13485 and ISO 9001 certified quality management systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hip & Knee Packaging Solutions Custom-engineered foam and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) packaging solutions designed for orthopaedic hip and knee implant manufacturers, providing puncture and abrasion resistance and compatibility with ETO, Gamma, E-beam, and Autoclave sterilisation processes, manufactured in ISO Class 8 cleanrooms.
• TPU Packaging Solutions High-strength aromatic biomedical polymer TPU packaging components offering excellent mechanical, puncture, and abrasion properties for orthopaedic hip, knee, spinal, and fixation implants, manufactured via die-cutting, injection moulding, thermoforming, and welding.
• Robotic Drape Systems Disposable Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) surgical drapes and robotic arm covers providing high flexibility, tear resistance, and customised fit for minimally invasive robotic, computer-assisted, and robotic-assisted surgical procedures.
• Blood Filtration Filters Custom-engineered reticulated polyurethane foam filters for autotransfusion systems and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) devices, manufactured in ISO Class 8 cleanrooms with porosity ranging from 10ppi to 80ppi.
• HME Filters (Heat & Moisture Exchange Filters) Heat and Moisture Exchange foam filters for medical breathing and anaesthesia applications across Anaesthesia, ICU, Emergency, Neonatal, and Home Care settings, with consistent pore size for dry airborne filtration, moisture preservation, and controlled oxygen and gas intake.
• Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) Foams Reticulated polyurethane foam dressings for Negative Pressure Wound Therapy that improve wound healing by removing exudate, optimising blood flow, decreasing tissue oedema and bacterial count, and promoting tissue granulation, available in porosity ranges from 10ppi to 100ppi.
• Wound Debridement Foams Open-cell polyurethane mechanical wound debridement foams in varying densities that conform to the wound bed, used to remove dead tissue from wounds and improve microcirculation while reducing inflammation and bacterial levels.
• Skin Prep Foams Felted reticulated foams for antiseptic applicators used in preoperative skin preparation, designed to absorb and deliver antimicrobial agents such as chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) and povidone iodine (PVP-I) at controlled rates with gentle friction to penetrate skin.
• Wicking, Filtering & Dispensing Foams Technical foam products for filtration of air and fluids, wicking and capillary flow of fluids, and reservoiring and delivery of fluid, including felted reticulated polyurethane foams for controlled back pressure and capillary action performance.
• Mammography Pad Foam Specialty radiolucent polyurethane foam cushions for mammography procedures available in regular visco and open-cell visco formulations that mould to the patient's body shape, redistribute weight, and reduce discomfort by an average of 50% without interfering with image quality.
• Woundcare Dressings High-performance medical-grade, open-cell, hydrophilic polyurethane foam wound dressings with high absorbent and retention characteristics that create a moist wound-healing environment, suitable for leg ulcers, minor burns, diabetic ulcers, and pressure ulcers.
• Contract Manufacturing Services Third-party contract manufacturing services including die cutting of foams, fabrics, TPUs, and drapes; kitting and assembly; primary and secondary packaging; laminating; and thermoforming, with dedicated customer-specific manufacturing cells and short-term demand surge capacity.
• Custom Manufacturing Capabilities End-to-end design, engineering, prototyping, and volume supply of custom-engineered foam and thermoplastic components for medical devices, with technical support at customer locations and rapid prototyping from design to evaluation stage.
• Cleanroom Manufacturing Services ISO Class 8 cleanroom manufacturing and packaging services with multiple cleanroom facilities, customer-specific manufacturing cells, sub-assembly, and contract packaging, with fully integrated quality control, particle monitoring, and staff training on controlled environment protocols.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clinical studies show up to 50% decrease in mammography discomfort when using radiolucent cushioning pads

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• FXI (FXI)coreTechnology or IntegrationMaterial supplier partnership. AQF Medical sources and converts foam materials from FXI, one of the world's leading manufacturers, as part of their supply chain strategy focused on reliability, expertise, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• INOACcoreTechnology or IntegrationMaterial supplier partnership. INOAC is one of the world's leading technical foam manufacturers supplying materials to AQF Medical for conversion into medical device components.
• FoamPartnercoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic foam material supplier. FoamPartner is a leading foam manufacturer whose materials are sourced and converted by AQF Medical for medical device applications.
• ZotefoamscoreTechnology or IntegrationMaterial supplier partnership for Plastazote foam. Zotefoams manufactures Plastazote, one of the most widely used closed cell cross-linked polyethylene foams in the medical and healthcare market for orthopaedic implant packaging.
• SekisuicoreTechnology or IntegrationMaterial supplier partnership. Sekisui is a leading foam manufacturer whose materials are converted by AQF Medical for medical device applications.
• 3McoreTechnology or IntegrationMaterial supplier partnership. AQF Medical sources materials from 3M as part of their supply chain partner network for medical foam applications.
• CovestrocoreTechnology or IntegrationMaterial supplier partnership. Covestro is a leading polymer manufacturer whose materials are sourced by AQF Medical for TPU and polyurethane foam applications in medical devices.
• SondorsupportingTechnology or IntegrationMaterial supplier partnership. Sondor is one of the foam manufacturers in AQF Medical's supply chain partner network.
• CaligensupportingTechnology or IntegrationMaterial supplier partnership. Caligen is a foam manufacturer in AQF Medical's supply chain network for medical device applications.
• RecticelsupportingTechnology or IntegrationMaterial supplier partnership. Recticel is a polyurethane foam manufacturer in AQF Medical's supply chain partner network.
• Sealed AirsupportingTechnology or IntegrationMaterial supplier partnership. Sealed Air is a packaging materials manufacturer in AQF Medical's supply chain network.
• CarpentersupportingTechnology or IntegrationMaterial supplier partnership. Carpenter is a foam manufacturer in AQF Medical's supply chain partner network for medical applications.
• PalzivsupportingTechnology or IntegrationMaterial supplier partnership. Palziv is a polyethylene foam manufacturer in AQF Medical's supply chain network.
• SWM (Schweitzer-Mauduit International)supportingTechnology or IntegrationMaterial supplier partnership. SWM is a technical papers and materials manufacturer in AQF Medical's supply chain partner network.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UFP Technologies: US-based custom engineered foam, specialty packaging, and component manufacturer serving medical device OEMs with a comparable product mix (foam packaging, drapes, and device components) and a closely aligned B2B contract-manufacturing model.
• DeRoyal Industries: US-based medical device manufacturer and contract manufacturer producing foam-based orthopaedic packaging, surgical drapes, and patient care products with a vertically integrated custom-fabrication model similar to AQF.

Broad incumbents

• Zotefoams: UK-listed manufacturer of Plastazote cross-linked polyethylene foam and other specialty foams; AQF purchases Plastazote from Zotefoams as raw material, but Zotefoams also fabricates finished medical foam components, making it a partial overlap and adjacent comparable.
• FXI: One of the largest North American foam manufacturers and a key raw material supplier to AQF Medical; FXI also fabricates finished polyurethane foam products for medical and industrial applications, providing an upstream and adjacent comparable.
• Smith+Nephew: Global medical device giant with leading NPWT (PICO, RENASYS), advanced wound care dressings, and orthopaedic reconstruction products that overlap directly with several AQF customer use cases, including NPWT foam dressings and wound care.
• Mölnlycke Health Care: Swedish-owned wound care and surgical solutions major with Mepilex foam dressings and Avance NPWT systems; directly comparable to AQF's NPWT and wound-care foam output through customer-product overlap.
• 3M Health Care: Diversified medical products conglomerate with wound care, surgical drapes, sterilization, and orthopaedic supplies; a key foam/raw material supplier to AQF and a broad incumbent in overlapping end-markets.
• Hollister Incorporated: Privately held manufacturer of ostomy, continence, and advanced wound care products using foam-based components; overlaps with AQF's wound care dressings and surgical foam applications across multiple customer use cases.
• Cardinal Health: Large US healthcare products distributor and manufacturer including wound care, surgical supplies, and medical packaging; overlaps with AQF indirectly through medical manufacturing services and end-product categories.
• Recticel (FoamPartner): European polyurethane foam manufacturer (FoamPartner is a Recticel group brand) that supplies and fabricates specialty foams for medical devices; comparable to AQF as a European foam incumbent and current supplier partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AqfMedical
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCugE0AJap8anIrpCw8bG8Wg
• Facebookfacebook.com/AQF-Medical-2237048383020994
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aqf-ltd

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 AQF Medical