What Defib Machines does

Defib Machines Limited is a UK-based private company headquartered in Leeds that operates as a managed-services provider of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), not a manufacturer. The company supplies and rents third-party FDA-approved AED hardware — primarily the HeartSine Samaritan 360p (semi-automatic and fully automatic variants with SCOPE escalating shock technology, IP56 dust/water resistance, and ~10-second ECG-to-shock delivery) and the Primedic HeartSave — bundled with installation, signage, staff training, pad and battery management, regular onsite health checks, a 24-hour exclusive replacement guarantee, and a dedicated account manager. All installed devices are registered on The Circuit, the British Heart Foundation's national defibrillator network, making them discoverable to NHS 999 call handlers and ambulance services.

The core commercial proposition is a fully inclusive rental package priced at £1 per device per day (£365/year) on 3-year or 5-year terms, with a premium outdoor heated cabinet tier at £1.20 per day (£438/year) launched in November 2024 to support 24/7 public-access deployments. Ancillary revenue streams include a buy-back service (up to £250 for old AEDs as switching credit), a 15-minute health check service offered to non-customers, and enterprise multi-site management for clients such as DHL, JCB, Crystal Palace FC, McLaren, PepsiCo, Britvic, Oxford University, the Royal Air Force, and the Co-op Live Arena.

Defib Machines serves UK organisations across property management, higher education, gyms and health clubs, dental practices, manufacturing, construction, warehouses and distribution, and care homes, using a direct enterprise field-sales motion (free on-site demo, site survey, account-managed rollout) supplemented by inside sales via phone (0800 0852 733) and online enquiry forms. The company was founded in 2016 by Jonathan Gilbert, remains founder-led and bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional investment, employs 11–50 people, and claims to be the UK's largest provider of fully serviced and maintained AEDs.

Name

Defib Machines

Legal name

Defib Machines Limited

Website

https://defibmachines.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Defib Machines is a UK-based managed-services provider that rents fully serviced and maintained Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) on £1-per-day all-inclusive contracts to enterprise and institutional customers across property, education, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and government.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defibrillator rental and managed services

NAICS

General Rental Centers (5323), Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance (81121)

SIC

Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842), Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)

akta.pro primary industry

Cardiac Rhythm Management (Pacemakers, ICDs, CRT) (HLAHAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emergency Medical Response & On-Campus EMS/AED Programs (EDAEACAO)

Keywords

• Defibrillator rental
• Automated external defibrillators
• AED maintenance services
• Cardiac emergency equipment
• Multi-site defibrillator management

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. AED Rental — Standard Package: The primary revenue stream is a recurring daily rental fee of £1/day (£365/year) per AED device. The fee is fully inclusive — covering the device, installation, training, maintenance, pads, batteries, replacement, signage, and account management. Rental agreements are structured as either 3-year or 5-year terms. This is a subscription-recurring model with high contract values for multi-site clients.
2. AED Rental — Premium Outdoor Cabinet Package: A higher-tier rental package at £1.20/day for customers requiring outdoor heated AED cabinets for 24/7 public access. Includes all standard package benefits plus professional outdoor cabinet installation with temperature control.
3. Defibrillator Buy Back Service: Defib Machines pays up to £250 for a customer's old AED and replaces it with a brand new rental device under the standard £1/day package. This drives new customer acquisition and creates a switching opportunity from owned devices to the rental model.
4. Standalone AED Health Check Service: Defib Machines offers health check services for AEDs not purchased through them. Health checks are carried out by trained engineers, take approximately 15 minutes, and include full device testing, pads/battery expiry checks, and recall verification. This generates service revenue from the broader installed base of non-customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Defib Machines supplies Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) — including the HeartSine Samaritan 360p and Primedic HeartSave — on a fully inclusive rental basis from £1 per device per day. The rental package bundles the device with installation, wall bracket, signage, resuscitation kit, ongoing pad and battery management, regular on-site health checks, staff training, a 24-hour exclusive replacement guarantee, and a dedicated account manager. A premium £1.20/day tier adds an outdoor heated AED cabinet for 24/7 community accessibility.

Product overview

Defib Machines operates as a rental-first defibrillator provider offering fully serviced and maintained AED solutions across the UK. The core offering includes three defibrillator models: the HeartSine Samaritan 360p (fully automatic with SCOPE technology), Primedic HeartSave (compact multi-language capable), and rental packages at £1/day and £1.20/day tiers. The £1/day package includes device rental, installation, training, pad/battery management, and replacement service. The £1.20/day premium package adds outdoor heated cabinets for 24/7 accessibility. Additional services include Buy Back Service (up to £250 for old devices), Health Check Service for any AED brand, and Multi-Site Management for enterprise clients. The company integrates with The Circuit national defibrillator network for NHS ambulance service visibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Defibrillator Rental Package (£1 per day) Comprehensive rental package including new HeartSine Samaritan 360p or Primedic HeartSave defibrillator, installation and training, pad and battery management, exclusive replacement after use or error, full maintenance and service, signage, resuscitation kit, protective hard casing, and on-site health checks — available on 3-year or 5-year terms.
• Defib and Cabinet Package (£1.20 per day) Premium rental tier including everything in the £1/day standard package plus a professional-grade outdoor heated AED cabinet with temperature control, providing 24/7 weather-protected access for community and outdoor deployment.
• HeartSine Samaritan 360p Automatic Defibrillator Fully automatic AED providing clear audible instructions, full ECG analysis, SCOPE escalating shock technology, IP56 dust and water resistance, and 10-second ECG-to-shock delivery — designed for use by any bystander responding to a cardiac arrest.
• Primedic HeartSave Automatic Defibrillator Compact AED offering clear multi-language audible instructions (up to 40 languages), full ECG analysis, automatic adaptation to the user's heart rate, and optimised CPR flow to reduce injury risk during cardiac arrest response.
• Defibrillator Buy Back Service Service that pays up to £250 for a customer's old AED and replaces it with a brand new rental device under the £1/day standard rental package, providing a switching path from owned devices into the fully managed rental model.
• Defibrillator Health Check Service Standalone professional health check for any AED brand — engineers conduct approximately 15-minute tests covering device response, pads and battery expiry, and recall verification, with results provided for compliance records.
• Multi-Site Defibrillator Management Nationwide end-to-end solution for organisations operating across multiple locations, providing 24-hour response for device use or maintenance needs, individual site reviews, and a dedicated account manager for ongoing service across the estate.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% AED deployment success rate — all Defib Machines AEDs used in emergencies have functioned correctly
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers52 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sudden Cardiac Arrest UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Defib Machines and Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK (SCA UK) have teamed up to promote awareness, share resources, and provide support for anyone affected by sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The collaboration reflects a shared mission to save lives and provide ongoing support for those impacted by SCA. SCA UK provides peer support to survivors, families, friends, and witnesses of cardiac arrest. Defib Machines equips workplaces and communities with vital training, equipment, and resources to tackle cardiac arrest when it strikes. 8 out of 10 cardiac arrests occur out-of-hospital, making public access to AEDs and trained responders critical.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Stryker (HeartSine): Global medical device manufacturer that owns HeartSine, the primary AED brand Defib Machines distributes. Stryker is also a strategic awards source for Defib Machines (Stryker EMEA Awards) and represents both a critical supplier and the most likely OEM disintermediation threat to the rental channel.
• Philips HeartStart: Philips' HeartStart is one of the most recognised AED brands globally and is widely deployed across UK corporate, healthcare and public settings. As a manufacturer-direct competitor with an established service network, it competes with Defib Machines' offering at the hardware and program-management layer.
• St John Ambulance: UK first-aid charity and training provider that supplies AEDs and defibrillator training to workplaces and communities. Competes indirectly with Defib Machines in the training-plus-equipment bundle and benefits from strong brand trust in the safety vertical.

Direct peers

• ZOLL Medical: Major AED and cardiac care device manufacturer competing head-to-head with HeartSine and Primedic in the UK workplace, public-access and clinical segments. ZOLL also offers AED program management services, making it the closest direct peer in the combined device-plus-service category.
• Cardiac Science: Manufacturer of Powerheart AEDs and AED program management solutions targeting the same workplace, school and public-access segments as Defib Machines. Sells both direct and through distribution channels in the UK, overlapping with Defib Machines' customer verticals.
• Schiller: Swiss manufacturer of defibrillators and cardiac care equipment with AED products (e.g., FRED Easy) that compete in the same UK and European workplace and public-access market. Offers service and maintenance programs that mirror Defib Machines' managed-rental proposition.

Emerging players

• Mindray: Global medical device manufacturer expanding its AED and patient monitoring portfolio across Europe. Represents a cost-competitive emerging entrant in the UK AED hardware market that could pressure Defib Machines' OEM supplier choices and pricing.
• CU Medical Systems: Korean AED manufacturer (i-PAD, Saver One) with growing UK and European distribution. Competes on price-performance in the workplace and community AED segments served by Defib Machines.
• Aivia: European manufacturer of heated outdoor AED cabinets and wall mounting solutions. Directly comparable to Defib Machines' premium £1.20/day outdoor cabinet package and a potential supplier (or competing bundled provider) in the 24/7 public-access segment.

Regional players

• Heart Safe (AED Locator / Community Heartbeat Trust): UK-focused community AED installation and registry operator that overlaps with Defib Machines' public-access and outdoor cabinet proposition, particularly for village halls, parish councils and small community deployments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DefibMachines
• Facebookfacebook.com/defibmachines

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Defib Machines