Katecho

What Katecho does

Katecho is a privately-held, full-service contract manufacturer specializing in medical and cosmetic devices, founded in 1984 and headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. The company operates an integrated service stack spanning product design, process design, hydrogel manufacturing, flexographic and conductive-ink printing, precision converting (laminating, slitting, rotary die-cutting), Class 1/2/3 medical device assembly with controlled-environment capabilities, and third-party logistics including SMI/KMI inventory management and climate-controlled warehousing with direct global shipping. Its technology differentiation centers on hydrogel formulation expertise (standard, modified, and custom hydrogels with UV-cured and thermo-reactive curing), servo-controlled roll-to-roll printing with corona treatment, and silver/silver-chloride conductive ink printing for sensing electrodes, TENS electrodes, and defibrillation pads. Volume capability spans from single-unit prototyping to 100 million-unit mass production.

Katecho generates revenue through project-based, multi-year contract manufacturing engagements, with pricing determined per project scope and design services sometimes offered at minimal or no cost to seed downstream manufacturing business. The go-to-market is enterprise direct sales, primarily through the company website, request-for-information forms, and direct phone/email contact. The customer base spans three primary segments: medical device OEMs (wound care, transdermal patches, monitoring and stimulation electrodes, ultrasound gels), cosmetic product companies (wrinkle reduction, moisturizing face masks, cosmetic patches), and pharmaceutical companies served through the Surmasis, LLC sub-brand for transdermal and active pharmaceutical delivery. Multi-jurisdictional regulatory compliance — ISO 13485, FDA Part 820/21 CFR, Japanese MHLW, Korean MFDS GMP, and Canadian CMDR — underpins access to the four largest regulated device markets. Distribution is exclusively direct, with no reseller, marketplace, or retail channels.

Name

Katecho

Legal name

Katecho, LLC

Website

https://katecho.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Katecho is a privately-held, ISO 13485-certified contract medical and cosmetic device manufacturer founded in 1984 in Des Moines, Iowa, serving medical device OEMs, cosmetic companies, and pharmaceutical firms with integrated design, hydrogel production, printing, assembly, and logistics services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Manufacturing Services: Katecho generates revenue through contract manufacturing services for medical and cosmetic products. Services include product design, process design, hydrogel manufacturing, printing, manufacturing (converting and assembly), and logistics. The company operates on a project-based model where they build customer-owned products, functioning as a full-service contract manufacturer from initial concept through final packaging and logistics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Katecho is a full-service contract manufacturer specializing in medical and cosmetic devices, offering vertically integrated capabilities from product design and process design through hydrogel production, printing, converting, assembly, and logistics. The company builds customer-owned products for medical device companies, cosmetic product companies, and pharmaceutical companies, with regulatory compliance for U.S. (FDA), Japan (MHLW), Korea, and Canada (CMDR) markets.

Product overview

Katecho is a contract medical manufacturing company offering an integrated suite of services organized around four core offerings: Medical Contract Manufacturing (covering product design, process design, printing, converting, assembly, and logistics), Hydrogel Manufacturing (standard, modified, and custom hydrogels with UV-cured and thermo-reactive curing), and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing through its Surmasis sub-brand. The company also provides Testing Services as a standalone capability. These services are delivered through specialized modules (Product Design, Process Design, Printing, Manufacturing/Converting & Assembly, Logistics, and Testing) that work together to support customers from initial concept through final delivery, with hydrogel products serving as both a standalone offering and a component integrated into the broader medical device manufacturing capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Surmasis: A contract pharmaceutical manufacturer with a passion for bringing ideas to life, operating as a separate brand under Katecho's umbrella

Products and services

• Medical Contract Manufacturing Full-service contract manufacturing for medical devices covering engineering services, converting, and final assembly from initial concept through mass production for Class 1, 2, and 3 medical devices with sterile capabilities. Serves medical device OEMs requiring FDA, ISO 13485, MHLW, and CMDR compliant manufacturing at volumes from one to 100 million units.
• Hydrogel Manufacturing Design and manufacturing of hydrogels including standard off-the-shelf formulas, modified processing variations, and entirely new custom formulations. Available as raw material, sub-assemblies, or finished products with UV-cured (roll-form, pour-in-place, 3D-spray) and thermo-reactive curing options. Used for medical wound care, cosmetic face masks, transdermal patches, and other applications.
• Surmasis Pharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing Contract pharmaceutical manufacturing offered through the Surmasis sub-brand, providing formulation and manufacturing services for transdermal drug delivery, active pharmaceutical delivery, and drug patches. Operates as a separate website (surmasis.com) within the Katecho family of companies.
• Product Design Services Product design, prototyping, and testing capabilities including feasibility analysis, design for manufacturability, and rapid prototyping across conceptual, feasibility, and validation stages. Includes on-site product testing (electrical, chemical, mechanical, environmental, biological) by biomedical engineers and lab technicians.
• Printing Services
• Converting and Assembly Services Converting services including laminating, slitting, and rotary die-cutting for island placement and snap placement using servo-controlled equipment with vision systems and auto-reject capabilities. Final assembly from hand assembly to full automation in controlled-environment rooms for Class 1, 2, and 3 medical devices at volumes from one to 100 million units.
• Logistics Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Lower inventory levels, reduced warehouse space, increased inventory turns, shortened lead times, reduced back orders, improved cash flow for customers using logistics services

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SurmasiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSurmasis is a contract pharmaceutical manufacturer affiliated with Katecho, sharing the same company philosophy of bringing ideas to life. While Surmasis operates a separate website (surmasis.com), it is presented as part of the Katecho family of companies, providing pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities as an extension of Katecho's medical manufacturing services. Both companies are Iowa Limited Liability Companies.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Flex (Flextronics) Medical Solutions: Flex Medical Solutions offers design, engineering, and manufacturing services for medical devices, diagnostics, and connected health products as part of Flex's broader electronics manufacturing services platform. It is a broad incumbent competing with Katecho for medical device OEM outsourcing.
• Teleflex Medical OEM: Teleflex Medical OEM supplies custom-engineered extrusions, catheter components, and finished medical devices to OEMs worldwide. It overlaps with Katecho in contract manufacturing of medical components and finished devices, particularly for interventional and surgical OEMs.
• Jabil Healthcare: Jabil Healthcare is the medical division of global EMS giant Jabil, providing design, manufacturing, and supply chain services for medical devices, diagnostics, and consumer health products. It competes with Katecho for OEM medical device and consumer health assembly programs at scale.
• Integer Holdings Corporation: Integer Holdings is a large, publicly traded medical device contract manufacturer and OEM serving cardiac, neuromodulation, and portable medical markets. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities in design, manufacturing, and finished device assembly, competing with Katecho for outsourced medical device programs.

Direct peers

• Nissha Medical Technologies: Nissha Medical Technologies is a contract manufacturer specializing in printed electrodes, hydrogel-based products, and wearable medical components. It is a direct peer to Katecho's hydrogel, conductive ink, and electrode manufacturing capabilities.
• Minnetronix Medical: Minnetronix Medical is a medical device contract manufacturer offering design, development, and manufacturing of complex electronic and electromechanical medical devices. It competes directly with Katecho for outsourced Class II/III medical device programs.
• Medical Murray: Medical Murray is a medical device contract manufacturer specializing in design, development, and manufacturing of interventional, implantable, and disposable medical devices. It is a direct peer to Katecho in full-lifecycle medical device OEM services.
• SMC Ltd. SMC Ltd. is a contract manufacturer of medical devices and diagnostics, offering design, tooling, injection molding, and assembly services. It is a direct peer to Katecho in full-service medical device manufacturing for diagnostic and therapeutic OEMs.
• Phillips-Medisize (Molex): Phillips-Medisize is a global medical and pharmaceutical contract manufacturer offering design, development, and manufacturing of drug delivery, medical devices, and combination products. It is the closest direct peer to Katecho in integrated medical device CMO services.
• Donatelle Plastics Incorporated: Donatelle is a medical device contract manufacturer specializing in design, prototyping, injection molding, and assembly of Class I–III devices. It is a Midwestern direct peer to Katecho with overlapping capabilities in medical device assembly and component manufacturing.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Katecho-240805916320699
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/katecho-inc

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Katecho