OxVent

What OxVent does

OxVent Ltd is a UK-based medical device company founded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, originating from the University of Oxford and King's College London as one of only 15 organisations selected from over 5,000 offers in the UK Government's Ventilator Challenge. The company designs and manufactures low-cost, medical-grade mechanical ventilators, with two core products: the OxVent, a high-performance mechanical ventilator targeting emergency use, low-resource settings, and routine procedures requiring general anaesthesia, and the AIRA, a multi-mode ventilator with FDA Emergency Use Authorization offering Volume Control, Pressure Control, and Pressure Assist/Control modes. The underlying technology uses standardised parts requiring only 2-3 person-hours for assembly and testing, includes battery backup, dual ventilation modes (VCV and ACV), wide supply voltage compatibility, and an oxygen-efficient design that does not require CO2 absorption.

OxVent operates as a social venture with a humanitarian mission focused on building sustainable medical device manufacturing capacity in Low-to-Middle Income Countries through in-country partnerships with manufacturers and distributors, while also making its products available in higher-income healthcare systems. The company is ISO 13485:2016 certified (NQA, UKAS-accredited) for design, development, manufacturing and distribution, and operates with 11-50 employees out of Newbury, Berkshire. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of ventilators to healthcare systems at approximately 10% of the price of traditional ventilators, with sales managed directly by the executive team and supported by channel partnerships including The Ventilator Project (TVP) in Boston.

The company's strategic moat is anchored in regulatory credentials (ISO 13485, FDA EUA, MHRA RMVS alignment), a cost structure enabled by academic origins and standardised design, and a talent base drawn from Oxford and King's College London faculty alongside former Medtronic, WHO and TGA executives. Distribution is partnership-based and still being built out, and the company has not disclosed revenue, funding rounds, or named end-customer accounts, leaving commercial scale and customer concentration as open data points.

Name

OxVent

Legal name

OxVent Ltd

Website

https://oxvent.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OxVent Ltd is a UK medical device company founded in 2020 that designs and manufactures low-cost, medical-grade mechanical ventilators (the OxVent and AIRA) for healthcare systems, with a primary humanitarian mission targeting Low-to-Middle Income Countries through in-country manufacturing partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Ventilators

NAICS

Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113)

SIC

Electromedical & Electrotherapeutic Apparatus (3845)

akta.pro primary industry

Ventilators & Mechanical Ventilation Systems (ICU/Transport/Home) (HLAHAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Anesthesia & Respiratory Gas Delivery Equipment (Breathing Circuits, Vaporizers, Gas Mixers) (HLAHAGAK), Oxygen Therapy Systems (Concentrators, Cylinders, Liquid O2, HFNC) (HLAHAGAD)

Keywords

• Mechanical ventilators
• Medical respiratory devices
• Emergency ventilator systems
• Low-cost ventilator manufacturing
• Critical care equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ventilator Hardware Sales: OxVent generates revenue from the sale of medical ventilators (OxVent and AIRA models) to healthcare systems, with a focus on LMICs and higher-income countries. The company sells to hospitals and healthcare providers through direct partnerships with in-country manufacturers and distributors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

OxVent designs and manufactures high-performance, medical-grade mechanical ventilators (the OxVent and the AIRA) that are inexpensive, quick to manufacture, and scalable. The ventilators are designed for emergency situations such as pandemics, low-resource settings in LMICs, and routine procedures requiring general anaesthesia, with a cost target of approximately 10% of traditional ventilator pricing.

Product overview

OxVent Ltd is a medical device company offering two distinct ventilator products: the OxVent (original product) and the AIRA. The OxVent is a high-performance, medical-grade, mechanical ventilator designed for emergency use during pandemics and routine procedures, offering Mandatory Volume Controlled Ventilation (VCV) and Assist Control Ventilation (ACV) modes. The AIRA is a multi-mode ventilator featuring a graphical display with FDA emergency use authorization, offering Volume Control, Pressure Control, and Pressure Assist/Control modes. Both products are designed to serve different market needs, with the OxVent targeting LMICs and the AIRA available internationally through collaboration with The Ventilator Project (TVP).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AIRA: Multi-mode ventilator with graphical display and FDA emergency use authorization. Indicated for minimum ventilatory support of adult patients (18+) weighing at least 100 lbs (45.4 kg) requiring continuous ventilation. Offers Volume Control, Pressure Control, and Pressure Assist/Control modes.

Products and services

• OxVent Mechanical Ventilator A high-performance, medical-grade, mechanical ventilator that is inexpensive, quick to manufacture, rapid to deploy and scalable. Supports Mandatory Volume Controlled Ventilation (VCV) and Assist Control Ventilation (ACV) modes, oxygen-efficient without CO2 absorption, battery backup, 110-240V compatibility, alarm system, and intuitive interface requiring minimal training.
• AIRA Multi-Mode Ventilator A multi-mode ventilator with graphical display and FDA emergency use authorization, offering Volume Control, Pressure Control, and Pressure Assist/Control modes. Indicated for minimum ventilatory support of adult patients (18+) weighing at least 100 lbs (45.4 kg) requiring continuous ventilation in hospital settings by qualified trained personnel under physician direction.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 10% of the cost of a traditional ventilator, reducing financial burden on healthcare systems
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Smith+NephewcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Smith+Nephew, a global MedTech company, partnered with OxVent during the UK Government's Ventilator Challenge to turn the prototype electro-mechanical ventilator into a safe, reliable medical device ready for production. This was a co-development partnership critical to achieving regulatory-grade manufacturing standards.
• The Ventilator Project (TVP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ventilator Project (TVP) in Boston, Massachusetts, shares the social enterprise ethos with OxVent. Both organisations agreed to collaborate to make TVP's AIRA ventilator available outside the USA. OxVent handles manufacturing while TVP manages distribution in the US, and OxVent covers all other international markets under the collaboration.
• University of OxfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe OxVent ventilator was designed by an expert team of engineers and medics from the University of Oxford and King's College London. The university affiliation provides research and talent resources, with the Department of Engineering Science operating the website and providing institutional backing.
• King's College LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpert clinical and engineering team members from King's College London co-designed the OxVent ventilator alongside University of Oxford colleagues, contributing to the medical and physiological expertise underpinning the device.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• GE HealthCare: Major ICU ventilator manufacturer (e.g., CARESCAPE R860) with a global hospital footprint and broad capital equipment relationships. Represents a large incumbent competitor in the ventilator category.
• Resmed: Global leader in respiratory and sleep therapy devices. Adjacent incumbent in respiratory care with overlap in ventilation support and broader patient breathing assistance categories.
• Hamilton Medical: Swiss specialist in mechanical ventilators widely used in ICUs worldwide. Direct incumbent in the mechanical ventilation category, with broad global hospital penetration that OxVent must displace or complement.
• Medtronic: Global medical device leader and major ventilator manufacturer (e.g., PB980, Puritan Bennett lines). Represents the entrenched incumbent whose installed base and hospital relationships OxVent must compete against at a fraction of the price.
• Drägerwerk: German MedTech company with a strong ventilator portfolio (e.g., Evita, Savina series) and deep European and emerging-market distribution. Incumbent competitor in the same mechanical ventilation space.
• Philips: Healthcare major with ventilator and respiratory care offerings (e.g., Trilogy, Respironics platform). Broad incumbent overlapping with OxVent in both hospital and home/respiratory care segments.
• Nihon Kohden: Japanese medical electronics company with ventilator and patient monitoring products sold internationally, including in emerging markets. Comparable incumbent with overlapping ICU ventilation portfolio.

Others

• Smith+Nephew: Global MedTech company that partnered with OxVent during the UK Ventilator Challenge. While not a direct ventilator competitor, Smith+Nephew is an adjacent strategic partner whose manufacturing and regulatory capabilities are central to OxVent's industrialization.

Emerging players

• Mindray: Chinese medical device company offering cost-competitive ventilators and patient monitoring with growing global distribution, including LMICs. Comparable as an emerging player competing on price-sensitive ventilator markets.

Direct peers

• The Ventilator Project (TVP): Boston-based social enterprise that developed the AIRA ventilator. TVP is both a partner and direct peer—sharing the same humanitarian mission, similar low-cost ventilator design ethos, and overlapping target markets as OxVent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 OxVent