Bistos

What Bistos does

Bistos Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ: 419540) is a South Korea-based medical device manufacturer founded in 2001 and headquartered in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, with manufacturing in Yongin and a US sales branch (Bistos America) in Laguna Hills, California. The company specializes in biosignal diagnosis equipment, with a product portfolio spanning fetal monitoring (BT-380, BT-350L, BT-220C doppler), patient and vital sign monitoring (BT-720, BT-700 pulse oximeter), neonatal care (BT-500 incubator, BT-550 warmer, BT-400 phototherapy), maternal and home-care products (BT-100/BT-150 breast pumps, BT-35/36 infrared thermometers), X-ray imaging (BT-800 hybrid CR, wired and wireless DR detectors), the FDA 510(k)-cleared BT-1000 transcranial nerve stimulator for pediatric ADHD, and the BT-580AI neonatal growth risk software. Underlying technology centers on biosignal processing, including CTG cross-channel verification for fetal heart rate accuracy and 0.1mA-precision transcranial stimulation, supported by Korean MFDS and US FDA regulatory clearances.

The company sells through a hybrid B2B and B2C model: direct sales and a national distributor network in Korea, a US branch for North American distribution, international distributors across the Middle East, China, Europe, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, and consumer e-commerce via the Naver Smart Store. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of medical devices, accessories and consumables (probes, sensors, incubator accessories), and an emerging home-care segment (electric breast pumps, ADHD treatment device) where US sales grew 65% year-over-year in Q1 2024. Go-to-market is supported by an active international exhibition presence (24+ events annually including Medica, CMEF, Arab Health, FIME, KIMES, Hospitalar, and CES) and digital channels (corporate website, WhatsApp business line, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube). In Q1 2024, Bistos reported revenue of 5.8 billion KRW (approximately $4.4M USD), up 34% year-over-year, and an operating profit of 260 million KRW, a turnaround from a prior loss, led by Representative Director Lee Hee-jung (이희정).

Name

Bistos

Legal name

주식회사 비스토스 (Bistos Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://bistos.co.kr

Company type

Public

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bistos is a South Korea-based, KOSDAQ-listed medical device manufacturer that develops, produces, and globally distributes biosignal diagnosis equipment for hospitals, clinics, and home-care consumers, including fetal monitors, neonatal care devices, patient monitors, X-ray systems, and an FDA-cleared pediatric ADHD neurostimulator.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Devices / Patient Monitoring Equipment

NAICS

Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391), Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing (339112), Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Monitoring (CTG, Infant Wearables) (HLAHACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Neonatal & Pediatric Remote Monitoring (HLACAPAG), Maternal & Neonatal Remote Monitoring Platforms (HLACAFAC), Personal Medical Devices & Home Diagnostics (Thermometers, Blood Pressure Monitors, Glucose Meters, Rapid Tests) (CRADAMAK)

Keywords

• Patient monitoring equipment
• Fetal monitoring devices
• Neonatal care equipment
• Medical imaging systems
• Biosignal diagnosis

Headquarters

HQ city

Seongnam

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Medical Equipment Sales: Bistos generates revenue primarily through the sale of medical devices including fetal monitors, patient monitors, neonatal care equipment, and diagnostic devices. Products are sold to hospitals, clinics, and healthcare facilities through direct sales and distribution networks.
2. Accessories and Consumables: Ongoing revenue from accessories, sensors, and consumables for their medical equipment including fetal monitor probes, pulse oximeter sensors, and incubator accessories.
3. Home Care Medical Devices: Revenue from consumer-facing home care products including electric breast pumps and ADHD treatment devices (BT-1000) sold for home use under medical supervision.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bistos manufactures and sells biosignal diagnosis medical equipment, including fetal monitors, patient monitors, neonatal care equipment (incubators and phototherapy), an FDA 510(k)-cleared ADHD treatment device (BT-1000), breast pumps, and digital X-ray systems. The company sells its devices to hospitals, clinics, and medical institutions through distributors and direct sales, with consumer-grade products also available via online retail channels.

Product overview

Bistos is a medical device manufacturer specializing in biosignal diagnosis, offering a comprehensive portfolio of maternal-infant care, patient monitoring, and diagnostic imaging products. The product lineup centers on fetal monitoring systems (BT-380, BT-350L), ultrasound doppler devices (BT-220C), and neonatal care equipment (BT-500 incubator, BT-550 warmer, BT-400 phototherapy unit). The portfolio extends to patient vital sign monitoring (BT-720, BT-700 pulse oximeter), X-ray imaging systems (BT-800 hybrid CR, wired and wireless DR detectors), electric breast pumps (BT-100, BT-150), head-worn lights (BT-410), and the recently launched BT-1000 ADHD treatment device. The company also offers AI-powered software (BT-580AI) for neonatal risk assessment. Bistos operates as a single unified product company rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, with products spanning diagnostic, therapeutic, and monitoring applications for healthcare facilities and home care settings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fetal Monitors

Quantifiable outcome

• Q1 2024 profitability turnaround with 260 million KRW operating profit
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Atom Medical: Atom Medical is a Japanese medical device company focused on neonatal and perinatal care equipment, including infant incubators, warmers, and phototherapy units. The product overlap with Bistos' BT-500 incubator, BT-550 warmer, and BT-400 phototherapy makes it a directly comparable peer in the NICU equipment category.
• Medela: Medela is a Swiss-based global leader in breast pumps and lactation solutions for hospitals and home use. It competes directly with Bistos' BT-100 and BT-150 electric breast pumps, particularly in the US market where Bistos reported 65% YoY growth.
• Natus Medical: Natus Medical specializes in neurology, newborn care, and hearing screening devices, with products including neonatal incubators, warmers, and phototherapy systems. It is a directly comparable peer in Bistos' neonatal care segment, serving the same NICU and nursery customer base.
• Edan Instruments: Edan Instruments is a Chinese medical device company offering patient monitors, fetal monitors, ECG, and ultrasound devices across more than 170 countries. The product overlap with Bistos in patient and fetal monitoring, alongside similar export-driven GTM via international distributors, makes it a closely comparable direct peer.
• Mindray: Mindray is a leading Chinese medical device manufacturer with a directly comparable product portfolio covering patient monitors, fetal monitors, and ultrasound systems sold globally. Both companies target hospitals and clinics in maternal/neonatal and general patient monitoring segments, with similar mid-tier positioning versus premium Western brands.
• Contec Medical Systems: Contec Medical Systems is a Chinese medical device manufacturer specializing in patient monitors, pulse oximeters, ECG, and ultrasound devices sold globally through distributors. The product overlap and distribution-led GTM model closely mirror Bistos' approach.

Broad incumbents

• Dräger: Dräger is a global incumbent in medical and safety technology with a comprehensive portfolio of patient monitoring, neonatal care (incubators, warmers, phototherapy), and anesthesia equipment. It competes with Bistos across multiple neonatal and patient monitoring product categories as a much larger established player.
• GE Healthcare: GE Healthcare is a global medical technology incumbent offering patient monitors, fetal monitoring solutions (Corometrics), and ultrasound systems. It is a broad incumbent that competes with Bistos in hospital-grade patient and fetal monitoring, with far greater scale and IT-integration capabilities.
• Philips Healthcare: Philips Healthcare is a global incumbent in patient monitoring, fetal monitoring (Avalon series), and neonatal care solutions. It competes with Bistos in the same clinical customer segments but at significantly higher price points with integrated hospital IT platforms.

Emerging players

• Bionet: Bionet is a Korean medical device company offering patient monitors, ECG, and fetal monitoring solutions with a domestic and emerging international presence. As a fellow Korean mid-tier player with overlapping maternal monitoring products, it is a relevant emerging peer with similar geographic and product positioning to Bistos.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/bistos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/bistos-korea-b6527b215
• Instagraminstagram.com/bistos_korea

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 Bistos