Ulster University spin-out Intelesens acquired by US tech firm

Intelesens, a Belfast-based developer of wearable health technology, has been acquired by US tech firm UltraLinq for an undisclosed sum.

Established in 2001 by three leading sensor technology professors based at Ulster University, Intelesens has developed a portfolio of wearable, non-invasive, wireless devices for monitoring vital signs, for hospital and home patient monitoring markets.

Among its co-founders was John Anderson, who is credited with developing the world’s first portable defibrillator.

Chief finance officer Deirdre Francis said the company, which employs 39 people, would continue to operate under its current name.

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“We will very much be continuing as we are. It is business as usual and we’ll stay based in Belfast, but the deal is very exciting for us in terms of the development of the platform,” she said.

Founded in 2007, UltraLinq is a New York-headquartered cloud-based medical image and data-management platform.

Intelesens has attracted international venture capital in recent years, including start-up investment from Innovation Ulster Limited.

The company has retained a close working relationship with the college’s nanotechnology and integrated bioengineering centre.

Ulster University vice-chancellor Prof Paddy Nixon said the pioneering research carried out by Intelesens has had an impact on the lives of countless people globally, improving patient care and driving efficiencies in the healthcare sector.

“The ability of Intelesens to develop such engineering and healthcare advances and then rapidly commercialise them is testament to its world-leading research and outstanding business leadership,” said Prof Nixon.

“This acquisition by UltraLinq, a company already well established in the global medical technology sector, is an endorsement not just of Intelesens but of the wider knowledge base at Ulster University,” he added.