Startups & Founders

Turning Your Vision into a Market-Ready Medical Device

Bringing your medical device to market is one of the most challenging undertakings in the healthcare industry. You must navigate rigorous regulatory requirements, complex technical hurdles, and the constant pressure of limited resources and tight timelines. The path from concept to commercialization is filled with risk—missteps in early development, misalignment with market needs, or inefficient execution can lead to costly delays, missed opportunities, or even project failure.

Beyond the well-known challenges of regulatory approvals and engineering, there are hidden pitfalls that can quietly erode your competitive edge. Are you securing intellectual property that enhances commercial value? Is your design optimized for manufacturability from day one? Will your device integrate seamlessly into clinical workflows? These are the critical success factors that determine whether your innovation thrives or struggles in the market.

At StarFish Medical, we understand these challenges because we’ve helped founders like you overcome them time and again. We don’t just provide engineering expertise—we bring a strategic approach to ensure your innovation is not only technically feasible but also commercially successful. Whether you need to de-risk early development, establish a strong regulatory foundation, or optimize your device for real-world clinical use, we offer a tailored, end-to-end partnership.

Our Pathfinder™ approach helps define a product concept that aligns with your market positioning, regulatory expectations, and user needs—minimizing costly course corrections later. With ISO-certified facilities, proprietary development processes, and deep industry expertise, we provide the critical support you need to turn your bold idea into an impactful, market-ready medical device.

Why Partner with StarFish?

Bringing your medical device to life requires more than just a great idea—it demands the right expertise, strategic execution, and a clear path to market. As your dedicated development partner, we help you navigate the complexities of medical device innovation, ensuring your vision becomes a commercially successful reality. With decades of experience, we provide the technical, regulatory, and business insight you need to de-risk development, avoid costly setbacks, and accelerate your journey to market.

Comprehensive Support from Day One

Whether you’re refining your concept, proving feasibility, or preparing for clinical trials, our multidisciplinary team of engineers, designers, and regulatory specialists works alongside you to tackle each stage with confidence.

QA/RA Value Medical Device Development

Focused on Your Success

We know that as a founder, every decision impacts your timeline, budget, and long-term strategy. That’s why we provide structured development pathways that balance speed, risk management, and regulatory requirements—helping you maximize both efficiency and opportunity.

Industry-Leading Development Facilities

Our ISO-certified labs and cleanroom environments in Irvine, Vancouver, and Toronto give you access to rapid prototyping, verification and validation (V&V) testing, and in-house manufacturing capabilities within FDA-registered facilities.

A Seamless Path to Manufacturing

Whether you plan to manufacture in-house, partner with a contract manufacturer, or scale through acquisition, we ensure a smooth transition from development to production—so you’re always ready for what’s next.

Explore Our Sectors

Illustration of a delivery truck

We help you create innovative devices that combine your drug with optimal delivery methods for the most effective treatment.

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From remote diagnostics to powerful imaging systems, we design and develop solutions that work inside or outside a traditional healthcare setting.

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From supporting respiratory care to enabling home-based therapies, we have developed hundreds of therapy devices that treat patients inside or outside the clinic.

Let’s Discuss Your Next Innovation

StarFish Medical helps leading medical device enterprises overcome complexity and bring innovative technologies to market with confidence.

Human Factors Medtech AI
A close-up image of a hand drawing on a whiteboard with a marker, illustrating a brainstorming or planning session. Bold text on the left reads 'Cost to develop Medical Device' with the word 'develop' highlighted in purple. The image conveys the concept of medical device development costs and design planning.

What are the real costs of developing a medical device? In this episode of Bio Break, Nick and Joris dive into one of the most frequently asked questions they hear from clients: How much does it cost to develop a medical device?

A futuristic smartwatch displaying biometric data on its screen, set against a glowing blue background with abstract graphs. Bold text reads "Where's my Cortisol-Sensing Watch?" in a mix of grey, purple, and black fonts.

Nick and Joris tackle a question many tech and health enthusiasts have wondered for years: Where is my cortisol-sensing smartwatch? Nick shares a nostalgic story of reading about futuristic wearable technology in Popular Mechanics as a child — devices that would one day monitor biomarkers like cortisol to track stress and overall health. Now, decades later, he and Joris break down why such a wearable device still hasn’t become a reality.

White and colored label rolls isolated on white background with shadow reflection. Color reels of labels for printers. Labels for direct thermal or thermal transfer printing. Abstract background.

We all know medical devices have labels, but how often do we consider their purpose and the effort required to ensure they provide the right information? Device labelling serves as the interface between the manufacturer, the user, and regulatory bodies. (Note that being from Canada, we spell labelling with two Ls.)