In 2002, Endosmart was founded by CEO Dr Bernd Vogel, who initially explored nitinol as part of his mechanical engineering thesis. His project involved creating a hingeless, steerable endoscope, leading to his discovery of nitinol’s potential in medical technology due to its shape memory, biocompatibility, and super elasticity.

In 2022, Endosmart was acquired by Alleima, a global manufacturer of high-value-added products in advanced stainless steels and special alloys, as well as solutions for industrial heating. The acquisition of Endosmart marks a significant step in Alleima’s strategy towards enhancing its global footprint and capabilities in the medical technology sector. In the beginning of February 2024 Endosmart was officially renamed Alleima Karlsruhe GmbH.

The new Alleima unit’s range of nitinol products includes surgical instruments and components such as kidney stone retrieval baskets, snares, and breast cancer tumour markers. Products predominantly serve the fields of urology, oncology, and cardiology, along with orthopaedic and vascular applications. Equipped with substantial medical insight and an awareness of surgeons’ needs, the company’s engineering team efficiently translates these requirements into the development of new medical devices.

Transformative medical innovations for patients

Alleima and Endosmart shared the goal of improving the quality of life for patients and thus saw a rewarding future together. At the time of the acquisition, Vogel stated: “With the material knowledge we have, we can support making instruments minimally invasive and more effective for patients, as well as really help to make surgeries less complicated and less invasive for the patients.

“We have increased the capabilities that our customers are requiring with our knowledge in nitinol processing. It’s not easy to join nitinol material to other components such as stainless steel or integrate it into complex instruments and make a finished implant. We can step in already in the development, designing and concept phase and in partnership with our customers support them to a fast ramp up to produce in high numbers.”

The merger has expanded Alleima’s reach in Europe and established a presence in the US for advanced nitinol instruments, strengthening the value chain for the company’s customers. This acquisition is also aimed at fostering innovation in nitinol-based medical devices. Vogel has an ambition to enhance product intelligence, combining biosensors and chip technologies from Alleima with nitinol to revolutionise medical devices. This collaboration positions the combination of companies as a comprehensive service provider, poised to make significant contributions to the medical field.

Nitinol innovations in 2024

In the year since Endosmart was acquired by Alleima, the partnership has worked on some exciting innovations for its medical device customers, and 2024 is set to see this trend continue.

The name change provides a cohesive brand identity. The rebrand also signals an enhanced capacity to innovate and deliver advanced medical solutions in Europe and the US, leveraging the combined strengths of both organisations to make a significant impact in the medical technology sector.

To learn more about Alleima’s capabilities, including its expertise with nitinol, download the document below.