Australian medical technology company Rapid Response Revival has begun exporting its personal defibrillator, CellAED, to France, marking its first entry into a non-English speaking market.
The move highlights growing international interest in portable and accessible life-saving technologies developed in Australia, as stated in a news release.
CellAED is a lightweight, Australian-made personal defibrillator featuring a user-friendly “Snap Peel Stick” activation, designed for ease of use with minimal training and small enough to carry in a handbag or backpack.
The company said that the French version of the product, now featuring in-built voice prompts and labelling in French, is intended to address accessibility for users in the country and reflects Rapid Response Revival’s broader commitment to supporting diverse global markets.
“Our vision has always been to share the excellence of Australian ingenuity with the world,” said Donovan Casey, CEO and Founder of Rapid Response Revival. “Launching in France is a proud milestone for our team.”
Data show France faces significant challenges with cardiac arrest survival rates, with only about 5 per cent of patients surviving.
The country records between 40,000 and 50,000 deaths annually due to cardiac arrest, which is the second leading cause of death and the leading cause of death among women.
Although public access AEDs are installed in many locations across France, accessibility issues remain, and a large proportion of devices are reportedly out of service.
According to available data, only 6,021 out of approximately 500,000 AEDs in France were inspected between 2021 and 2023.
“France is our first non-English language market expansion,” Casey said. “We anticipate further expansion across other languages, furthering our mission to save lives globally, by increasing widespread accessibility of CellAED.”
Austrade has supported the company’s international expansion efforts. “We are delighted to support Rapid Response Revival in the facilitation of international business relationships. This underscores Austrade’s commitment to fostering growth and prosperity of Australian businesses,” said Jennifer Mackinlay, General Manager Europe and Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner at Austrade.
In France, CellAED will be distributed by TaTonDef (TTD), which combines expertise in first aid training with insights into the needs of the French market.
Alban Vialla, co-founder of TaTonDef, said the partnership aims to place more defibrillators where they are needed most.
“Improving the management of cardiac arrest is at the heart of our commitment,” Vialla said.
“We know that every second counts in an emergency and that CellAED, the ultra-portable personal defibrillator, can truly save lives. That’s why we have set ourselves an ambitious goal: to equip homes, businesses and communities in France with this life-saving device.”
