A year ago, Develter Innovation launched Develter EKO to expand the international reach of Rehab Evolution, its driving simulator designed for rehabilitation. Grégory Mourot, Sales Director at Médimex and manager of Perfect EKO, is leading this strategic initiative and reflects on the lessons learnt during this first year of exporting.
How have you structured your approach to the international market?
The idea is simple. We want to find ‘Médimex’ [Develter’s distributor in France] around the world: partners who understand the rehabilitation market, already have the necessary sales infrastructure, and can include Rehab Evolution in their range of therapeutic solutions.
To this end, we have drawn on a professional network built up over the last twenty years through our participation in international conferences on rehabilitation medicine. There, I regularly meet medical technology distributors from all over the world who already market rehabilitation technologies for patients with paraplegia, tetraplegia or hemiplegia.
In practical terms, what were the first steps in this roll-out?
The first phase involved approaching these distributors and introducing them to the Rehab Evolution. To this end, we took part in MEDICA in Düsseldorf in 2024 – the global medical congress where manufacturers and distributors from around the world meet – where we exhibited the driving simulator, and at the ISPRM in 2025 (link to the article on the ISPRM), where almost all of these distributors were in attendance. We were able to demonstrate the simulator’s capabilities in practice, let them test it, and answer their questions.
Previously, we had invited certain countries, notably the Philippines, to visit Develter in France directly, but we obviously cannot organise this for the whole world. The conference was therefore the decisive moment for establishing initial contacts on a large scale.
Since the start of this venture, we have also held at least ten video conferences with Stéphane Develter to present the machine in detail: Singapore, Israel, Poland, the Czech Republic, India, the Philippines, Thailand, as well as a joint distributor for Finland, Sweden, Norway and Estonia. These sessions enable us to answer technical questions, present the rehabilitation software, and explain the specific features of the Rehab Evolution.
Where are you at today in terms of business development?
Some international distributors have already signed distribution agreements, and Rehab Evolution features on the websites of several of them, demonstrating their commitment to marketing the product.
We are also in contact with 21 countries and 28 companies, with some countries still having several potential distributors. Of these 28 contacts, four or five countries are on the verge of signing distribution agreements with us.
Which aspects of Rehab Evolution generate the most interest among your international prospects?
International distributors are particularly interested in the rehabilitation software developed specifically for this simulator. This is not simply a driver safety training programme: it is a genuine therapeutic tool featuring dedicated assessment and rehabilitation protocols. This specialisation makes all the difference for rehabilitation centres.
They also appreciate the simulator’s modularity, with its PMR features (left-hand accelerator pedal, adapted controls, wheelchair version), which enable them to work with a wide variety of patients. The ability to track the patient’s gaze, as well as to save patient profiles and monitor their therapeutic progress, is another key strength that is regularly highlighted in our discussions.
Your Rehab Revolution simulator is currently undergoing the CE marking process for medical devices. How important is this process for your development?
Obtaining the CE Medical Device marking, scheduled for January 2026, is crucial to our international expansion. We will be the only company in the world to hold this certification for a driving simulator designed for rehabilitation.
This is a game-changer for international tenders. When a tender requires a medical device, an increasingly common requirement in the rehabilitation sector, only Develter EKO will be able to meet this requirement. This is a major competitive advantage that will significantly facilitate our entry into international markets, particularly in countries with strict health regulations. We will be the only ones in the world to have this for a driving simulator designed for rehabilitation.
What are your prospects for the coming year?
2026 looks set to be a pivotal year. We will have obtained the CE Medical Device marking, our distributors will have had time to familiarise themselves with the product, and the first feedback from centres in Morocco equipped with the device will begin to circulate within international professional networks. The aim is not to sell quickly at any cost, but to build a network of reliable distributors who understand the product and can provide high-quality support. This is a strategy for sustainable establishment in international rehabilitation markets.