After thirty years in business and having established a leading position in the French rehabilitation market, Develter Innovation has just obtained CE marking for its Rehab Evolution simulator. Stéphane Develter, the company’s founder and chairman, outlines the significance of this new milestone and the growth prospects for the coming years.
You have obtained the CE marking for medical devices for the Rehab Evolution. In what way does this represent a major milestone for Develter?
We are the first company in the world to have obtained CE Medical Device for a driving simulator designed for rehabilitation.This world premiere will automatically trigger our international expansion. Indeed, many distributors were waiting for the CE Medical Device to begin marketing our simulators.
Furthermore, when a tender requires a medical device, something that is becoming increasingly common in the rehabilitation sector, only Develter Innovation 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 regulations.
How do you plan to structure your international expansion?
We will be expanding our sales through trusted distributors. We like to work with local business partners who understand the rehabilitation market in their region, have the necessary sales infrastructure, and can incorporate Rehab Evolution into their range of therapeutic solutions. In short, ‘Médimex’ on an international scale.
Grégory Mourot, who is leading this international expansion through Develter Eko Develter EKO, has already built up a significant professional network by attending international conferences on rehabilitation medicine for the past twenty years.
We are currently in contact with 21 countries and 28 potential distributors, and several distribution agreements have already been signed.
Apart from the CE Medical Device, what other projects are planned for 2026?
This year will also provide an opportunity to introduce new features through the roll-out of our new software.
Software improvement is an ongoing process: there is still plenty of scope for further development and innovation. Our priority is to create the best possible tool. Regardless of the costs or effort involved in the short and medium term, what matters most to us is that the product evolves and remains effective.
It is this drive for improvement, in particular, that sets us apart from our competitors. Some of them have simulation software that has remained unchanged for fifteen years, that is not evolving and that will probably never evolve.
What is your current position in the French rehabilitation market?
Our partnership with Médimex, France’s leading distributor of medical equipment, gives us a share of around 90% of the French market.
With the CE Medical Device marking, our dominance of the French market, and our international distributor network currently being established, we are ready for this new phase. 2026 will be the year of our international expansion.