Planet Innovation
Melbourne-based developer of diagnostics and connected health products, with a US base in Irvine
Founded 2009 | Box Hill, Victoria, Australia | 300–400 employees
mechanicalelectronicsfirmwarediagnosticsconnected-iotmanufacturing
What is Planet Innovation?
Planet Innovation was founded in Melbourne in 2009 by four diagnostics industry specialists: Eduardo Vom, Sam Lanyon, Stuart Elliott and Troy O'Callaghan. It is headquartered in Box Hill, Victoria, with a facility in Irvine, California, and employs roughly 300 to 390 people depending on the source. The company has focused on regulated medical devices since 2016 and works across diagnostics, medical devices, biotechnology and connected health, including some product ventures of its own.
Planet Innovation works primarily with clients in Diagnostics & lab devices, Digital health, Wearables & remote monitoring sectors. Its primary differentiator is: Diagnostics roots plus product and commercialization experience in Australia and the US.
Planet Innovation tech stack and services
Embedded C/C++Cloud (AWS/Azure)MicrofluidicsISO 13485 QMSMobile apps
| Service area |
|---|
| Mechanical Engineering |
| Electronics & PCB Design |
| Firmware & Embedded Software |
| Diagnostics & Lab Instruments |
| Connected Devices & IoT |
| Manufacturing & Scale-up |
Planet Innovation pricing
Short answer: Planet Innovation uses a fixed project, time and materials pricing approach. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed; a discovery call is required.
| Engagement model | Typical range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed project | From not disclosed | Well-defined scope |
| Manufacturing contract | Variable; depends on team size | Large programmes or team augmentation |
| Time & materials | Variable; depends on team size | Large programmes or team augmentation |
Planet Innovation does not publish a public rate card. Contact them directly via their website to get project-specific pricing.
Planet Innovation pros and cons
| Advantages | Things to consider |
|---|---|
| +Founders came from the diagnostics industry, and diagnostics is still its strongest area | -Runs its own product ventures, so ask how client work is prioritized |
| +Has launched products of its own, so it understands commercialization as well as engineering | -Less known in Europe |
| +Australian base offers time-zone coverage for Asia-Pacific clients | -Headcount and certifications should be confirmed directly |
| +Irvine facility serves US clients locally |
Planet Innovation vs alternatives
How Planet Innovation compares to the other top Medical Device Development companies.
| Company | Best for | Key difference | Rating | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemberg Solutions | Connected and smart medical devices, one engineering team. | Owns PCB design, firmware, embedded Linux, IoT backend and edge AI under one roof, so device and cloud are designed together | 4.8 | Full comparison |
| StarFish Medical | Startups needing design plus pilot manufacturing. | Medtech-only practice that can build clinical and early commercial units in its own certified clean room | 4.6 | Full comparison |
| Sunrise Labs | Electromechanical devices, fluidics and infusion. | Three decades of work on pumps, fluidics and motion-heavy medical systems where mechanics and firmware are tightly coupled | 4.5 | Full comparison |
| Velentium | Implantables and FDA cybersecurity submissions. | Combines active-implantable engineering with a dedicated device cybersecurity team that prepares FDA premarket security documentation | 4.5 | Full comparison |
| Cambridge Consultants | Novel technology with high technical risk. | Physicists, chemists and engineers working in one building on problems no off-the-shelf design can solve | 4.4 | Full comparison |
| TTP | Pharma device programs, inhalers and injectors. | Employee ownership plus long-running drug delivery and surgical device work for large pharma and medtech clients | 4.4 | Full comparison |
| Zühlke | European medtech firms modernizing device software. | A device engineering practice and a large digital practice under one owner, useful when a device program is really a platform program | 4.4 | Full comparison |
| MedAcuity | Device makers with hardware but no software team. | US-based, ISO 13485 certified team that does nothing but regulated device software | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Key Tech | IVD instruments with consumables. | Designs the diagnostic instrument and its cartridge together, with human factors in the same studio | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Team Consulting | Inhalers, injectors and human-factors-heavy devices. | Three decades of medical-only industrial design and human factors, especially for drug delivery | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Minnetronix Medical | Electronic devices from design into US production. | Develops and then manufactures electronic medical devices in the same Minnesota medtech cluster | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Orthogonal | SaMD and device companion apps. | Agile delivery adapted to FDA-regulated software, focused on the app and cloud side of connected devices | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| S3 Connected Health | Pharma companies adding connectivity to drug delivery. | Combines embedded wireless engineering with patient-facing apps and data platforms for pharma programs | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| Veranex | Device design plus clinical trials and reimbursement. | One contract can cover engineering, clinical studies, regulatory strategy and reimbursement | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| Sagentia Innovation | Surgical robotics and combination products. | Medical development backed by a listed science group that also runs a regulatory consultancy | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| Bluefruit Software | UK device makers outsourcing firmware and testing. | Small, employee-owned embedded team with medical devices as its largest market and a strong testing culture | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| Promenade Software | Small device makers needing software and security. | Pairs contract device software with its own medical cybersecurity tooling and information-sharing service | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| Integrated Computer Solutions (ICS) | Touchscreen user interfaces on medical devices. | Qt and embedded UI depth applied to regulated device software, including on QNX | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Delve | User research and industrial design for medtech. | Design research and industrial design depth from two long-established US studios | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Kaleidoscope Innovation | Enterprises already working with Infosys. | US medical design studio with access to Infosys engineering and digital capacity | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Product Creation Studio | Pacific Northwest startups and lab instruments. | Small ISO 13485 studio that can follow its own quality system or the client's | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Simbex | Sensor wearables and biomechanics research. | Biomechanics and sensor research background applied to wearable health devices | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Softeq | Connected devices needing hardware plus apps. | Hardware, firmware, mobile and cloud teams in one company, with ISO 13485 in place | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| ScienceSoft | SaMD and device software on a budget. | Large, ISO 13485 certified software team with healthcare analytics and testing services | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Tata Elxsi | Large medtech firms offshoring sustaining engineering. | Offshore scale for verification, documentation and sustaining work on existing device portfolios | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Phillips-Medisize | Drug delivery devices needing high-volume production. | Design, molding and assembly of drug delivery devices under one global quality system | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Jabil Healthcare | Global production capacity for cleared devices. | Global scale, supply chain and FDA-registered production for established medical device brands | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Flex Health Solutions | Design transfer into global contract manufacturing. | Dedicated NPI center and design sites that feed directly into Flex's medical manufacturing network | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Plexus | Complex capital equipment needing build and sustaining. | Engineering, NPI and sustaining services for low-to-mid volume, high-complexity medical equipment | 3.8 | Full comparison |
Planet Innovation FAQ
What is Planet Innovation?
Melbourne-based developer of diagnostics and connected health products, with a US base in Irvine
How much does Planet Innovation charge?
Planet Innovation uses fixed project, time and materials pricing. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. A discovery call is required to get project-specific quotes.
What tech stack does Planet Innovation use?
Planet Innovation works with Embedded C/C++, Cloud (AWS/Azure), Microfluidics, ISO 13485 QMS, Mobile apps. Primary industries served include Diagnostics & lab devices, Digital health, Wearables & remote monitoring.
Is Planet Innovation right for enterprise?
Diagnostics companies in Asia-Pacific and the US. 300–400 team size. Key consideration: Runs its own product ventures, so ask how client work is prioritized.
What are the best Planet Innovation alternatives?
The best alternatives to Planet Innovation depend on your use case. Top options are:
- Lemberg Solutions: owns pcb design, firmware, embedded linux, iot backend and edge ai under one roof, so device and cloud are designed together
- StarFish Medical: medtech-only practice that can build clinical and early commercial units in its own certified clean room
- Sunrise Labs: three decades of work on pumps, fluidics and motion-heavy medical systems where mechanics and firmware are tightly coupled
Compare Planet Innovation with other Medical Device Development companies
Planet Innovation vs Lemberg Solutions Planet Innovation vs StarFish Medical Planet Innovation vs Sunrise Labs Planet Innovation vs Velentium Planet Innovation vs Cambridge Consultants Planet Innovation vs TTP Planet Innovation vs Zühlke Planet Innovation vs MedAcuity Planet Innovation vs Key Tech Planet Innovation vs Team Consulting Planet Innovation vs Minnetronix Medical Planet Innovation vs Orthogonal Planet Innovation vs S3 Connected Health Planet Innovation vs Veranex Planet Innovation vs Sagentia Innovation Planet Innovation vs Bluefruit Software Planet Innovation vs Promenade Software Planet Innovation vs Integrated Computer Solutions (ICS) Planet Innovation vs Delve Planet Innovation vs Kaleidoscope Innovation Planet Innovation vs Product Creation Studio Planet Innovation vs Simbex Planet Innovation vs Softeq Planet Innovation vs ScienceSoft Planet Innovation vs Tata Elxsi Planet Innovation vs Phillips-Medisize Planet Innovation vs Jabil Healthcare Planet Innovation vs Flex Health Solutions Planet Innovation vs Plexus
Verify all details directly with Planet Innovation before making a decision.