OMRON's Resilient Heartbeat: A New Global ECG Strategy Takes Shape

TOKYO, JAPAN – December 11, 2025 – OMRON Healthcare, a global leader long synonymous with reliable home blood pressure monitors, has signaled a significant strategic evolution beyond the cuff. The company recently unveiled an ambitious global strategy for its electrocardiogram (ECG) business, positioning it as the new engine for its long-term 'Going for ZERO' vision—a quest to eliminate heart attacks and strokes. Through a calculated combination of strategic acquisition and targeted investment in artificial intelligence, OMRON is building a resilient framework designed to bridge the critical gap between at-home monitoring and clinical diagnostics, transforming how cardiovascular disease is detected, managed, and ultimately prevented.

The two-pronged strategy involves the planned acquisition of the Heartnote® Holter ECG service business from JSR Corporation and an additional investment in Tricog Health, an Indian AI-powered health-tech firm. This move represents a deliberate pivot from a company known primarily for its hardware to a more integrated healthcare solutions provider. By weaving together advanced wearable technology, powerful AI analytics, and its established global device network, OMRON is not just expanding its product line; it is architecting a comprehensive ecosystem aimed at delivering continuous, proactive cardiac care.

From Home Monitoring to a Connected Ecosystem

For years, OMRON has empowered patients to monitor their health at home. Now, the company is looking to connect that data directly to the clinical workflow. "So far, our ECG business has focused primarily on the home, but our aim now is to extend into the diagnostic and treatment settings of medical institutions," explained Daisuke Nozaki, General Manager of OMRON’s ZERO Event Business Planning Department. "By connecting home and hospital, we want to provide continuous support that spans detection, diagnosis and treatment for patients at risk of serious cardiac events."

This shift is a direct response to a burgeoning global remote patient monitoring (RPM) market, which is projected to grow exponentially as healthcare systems worldwide seek more efficient and effective ways to manage chronic diseases. OMRON's strategy aims to move up the value chain, transitioning from one-time device sales to providing continuous, data-driven services. This positions the company to compete in a dynamic landscape alongside specialized tech firms like AliveCor and iRhythm Technologies, which have pioneered AI-driven personal ECGs and long-term wearable patches. OMRON's advantage, however, lies in its immense global footprint and trusted brand recognition, built over decades with more than 400 million blood pressure monitors sold worldwide. By integrating new services into this existing ecosystem, the company can leverage its established market access to rapidly scale its new offerings.

The strategy addresses a fundamental challenge in modern cardiology: data from home devices often exists in a silo, separate from the diagnostic tools used in hospitals. By creating a seamless flow of information from a patient's living room to their cardiologist's office, OMRON aims to enable earlier interventions, more personalized treatment plans, and a reduction in costly and often preventable emergency hospitalizations.

Tackling Global Health Crises with Localized Solutions

A core strength of OMRON's new strategy lies in its nuanced, market-specific approach to solving global problems. Rather than a one-size-fits-all solution, the company is deploying tailored technologies to address the distinct healthcare challenges of different regions, particularly the specialist shortages in emerging economies and the needs of aging populations in developed nations.

In India and other parts of Asia, where cardiovascular disease is rising rapidly, a severe shortage of cardiologists creates a massive bottleneck in diagnosis. OMRON's expanded partnership with Tricog Health directly targets this issue. Tricog has developed a formidable AI-powered platform, InstaECG™, that combines deep learning algorithms with a network of over 100 in-house physicians for remote ECG interpretation. Having already screened over 31 million patients across more than 12,500 healthcare centers, Tricog delivers near-instant, cardiologist-level analysis, a service that can be life-saving in areas where specialists are hours away. "AI-powered early diagnosis and appropriate management can prevent a significant proportion of deaths from heart disease," stated Dr. Charit Bhograj, CEO of Tricog Health.

The collaboration has already borne fruit with KeeboHealth, a remote monitoring service for heart failure patients. Early results from a 2024 patient cohort in India showed the service led to a 30% reduction in hospital readmissions, demonstrating a tangible return on investment for healthcare systems and a profound improvement in patient quality of life.

Conversely, in Japan, the company is addressing the challenges of a "super-aging society." The planned acquisition of Heartnote® from JSR Corporation brings a unique Holter ECG service into the OMRON portfolio. Heartnote® utilizes a thin, lightweight, cordless wearable patch that allows for continuous ECG monitoring for up to seven days—a significant improvement over traditional, bulky 24-hour Holter monitors. This extended, comfortable monitoring period dramatically increases the probability of detecting infrequent but dangerous arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation. "Heartnote® was developed to address the challenges of Japan's super-aging society," said Nobutoshi Kobayashi, General Manager at JSR Corporation, adding that OMRON is the "ideal partner to further expand this service."

Powering the 'Going for ZERO' Vision with Technology

These strategic moves are not isolated initiatives but rather crucial building blocks for OMRON's overarching corporate vision: 'Going for ZERO'. This ambitious goal to eliminate adverse cerebro- and cardiovascular events hinges on a fundamental shift from reactive treatment to proactive prevention. "Confronting the heart failure 'pandemic' and the shortage of cardiovascular specialists requires new approaches," said Ayumu Okada, President and CEO of OMRON Healthcare. "By combining innovative technology with strategic partnerships, we aim to take our cardiovascular business to the next stage and help prevent serious cardiac events before they occur."

The technology at the heart of this strategy combines best-in-class hardware and software. The Heartnote® patch represents an advancement in comfortable, long-term wearable sensors, while Tricog's platform provides the powerful AI analytics needed to interpret the vast amounts of data these devices generate. This synergy is critical for making early detection both practical for patients and manageable for clinicians. Furthermore, the regulatory environment is becoming increasingly favorable. Agencies like the U.S. FDA and Japan's PMDA are actively creating pathways for AI-driven diagnostic tools, recognizing their potential to improve patient outcomes and system efficiency.

For a company built on a foundation of reliability and long-term value, this evolution into a data-driven healthcare service provider is a logical and resilient next step. By investing in the technologies that will define the future of cardiac care, OMRON is not only strengthening its competitive moat but also positioning itself to generate new, recurring revenue streams. The strategy demonstrates a deep understanding of global health trends and a clear-eyed foresight to invest in solutions that promise both financial returns and profound societal impact, moving the company ever closer to making its 'Going for ZERO' vision a reality.