Finding medical device distributors: the options compared.
There are seven common ways to find a distributor for a medical device. Each one is good at something. This page puts them side by side, with a source for every fact, so you can pick the right one for the step you are on.
The short version
Export agencies and trade councils do good work for their exporters. They are subsidised, trusted, and they have people in the market who can make an introduction. If your country has one and you qualify, use it.
The Distributor Index is for everyone else, and for the first step. It shows, in minutes and for free, who is licensed to import, distribute or hold registrations in 111 markets. That is the list you want before you ask anyone for an introduction.
Consultancies and market-development firms are for when you need people, not data. Contact databases are for when you already know the companies. Trade shows are for when you are already going.
The options, side by side
Prices and claims are as published on the date above. Where a vendor states something about itself that we could not check, the table says so. Scroll sideways on a phone.
| Option | What you get | Coverage | Speed | Price | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National export agency partner searchAHK UK · AHK Southern Africa · Trade Council Italy · export.gov | A list of candidate partners compiled for your request from commercial databases and local staff knowledge, often with introductions by an adviser in the market. | Your own country's exporters only, one market per request. | 8 to 12 weeks for a qualified partner search (AHK Southern Africa). | Subsidised. GBP 120 for up to 10 addresses and GBP 1,200 for an agent search (German British Chamber); about EUR 3,563 (AHK Southern Africa); DKK 560 to 1,120 an hour (Danish Trade Council); USD 750 to 2,250 (US International Partner Search). | Exporters from that country who want a trusted, subsidised route and a personal introduction in one market. |
| Regulatory consultancy market access studyPacific Bridge Medical · Medical-Xprt on Emergo · MedEnvoy | Regulatory pathway, in-country representation and, at some firms, a distributor search run as a multi-step project (analyse, contact, screen, shortlist, meet, negotiate). | The firm's own footprint, for example 12 Asian countries for one firm's distributor search; registrations in over 50 countries for another, per a third-party listing. | Scoped per project. Not published. | Not published. Quote or free proposal. | Companies that also need registration and a local representative, and want one firm to run both. |
| Market-development firms and pilotsGrowthMedics · MD Market Access | People on the ground: sales representation, distributor development, hospital and KOL introductions, sometimes trials. | Varies by firm: 45+ markets claimed by one; 18 named countries in four specialties for another. | A 3 month market introduction programme across 4 European markets (one firm); 3 to 6 months to first orders (another firm's own claim). | Not published. | Companies with budget but no sales staff in the market, who want someone else to open doors. |
| Generic contact databasesLinkedIn plans · Apollo pricing · Docket on Apollo · Clay on ZoomInfo · Kompass | Names, emails, phone numbers and firmographics for any industry. No licences, registrations, principals or registration holders. | Global, all industries: 240M contacts (Apollo, own claim); 60 million companies in 70 countries (Kompass, own claim). | Instant. | LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core USD 1,079.88 a year; Apollo free, paid plans reported at USD 49 to 119 per user a month (third-party estimate); ZoomInfo near USD 15,000 a year (third-party estimate); Kompass lists from EUR 15. | Outbound sales teams that already know which companies they want to reach. |
| Trade-show matchmakingMEDICA newsflash | An app that matches visitors and exhibitors by product category, with chat and meeting booking. MEDICA's Fair Match runs before, during and for a year after the fair. | Whoever attends or exhibits at that show. | Tied to the fair dates. | Free for visitors at MEDICA; your ticket, stand and travel are separate costs. | Companies already going to the fair who want more useful meetings while there. |
| MedMatchAimed-match.ai · directory | A registry-sourced distributor database with AI search, a match engine and principal portfolios. Decision-maker contacts on paid plans. | Six Southeast Asian markets: Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam. | Instant. | Free Explorer with up to 3 full profile views a month. Paid: USD 359 a year for one market up to USD 1,399 for all markets. | Device makers entering Southeast Asia who want contacts as well as licence data. |
| Bastion Hale Distributor Index (free)Distributor Index · Methodology | Search, the world map, a page per country, every establishment profile, who holds the registration, counts by role, CSV samples, and the top 3 markets for your device from Market Finder. | 69,837 licensed establishments in 111 markets, from 12 official registries (EUDAMED, US FDA, Health Canada, MHRA, ANVISA, COFEPRIS and others, plus Gulf lists). Gulf coverage is still partial. | Instant. | Free, forever. | Anyone taking the first step: see who is licensed in a market before you spend money or time. |
| Next 10 Markets reportReport details | Ten markets ranked for your device. Up to ten independent distributors in each, ranked by Ideal Distributor Profile fit. Who holds the registration in each market. Competitor map. Outreach kit. Distributor operating kit. 20-minute walkthrough call. | Your ten markets, from the same 111. | One working day after your intake. | €490. At least 30 licensed distributors you did not already know, or a full refund. | Small device makers who want a ranked shortlist without hiring a consultant. |
An export agency searches one market per request. One published quote is about €3,563 and 8 to 12 weeks. The report covers ten markets for €490 and arrives one working day after your intake.
Rank my next 10 markets, €490At least 30 licensed distributors you did not already know, or a full refund. Delivered one working day after your intake.
How to read the table
Coverage decides first. An agency covers its own exporters. MedMatchAi covers six countries. A show covers the people in the hall. Check that the option covers both you and the market you want.
Speed matters more than it looks. A list that takes 8 to 12 weeks arrives after the trade show it was meant for. An instant list lets you test three markets in an afternoon and spend the agency's time on the one that matters.
The licence comes before the contact. In medical devices, a distributor that is not licensed to import, or that cannot hold your registration, is not a candidate. Start from the registry, then find the person.
What is free here, forever
Our rule: if software delivers it at no extra cost per user, it is free. That covers:
- Search across every establishment in the Index
- The world map and a page for each of 111 countries
- Segment pages, by device type, per country
- Every establishment profile, with its source and date
- Who holds the registration, market by market
- Counts by role: importers, distributors, authorised representatives, holders
- CSV samples of the top establishments (five markets today)
- Claiming and correcting your own profile, if you are a distributor
- Market Finder: the top 3 markets for your device
- The Market Watch newsletter
What is paid and why
Money changes hands only when the work needs a decision about your company.
The report. The Next 10 Markets report (€490) takes your device and turns the free data into a ranked decision: the 10 markets that fit you best, up to ten independent distributors in each, and who holds the registration in each market. A 20-minute walkthrough call is included, so if you want to talk it through with someone, you can.
An export agency searches one market per request. One published quote is about €3,563 and 8 to 12 weeks. The report covers ten markets for €490 and arrives one working day after your intake.
Rank my next 10 markets, €490At least 30 licensed distributors you did not already know, or a full refund. Delivered one working day after your intake.
Nothing on the free list moves behind the paywall later. If we add a paid feature, it is new work, not a free feature taken away.
Questions people ask
Is an export agency or the Distributor Index better for finding a distributor?
They do different jobs. An export agency gives its own country's exporters a subsidised, trusted route with advisers on the ground and personal introductions. The Index gives anyone, from any country, an instant view of who is licensed in 111 markets. Many companies should use both: the Index to choose the market and build the long list, the agency for the introduction.
How much does a distributor search cost through an export agency?
Published fees range widely. The German British Chamber charges GBP 120 for up to 10 addresses and GBP 1,200 for an agent search; AHK Southern Africa quotes about EUR 3,563 and 8 to 12 weeks for a qualified search; the Danish Trade Council charges DKK 560 to 1,120 an hour; the US International Partner Search costs USD 750 to 2,250 by company size.
Why not just use a contact database like Apollo or Sales Navigator?
They are good at names and emails. They cannot tell you who holds a registration, which companies are licensed to import devices, or who already represents which manufacturers. For a distributor search, the licence is the first filter and the contact comes after.
What does the Distributor Index not do?
It does not make introductions, it does not vouch for any company, and it does not show the holder of your specific product registration. Gulf coverage is partial in the current build. Registry data shows who is licensed; it does not show who is good.
What is free in the Index, and will it stay free?
Search, the map, every country page, every profile, who holds the registration, counts, CSV samples, claiming a profile, the top 3 markets from Market Finder and the Market Watch newsletter. The rule is simple: anything software delivers at no extra cost per user stays free. Judgement about your situation is paid.
Ten markets ranked for your device.
An export agency searches one market per request. One published quote is about €3,563 and 8 to 12 weeks. The report covers ten markets for €490 and arrives one working day after your intake.
Rank my next 10 markets, €490At least 30 licensed distributors you did not already know, or a full refund. Delivered one working day after your intake.
Sources are linked in each table row. Competitor facts were read from vendor and agency websites on 22 October 2026; vendor claims and third-party estimates are labelled as such. Index figures are from the build of 22 October 2026. If anything here is wrong or out of date, send a correction and we will fix it.