A story of progress

In 1949, Earl Bakken, an electrical engineering student, and his brother-in-law Palmer Hermundslie, founded Medtronic in Minneapolis to repair medical equipment for local hospitals.

By working closely with physician customers – a key element of Medtronic's success today as it was back then – Earl Bakken and Palmer Hermundslie went on to design and build new medical devices. In 1957, Earl Bakken developed the first wearable external battery-powered cardiac pacemaker, and created an entirely new industry. By 1960, Medtronic products were sold and used in Australia, Canada, Europe and Latin America.

Before the pacemaker, the only treatment for failing hearts was marginally effective drug therapy. Today, biomedical engineering is helping to create revolutionary new therapies to change the course of human disease.

The combination of research and development plus strategic mergers and acquisitions has enabled Medtronic to continually improve and expand its product lines and to enter new markets. From what was originally a 'one-product enterprise ', Medtronic has evolved into a global leader, with an array of technologies and products designed to alleviate pain, restore health and extend life.

An essential part of Medtronic’s Mission is “to maintain good citizenship as a company”.
Both Medtronic and the Medtronic Foundation support a number of worthy initiatives that
contribute to the vitality of local communities and improve the health of people in the European
and Emerging Markets region.

Medtronic is committed to helping people live healthy and productive lives.