Elekta AB
Primary global competitor to Varian in radiation oncology. Swedish-founded; publicly traded on Nasdaq Stockholm. Broader portfolio than the linac product alone — Elekta spans external-beam radiotherapy, MR-guided radiotherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery (Leksell Gamma Knife), brachytherapy, and oncology software. The company structure puts the Leksell brand inside Elekta as the SRS / functional-neurosurgery product line.
Company history
- 1972 — founded by neurosurgeon Lars Leksell, commercializing the Leksell Gamma Knife (stereotactic radiosurgery concept invented in 1968).
- 1997 — acquires Philips Medical Systems' radiation therapy business (originally Precision Radiotherapy Systems). Inherits the linac development line that becomes Synergy / Versa HD.
- 2004 — Elekta Synergy ships — the first linac with integrated kV cone-beam CT for IGRT, a defining IGRT-era milestone.
- 2009 — acquires CMS / IMPAC for treatment-planning and oncology-information systems (Monaco, MOSAIQ).
- 2014 — acquires Nucletron (brachytherapy — Flexitron HDR afterloader, Oncentra planning).
- 2018 — Unity MR-Linac launches as the first commercial 1.5T MR-Linac.
- 2020s — Versa HD remains current photon-linac flagship; Harmony and Evo generations refresh the C-arm line; Unity adoption ramps in adaptive-RT programs.
Product line
- Linacs — Versa HD (current flagship), Infinity, Synergy / Synergy S (large refurb base), Precise (legacy), Compact (emerging markets).
- MR-Linac — Unity (1.5T magnet, 7 MV FFF accelerator).
- Stereotactic radiosurgery — Leksell Gamma Knife Icon, Perfexion (large legacy installed base).
- Brachytherapy — Flexitron HDR afterloader, microSelectron predecessor, Oncentra Brachy planning.
- Oncology software — Monaco (treatment planning), MOSAIQ (oncology information system / R&V).
Distinctive technology
- Agility MLC — 160-leaf collimator with 5 mm leaf width and high-speed leaf motion. Different planning posture from Varian's Millennium 120 and HD120 — finer modulation in selected geometries; physicist preferences split.
- MR-Linac first-mover — Unity shipped at clinical 1.5T scale before competitor ViewRay's 0.35T MRIdian gained adoption parity, defining the high-field MR-linac category.
- Gamma Knife platform — sole global supplier (via Leksell), unique cobalt-source cranial-SRS architecture.
- Open-ecosystem philosophy — Monaco / MOSAIQ are positioned as more open to third-party integration than Varian's Eclipse / ARIA, with stronger DICOM interoperability stories.
- HexaPOD evo RT — 6 DoF couch on Versa HD / Infinity, equivalent to Varian PerfectPitch.
Market position
Strong #2 globally in radiation oncology by linac unit count. Leader in MR-linac at high field (1.5T Unity), and dominant in cranial stereotactic radiosurgery via the Gamma Knife platform. Brachytherapy is split between Elekta (Flexitron) and Varian (BRAVOS); both vendors have meaningful installed base.
Direct competitors:
- Varian — primary photon-linac competitor (TrueBeam, Edge, Halcyon).
- ViewRay — MR-linac competitor (MRIdian, 0.35T).
- Accuray — CyberKnife and TomoTherapy / Radixact — competing geometries on SRS / SBRT and helical IMRT.
Refurb posture
- Synergy / Synergy S are the workhorse Elekta refurb categories — large legacy installed base, mature parts ecosystem, and well-documented Versa HD / Harmony upgrade paths.
- Versa HD refurb is growing as the installed base ages.
- Unity refurb market is institutional rather than retail, with very small unit counts.
- Software ecosystem — Monaco / MOSAIQ tier is the price-determining variable on used hardware. Switching from ARIA / Eclipse to MOSAIQ / Monaco is a substantial re-commissioning event.