MiniMed Is Now a Public Company. What Does That Mean for Me?

I have worn a Medtronic insulin pump on my body pretty much 24 hours a day for 13 of the last 17 years. Through two pregnancies, two births and two half marathons. Living in two different countries. The company plays a significant role in my life, and yesterday, Medtronic's diabetes division officially listed on the NASDAQ as MiniMed. While analysts are writing about valuations and growth trajectories, I've been wondering, what will this mean for me?

To be honest, in the short term, not very much. The corporate structure and public company status of my diabetes tech supplier doesn't change anything about my day to day diabetes management, but it could change how quickly my diabetes technology evolves.

Will I get faster access to MiniMed's new innovations?

I ask this as someone who has lived through the full evolution of the 780G hybrid closed loop system. I started on the 780G in May 2021 with the Guardian 3 sensor. A year later I moved to the Guardian 4. By early 2025, with my 4 years nearly up, I was in peak decision mode. Do I switch to another system entirely, or do I stay? I was fed up with the sensor and the clunky pump, with no smartphone controls. I was very tempted to switch.

Just in time, I got upgraded onto the Simplera Sync, and I educated myself about the other commercially available algorithms. I decided the SmartGuard algorithm was the most valuable thing to me, and now paired with a better sensor, I could live with the pump as it was. That upgrade to the Simplera Sync came via a remote software update to my existing pump. Same hardware, new sensor compatibility. It kept me in the ecosystem. I decided to stay, and in May 2025 my four-year cycle was up. I got a new 780G pump, this time with the 7-day extended cannulas as well as the Simplera Sync. The 2026 version of the 780G system is significantly better than the 2021 version. If I had been stuck on the 2021 version of the technology I would definitely have switched away from Medtronic.

The MiniMed innovations on my wishlist

I'm a year in to my current four year cycle with MiniMed and I am watching what's coming in the pipeline. Are these going to be prioritised for new users only? Can the rollouts be quicker? Can supply chains catch up to cope with demand? The new company structure might now shape the answers.

The Instinct sensor. The Abbott-made Instinct sensor has been shipping in the US since December. 15 days of wear, smaller, no calibrations, built on Abbott's sensor technology. For those of us in the UK still on the Simplera Sync or Guardian 4, the obvious question is: when do we get it? Will the listing accelerate that timeline? And when it does arrive, will it be available to existing 780G users, or will it be restricted to new customers first?

I ask that last question because we've been here before. When Simplera Sync launched, it was initially restricted to new customers only. The community pushed back. Medtronic reversed the decision. As a standalone public company whose entire brand is diabetes, they can't afford to upset their users.

The Vivera algorithm. Next week at ATTD in Barcelona, MiniMed is going to be sharing more about their next-generation algorithm. Vivera is the third-generation system, designed for the new Flex (8 series) pump, with features like optional automatic meal bolusing and improved personalisation. The US pivotal trial is underway.

What I really want to know is whether Vivera will be available as a software update for existing 780G users (doesn't look like it at the moment), or whether we'll have to wait for the hardware refresh cycle. I've already had one meaningful upgrade delivered via software update to my existing pump. If MiniMed is serious about keeping its existing users engaged, regular updates are a good way of doing it. Every pump company is now racing to build smarter algorithms and moving to fully close the loop, and that's increasingly where the real competition is happening, not just in who has the smallest pump or the longest-wearing sensor.

Where will MiniMed focus its growth?

This is the question that the NASDAQ listing makes more urgent. A public company needs to grow. Investors will want to see progress. So where does MiniMed point its energy?

Right now they are innovating for several distinct user groups. People with Type 1 currently on multiple daily injections, where the MiniMed Go system with InPen is aimed. Widening indications for the 780G by extending the age range to younger children, extending for use in pregnancy and making it compatible with ultra rapid insulins. Expanding to the Type 2 population, where the 780G recently got FDA approval and CE marking, and where Medicare coverage in the US opens up a massive market. This is as well as business as usual targeting of people new to hybrid closed loop altogether, and people switching from other commercial HCL systems like Omnipod or Tandem.

All of these are legitimate growth strategies. But here's what I'd say to MiniMed: don't forget about us. The people already in the system. The ones locked into a four-year hardware cycle who chose your technology over the alternatives. Please don't just bank us in the "recurring revenue" line on your financial reports. We're the people who write the blog posts, answer users' questions, and tell our endocrinologists what we think. Our experiences, good or bad, influence the decisions of potential new users MiniMed is trying to attract. If existing users feel ignored while the company chases new sign-ups, that will show up in the conversations that influence people who are choosing their next system.

What the listing might change

While I don't expect short-term change, longer term, there are things that could shift.

The new hardware pipeline is real, but takes a long time to get into users' hands. The Flex pump is half the size of the 780G, no screen, phone-controlled and has been submitted to the FDA. The Fit patch pump, MiniMed's first tubeless option, is targeted for FDA submission this autumn. Both will run on Vivera. I first saw the Flex pump at the ADA 2023 in San Diego and it's still not ready for launch. If the listing means these move faster through development and regulatory approval, that benefits everyone.

We'll know much more about what's going on in the company. When MiniMed was one division inside the Medtronic conglomerate, we couldn't access much information about it. Now we'll have publicly available information on the company's strategy and performance. The financial markets will be judging them as well as people with diabetes.

This could bring real tension between investor pressure and the priorities of people with diabetes. There will be pressure to tightly manage costs, to focus on high-margin products and to prioritise growth metrics. I understand the business logic. But ultimately, logic dictates that the incentives of people with diabetes and investors should be aligned. We are the consumers of MiniMed's products. If we aren't happy, investors won't be happy.

Looking ahead

I'll be following the ATTD conference next week (from afar, with FOMO) listening for answers. Not just for more about the Vivera algorithm, but for the signals about what's coming and when.

I should say that I've met the MiniMed senior team numerous times over the years, and I genuinely believe they are dedicated to improving life for people with diabetes. They do try to understand our perspective and they listen when we talk about the challenges that remain. I don't doubt their intent at all. But now as the company enters a new era, I'm curious to see what MiniMed will be able to achieve, and how people with diabetes will benefit.

Are you a Medtronic pump user? What do you think about Medtronic Diabetes, now MiniMed, being its own separate company?

Timeline of my life with Medtronic so far