Press Release: Rives Consult and Business Iceland Partnership
Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Rives Consult Joins Business Iceland's Consulting Partner Network to Help Icelandic Medical Device and Life Science Companies Enter the U.S. Market
Winston-Salem firm will provide hands-on U.S. market entry and commercialization support to Icelandic companies, with Business Iceland co-funding eligible projects
Icelandic founders and startup ecosystem leaders at Rives Consult's seminar on U.S. market entry for medical technology companies, held at Business Iceland's offices in Reykjavík, October 2026.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., November 3, 2026 — Rives Consult LLC, a Winston-Salem consulting firm specializing in U.S. market entry and commercialization for medical device and life science companies, today announced that it has joined Business Iceland's network of consulting partners. Under an agreement entered into on October 15, 2026, Rives Consult will provide on-the-ground support to Icelandic companies preparing to launch in the United States, from market assessment and regulatory strategy through sales execution.
Business Iceland, Iceland's national organization for promoting Icelandic companies in international markets, has been building a network of consulting partners who provide practical, in-market support. Rives Consult brings more than a decade of experience guiding medical device and life science companies, many of them European, through the U.S. regulatory pathway and commercial launch.
The partnership uses a tri-party model. Business Iceland identifies and coordinates projects with Icelandic companies and acts as the contracting party, while Rives Consult delivers the work. Engagements can scale from a short advisory assessment to a full market entry program covering go-to-market strategy, regulatory consultation, partner search, sales acceleration and operational setup. Eligible projects may receive co-funding from Business Iceland, reducing the cost to the participating company.
The collaboration is already under way. In October 2026, Rives Bird, President of Rives Consult, presented a seminar on U.S. market entry for medical technology companies at Business Iceland's offices in Reykjavík, followed by one-on-one meetings with Icelandic founders. Under the agreement, Rives Consult is supporting Icelandic medical device company Kiso with business strategy, regulatory consultation, and sales and marketing execution for its U.S. market entry.
"Icelandic companies bring real innovation to medical technology, but the U.S. market is complex and expensive to get wrong," said Rives Bird, President of Rives Consult. "Working alongside Business Iceland lets us reach these companies earlier, help them make smart decisions on regulatory strategy and where to land in the U.S., and then execute the plan with them. I've greatly enjoyed working with Icelandic companies, and I'm looking forward to helping many more succeed here."
"Our consulting partner network exists to give Icelandic companies hands-on support with market entry and business development abroad," said Ágúst Sigurðarson, Head of Export Services at Business Iceland. "Rives Consult's depth in U.S. medical device commercialization is a strong fit for the life science companies we work with, and we look forward to supporting more of them together."
About Rives Consult
Founded in 2014 and based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Rives Consult LLC helps medical device and life science companies enter and succeed in the U.S. market. The firm works as an embedded, fractional extension of its clients' teams, covering business strategy, regulatory consultation, and sales and marketing execution. Learn more at www.rivesconsult.com.
About Business Iceland
Business Iceland is responsible for branding and marketing Iceland and its export industries. It helps Icelandic companies enter foreign markets and facilitates foreign investment in the Icelandic economy.
Media Contact
Rives Bird, President, Rives Consult LLC
500 West 5th Street, 5th Floor, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
319-214-3023 · rives@rivesconsult.com
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