Pulse check
In these last few weeks, we’ve seen several big tech players introduce new health offerings for consumers. Amazon announced a chatbot ”Health AI” that answers health questions—even suggesting care or product options for various medical needs (sometimes stamped as “clinically-validated” after manual review by clinicians). Google unveiled a “what people suggest” feature that allows users to easily glean condition-specific insights from patient community forums. Meanwhile, Apple announced an upgraded Health app underway—the new Health+ app will include an AI-enabled health coach that shares personalized health insights derived from wearable device data. Not to be outdone, Samsung launched a partnership with Stanford Medicine to co-develop a clinically validated sleep health feature for the Galaxy Watch. With tech giants leveraging their considerable resources and reach to redefine the consumer health market, the pressure to deliver useful, personalized insights is rising. As the pulse of innovation accelerates, we’ll be sure to keep our finger on the beat—stay tuned.
Headlines
Mayo Clinic Taps Former Biden Administration Official To Oversee Its Use Of AI
Micky Tripathi to oversee tech development as well as early-stage AI company incubation STAT
Hinge Health Is Considering Delaying Its IPO As The Markets Plummet On Trump Tariffs
Digital physical therapy startup delays IPO in suit with other tech players (e.g., Klarna, StubHub) Business Insider
WeightWatchers Prepares for Bankruptcy
Wellness company continues to try to restructure sizable debt maturities as business struggles The Wall Street Journal
Teladoc Health Launches New Cardiometabolic Health Program
Patients to gain access to BetterSleep app, dietician, health coaches, and at-home testing MedCity News
At-Home Saliva Test For Prostate Cancer Better Than Blood Test, Study Suggests
Polygenic risk score found to be more powerful predictor than standard frontline test The Guardian
Recent Funding
- Bliss Aesthetics inks $17.5M to use AI to connect patients to cosmetic surgeons
- Cofertility, an egg freezing, donation, and fertility startup, locks in $7.3M