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Oura Ring users may get in-app access to real doctors soon – what we know
Oura's acquisition of Counsel Health could signal a new dawn for digital care.
Oura has entered into an agreement to acquire AI primary care company Counsel Health for $625 million. The acquisition of Counsel Health, which was already a partner in the Oura app, will give users access to Counsel’s in-house physicians and 24/7 medical AI.
The Oura Ring has evolved from its beginnings as a sleep tracker to what its CEO, Tom Hale, calls “a doctor in your pocket.” The company has its sights set on making the device a continuous medical companion, and Counsel’s acquisition is one way it’s furthering that mission.
Oura employs its 24/7 health monitoring to recognize potential deviations from a user’s biometric baseline, and the partnership will build on those capabilities by adding more clinical guidance through Counsel Health.
The partnership will also connect members with Counsel Health’s medical AI and in-house physicians to address timely health problems, support, or “prescriptions for episodic health conditions,” the press release said. The acquisition offers specialty and chronic care for chronic conditions, like reproductive, aging, and cardiometabolic-related conditions.
“Oura tells members what’s happening in their bodies, and Counsel helps them act on it. This combination expands our addressable market and deepens the value we deliver to every member,” David Shuman, executive chairman of Oura, said in a press release.
This is the third acquisition Oura has made this year, following its acquisition of Galen AI, a conversational and personal health platform that connects smart ring data to medical records, and Doublepoint AI, an AI‑driven, biometric and gesture recognition company that could add voice or gesture controls to Oura’s next smart ring.
Also: Before you buy a smart ring, consider what you’re giving up
The Counsel Health deal is expected to close by the end of the year. It’s unknown whether access to Counsel Health physicians or the 24/7 medical AI will be included in an Oura app subscription.
Tech companies have a growing appetite for health tech startups. Last year, Samsung announced a similar acquisition of Xealth, a care platform that connects more than 500 hospitals with 70 digital health centers. The acquisition, according to Samsung VP of digital health Praveen Raja, furthers Samsung’s mission to connect the healthcare landscape, from symptom detection to care provider connection.