Oura to acquire Counsel Health for $625 million, a big bet on AI care

Mario covers technology in health care, including FDA regulation of artificial intelligence; how Medicare pays for health tech; the use of AI in clinical care; mental health chatbots; and consumer wearables. He’s also the co-author of the free, twice weekly STAT Health Tech newsletter. You can reach Mario on Signal at mariojoze.13.

Oura, the smart ring maker that just over a month ago delayed plans to go public over market uncertainty, announced it will spend $625 million to acquire Counsel Health, a clinical artificial intelligence startup.

Counsel Health is the maker of a chatbot that users can talk with about health concerns before being transferred to a clinician for treatment and diagnosis over telehealth.The company had previously disclosed $36 million in funding.

The large transaction reflects a growing desire to connect consumer wearable devices to clinical care as well as conviction that AI chatbots will be an important part of health care.

STAT+ Exclusive Story