Oura Acquires Medical AI Chatbot Startup Counsel Health
Oura has agreed to acquire medical AI chatbot startup Counsel Health for $625 million, with the deal expected to close by the end of the year.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Oura is acquiring Counsel Health for $625 million.
- The deal aims to bridge smart ring biometric data with AI insights and a real physician network.
- All 70 Counsel employees will join Oura, with Muthu Alagappan becoming chief clinical AI officer.
- The acquisition is expected to close before the end of the year.
Smart ring maker Oura announced its quarterly earnings and confirmed an agreement to acquire medical AI chatbot startup Counsel Health for $625 million. The move follows the integration of Counsel’s AI chatbot into the Oura app earlier this year, as the startup describes itself as an AI-native primary care company.
The platform delivers AI-generated responses and insights derived from users' wearable biometric data, which can then seamlessly transition into a conversation with an in-house physician. Oura stated that it expects the transaction to officially close before the conclusion of the year.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Oura CEO Tom Hale explained that the acquisition is part of a broader strategy to connect wearables, clinical AI, and direct access to doctors using biometric insights to answer health questions or monitor ongoing conditions. The roadmap outlined in the press release focuses on three key areas: preventative care, acute episodic care, and specialty or chronic care involving reproductive and cardiometabolic health.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
"The acquisition is part of a plan to connect wearables, clinical AI, and access to doctors based on insights from biometric data."
Tom Hale, Oura CEO
According to Bloomberg, Counsel Health CEO Muthu Alagappan plans to expand the startup's on-demand physician network, which currently consists of roughly 50 practitioners. Counsel’s entire 70-person team will transition to Oura, and Alagappan will step into the role of Oura’s chief clinical AI officer.
This acquisition highlights the accelerating convergence of consumer wearable technology and clinical telehealth. By utilizing generative AI to pre-screen and contextualize continuous biometric data before routing users to licensed medical professionals, companies like Oura are attempting to bridge the gap between passive health tracking and actionable primary care.
Oura noted in its announcement that Counsel will also maintain its medical AI platform offerings outside of Oura's dedicated user base through new and existing enterprise partnerships, serving health plans, healthcare systems, consumer health organizations, and employers.
Source: The Verge
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