Apple acquires medical record startup Gliimpse as latest step to visualize personal health data
Apple wants to improve how medical records look and are shared. To do so, the iPhone maker has acquired Gliimpse, a personal health data startup, Fast Company reported Monday.
Based in Silicon Valley, Gliimpse offers a platform for patients and medical professionals to manage health records. These virtual profiles can include documents, photos and journal entries, and can be saved as one transferable file.
The company seeks to unify how medical data is received and visualized. Gliimpse pulls information — with the patient's approval — from more than 1500 health centers, pharmacies and labs. The basic service is free.
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Apple did not deny news of the acquisition, which reportedly happened earlier this year. "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans," the company said in a statement to Fast Company.
Anil Sethi founded and funded the startup in 2013. In the 1980s, he worked as an engineer for Apple. A serial entrepreneur, he previously created health startups Xlipstream and Pinch Bio.
We all leave a bread-crumb trail of our medical 'stuff'
His sister's battle with breast cancer inspired him to create Gliimpse, an effort to create a single electronic health record.
"We all leave a bread-crumb trail of our medical 'stuff' – our health data and records that we can’t take with us when we leave a doctor’s office or clinic," Gliimpse's website reads.
Gliimpse "is your personal health history, in the palm of your hands," according to its Crunchbase profile.
Sounds not unlike Steve Jobs' first presentation of the iPhone, where he touted the ability to access your calendar, texting, email, photos at the "palm of your hand."
The startup is Apple's first known acquisition in the digital health industry but follows in several moves the company has taken to offer medical services. In 2014, Apple released HealthKit as its own effort to collect and visualize medical data via different devices. In 2015, Apple introduced ResearchKit, software for health professionals to track studies.
Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted the company's interest in health care in an interview with Fast Company earlier this month. "When you look at most of the solutions, whether it’s devices, or things coming up out of Big Pharma, first and foremost, they are done to get the reimbursement [from an insurance provider]. Not thinking about what helps the patient," Cook said.
Apple, not burdened by insurance providers, is moving to capture at least a part of the $9 trillion in annual global health spending.
Earlier this month, Apple hired Flipboard cofounder Evan Doll to serve as director of health software engineering.
Topics Apple
Kerry Flynn is a business reporter for Mashable covering the tech industry. She previously reported on social media companies, mobile apps and startups for International Business Times. She has also written for The Huffington Post, Forbes and Money magazine. Kerry studied environmental science and economics at Harvard College, where she led The Harvard Crimson's metro news and design teams and played mellophone in the Band. When not listening to startup pitches, she runs half-marathons, plays with puppies and pretends to like craft beer.
