Withings has acquired health and fitness app 8fit to expand the company’s portfolio of tech-enabled consumer health offerings, the device maker announced Wednesday.
8fit’s data-driven platform, launched in 2014, provides personalized meal and workout plans as well as self-care recommendations to its users, building on Withings’ strategy of delivering more health tech tailored to the individual.
Consumer-centric health solutions have exploded in popularity in recent years, driven by shifts to digital services across industries prompted by the pandemic.
But while these tools can help consumers feel more in control of their health, the technologies must prioritize finding ways to support each user to keep them engaged over the long term, Withings CEO Mathieu Letombe said.
“We now feel it’s key to enter the era of “product-service-data,” combining personal health data with personalized wellness plans, and further deliver on our mission to empower anyone to be healthier in the long run,” Letombe said in a statement about the deal. “With the acquisition of 8fit, we are well-placed to deliver a strategy that combines elegantly designed health devices, enhanced health data and experienced advice that is simple to adopt and designed specifically for our consumers.”
The deals marks the company’s second acquisition in a month. During the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in January, Withings announced it had bought Impeto Medical, which develops sensors for nerve damage detection.
Withings did not disclose the financial terms of its deals with 8fit nor Impeto.
The French-based company also said it would dedicate $30 million over the next three years to accelerate the development of personalized medical devices.
“From the services we offer, it’s clear that Withings and 8fit are aligned to help users achieve their health goals,” said Lisette Fabian, CEO of 8fit. “Together, we will provide our users with a more holistic health offering to help them lead healthier, happier lives.”
Withings offers a range of in-home and wearable devices, including smart scales, blood pressure monitors and hybrid smartwatches.
Nokia acquired the device maker in 2016 to power the tech company’s digital health ambitions. Now, Withings competes with tech giants like Apple and Google in the consumer wearables market.
The company snagged FDA clearance for its medical-grade smartwatch with built-in ECG and pulse oximeter features, challenging a market dominated by the Apple Watch, which began unveiling similar features starting in 2018.
Google has also been pushing further into consumer health devices. The tech giant closed its acquisition of fitness tracking pioneer Fitbit at the start of 2021 in a $2.1 billion deal.
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