Babylon has made an acquisition which will see its platform reach millions more people in the US.
Three-quarters of the US population in all 50 states are located within five miles of the ‘smart health stations’ run by consumer health engagement company Higi which enable remote monitoring. In 2021 alone, the Higi network hosted 11 million sessions where consumers engaged with their various remote monitoring platforms to check in with or better understand their health.
Babylon says it will be an especially valuable integration for consumers managing chronic conditions in rural communities. More than half of US adults are living with a chronic condition.
Babylon says the combined company will provide a more holistic, end-to-end solution to meet the needs of payers, providers and retailers on the front lines of care delivery.
“Our mission is to make quality healthcare accessible and affordable for every person, irrespective of the lottery of the geographic location, economic status or social hierarchy in which they find themselves,” said Dr. Ali Parsa, CEO of Babylon.
“Our partnership with Higi will help us extend the range and reach of our services across the United States. We have known Higi’s executives, board and investors for a long time and share common values with them.
“I am humbled that they will now all become shareholders of Babylon and part of our joint mission to reengineer a better model of care for all.”
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The acquisition follows Babylon’s initial strategic investment in Higi in early 2020, which led the company’s Series B funding round.
Jeff Bennett, CEO of Higi, added: “Our commitment has always been to make it easy and convenient for everyone to be their healthiest.
“Higi has partnered with healthcare leaders across retailers, health plans, providers and NGOs to meet consumers where they are in their healthcare journey and provide equitable access to insights and navigation to products and services to improve their health.
“As one company, we will deliver so much more, and alongside Babylon, we are excited to continue our work to bring affordable, accessible healthcare to all.”