Jawbone's healthcare plans revealed?
Bloomberg may or may not have uncovered Hossain Rahman's plan for Jawbone Health Hub, the resurrected version of the now-defunct consumer wearable and speaker company. The outlet got ahold of documents the company was shopping around last year in pursuit of investors, which suggested plans for devices and apps that track and, in some cases address, hydration, respiration, blood pressure, alcohol levels, heart rhythms, and stress. But Jawbone says those plans are out of date and don't reflect Jawbone Health Hub's still-secret business plan.
Among the tidbits in Bloomberg's piece are a planned partnership with Microsoft HealthVault and confirmation that Jawbone's acquisition of Spectros (a story MobiHealthNews broke last year) was indeed intended to be a keystone of the company's healthcare aspirations. Specifically they planned to turn one of Spectros's devices, which measures oxygen in tissues, into a wrist-worn wearable.
Sharecare teams up with Hawks for jerseys and more
Sharecare and the Atlanta Hawks are launching what they call the Sharecare movement, aimed at improving the overall health of the Atlanta, Georgia community where both are based. Sharecare will become a sponsor for the basketball team, with its logo appearing on a patch on Atlanta Hawks jerseys.
“While the patch is at the epicenter of our partnership, this is about much more than just logo placement on a jersey," Steve Koonin, Atlanta Hawks CEO said in a statement. "It was critically important to us to partner with an Atlanta-based company whose brand had outstanding values and a positive mission like Sharecare. Their inspirational goals, objectives and passion for the city are authentic and we are proud that our team will have the Sharecare logo on their jerseys every time they step foot on the court. We are excited to be an integral part of the Sharecare Movement.”
The movement will include things like healthier foods and ergonomic seats at games as well as media outreach aimed at improving public health.
Color Genomics raises $80 million, looks beyond genomics
Color Genomics, which provides mail-order DNA testing similar to 23andMe, has raised an $80 million Series C round, TechCrunch reported this week. CNBC reports that the investors include General Catalyst, CRV's George Zachary, and Emerson Collective's Laurene Powell Jobs.
Interestingly, CNBC says the company plans to differentiate from its ever-growing stable of competitors by moving beyond genomics to preventative health, and working with employers toward that end.
