Babylon announced Thursday its AI-enabled symptom checking chatbot is now integrated into recently acquired Higi's mobile app.

The move comes months after the global digital health company wrapped up the Higi acquisition in early January. Higi makes FDA-cleared kiosks for grocery stores and pharmacies that can check health metrics like blood pressure, pulse and weight, and provide risk assessments. The company also offers an app that keeps track of results.

"The integration with Higi is the first opportunity for established platform users to begin to experience Babylon technology," Babylon CEO and founder Ali Parsa said in a statement.

"Pairing the Symptom Checker, which focuses more on providing information for the immediate health needs of consumers, with Higi’s longer-term view into a patient’s health through risk testing and longitudinal biometric tracking, is a first step toward adding additional tools to the consumer’s toolkit that empower them to address their health needs proactively and holistically."

WHY IT MATTERS

Babylon said the symptom-checking chatbot will help users narrow down potential ailments and direct them to health resources.

The integration with Higi will also demonstrate how future partners could use Babylon's tools.

"There is a wealth of knowledge we can provide to consumers when it comes to their health," Higi CEO Jeff Bennett said in a statement.

"The Symptom Checker is an incredible resource for our users, helps them begin to see the benefit Babylon technology will add to our platform, and creates new opportunities for Higi to better service our partners with value-add solutions that enhance the consumer experience and connect consumers back to the care they may need."

THE LARGER TREND

Babylon completed two acquisitions in rapid succession early this year. Shortly after Babylon closed its deal with Higi, the company announced it had purchased patient engagement tool DayToDay Health.

Originally launched in the U.K., Babylon announced its move into the U.S. market in late 2019. It went public last year via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company. 

The company announced its fourth quarter and full-year financial results earlier this month. Though Babylon reported total revenue of $322.9 million for the full year – compared with $79.3 million in 2020 – it also recorded a loss of $374.5 million. Babylon attributes some of the loss to a one-time cost related to its public listing, as well as higher resource needs to support new business, public operations and acquisition costs.

"We continue to focus on growth in the United States – [our] value-based care segment, but also [on] building our software licensing pipeline during 2022 for revenues in '23," Parsa said during the earnings call.