Higi, the maker of health kiosks found in retail pharmacies and groceries, has raised $30 million in a new funding round led by symptom-check chatbot service Babylon Health. The raise also included participation from Higi's prior backers, including 7Wire Ventures, Flare Capital Partners, Jumpstart Capital, Rush University Medical Center for Health and William Wrigley Jr.

WHAT THEY DO

Higi's health kiosks are equipped to administer quick tests for blood pressure, pulse, weight and BMI. The free-to-use Smart Health Stations are self-service, deployed in retail businesses and feed consumers a breadth of digital content focused on health-condition prevention and management. The kiosks will also provide consumers personalized recommendations for nearby health services.

According to the company, more than 10,000 these kiosks have so far been used by 62 million people, and are located within five miles of 73% of the U.S. population.

WHAT IT'S FOR

Higi will be using the funds to expand the reach and content offerings of its health kiosks. Notably, it will do so with the support of Babylon's symptom checking and remote-care tech, which is set to be incorporated into the stations.

"Higi’s Smart Health Stations are already located in thousands of towns across North America, and by integrating Babylon's digital first healthcare services into Higi’s station experience, we can make the healthcare services that people need that much more accessible and affordable across North America," Dr. Ali Parsa, CEO and founder of Babylon, said in a statement.

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Babylon's service isn't the only big-name digital health offering to be featured on Higi's kiosks. The company announced a deal with Livongo at the top of the year that would bring the digital chronic-care management company's branded program to hundreds of health kiosks, and so offer consumers the ability to measure indicators of their diseases and enroll in Livongo programs. Prior to this the health-kiosk maker had been focused on expanding consumer access points and increasing engagement in the wake of its $21 million raise in 2018.

For Babylon, the strategic investment and integration seems to be the next step in its ongoing U.S. expansion. The U.K. company raised more than half a billion dollars last summer in a Series C round partially bankrolled by Saudi royalty, and has been signing deals across continents with various government healthcare organizations.