OpenAI has acquired a small startup called Torch for an undisclosed amount, according to an announcement from the companies. A source familiar with the deal told The Information that OpenAI paid about $100 million in equity for the acquisition.
Torch’s four-person team will join OpenAI as part of the deal. Both companies confirmed the team’s transition, but did not disclose further financial details.
Before the acquisition, Torch was developing an app designed to aggregate a person’s medical data from multiple sources for use with AI systems. These sources included doctor visits, lab results, wearable devices, and other health portals, as well as consumer wellness tests.
The Torch team described its technology as “a medical memory for AI,” aimed at bringing together fragmented health records into a single context engine that could be analyzed by artificial intelligence.
Torch co-founder Ilya Abyzov said in a post on X that the team met while working at Forward Health, a company known for operating AI-powered doctors’ offices. Forward Health shut down abruptly in late 2024 after raising more than $400 million in funding.
Unlike Forward Health, Torch’s technology will continue to develop under OpenAI. The team and its work will become part of ChatGPT Health, a recently announced service that allows users to analyze and manage health-related information using ChatGPT.
OpenAI has not shared additional details on how Torch’s technology will be integrated into ChatGPT Health or when new features may become available.