Samsungs $50 million Digital Health Investment fund

Samsung recently surprised industry analysts with a substantial new investment into its digital health fund, launching Samsung into the competitive healthcare market. Numerous assumptions have been made in terms of why Samsung seems to be making its way into the healthcare circuit this late in the game, however the investment is already being seen as the catalyst to a larger shift in the company’s long-term vision.

Fred Pennic of HIT Consultant discussed the contents of Samsung’s decision stating, “The new initiative will utilize a new health open reference design platform tailored to take advantage of the latest sensors, behavioral algorithms, battery technologies and displays. To aggressively support this initiative, Samsung has also announced a $50 million investment fund dedicated to innovative start-ups and technologies in the digital health space. The goal of the fund is to stimulate creative new approaches to digital health and Samsung’s open platforms.”

The intersection of these major cell phone companies and the digital health arena has been a highly anticipated area of interest for experts throughout healthcare, especially in terms of how these digital health companies will influence the health sensors space.

According to a Samsung press release, "researchers and technologists will be able to develop and run trials to validate exciting new mobile health technologies.”

The company has recently made strides with the release of its Simbad open wearable hardware platform, which is quickly gaining attention throughout the industry. Designed to help users monitor their own health-related information, the company has embraced a partnership with UCSF to bring its technology to its full potential.

"Basic rule engines, machine learning and algorithms in SAMI help process the data and perform analysis," according to Samsung's Strategy & Innovation Center website. "And once in SAMI, the data is available to partners who want to create approved apps and services."

The Simband and SAMI software pairing seems to be a match made in heaven for users, with wearable capability and real-time transmitters able to produce information quickly, easily and as often as needed.

"Our bodies have always had something to say but now, with advanced sensors, algorithms and software, we will finally be able to tune into what the body is telling us," UCSF informatics associated vice chancellor Dr. Michael Blum said on behalf of the company. "Validation of these technologies will improve the quality of data collected and help advance the ability to bring new products to market quickly."

Samsung recently surprised industry analysts with a substantial new investment into its digital health fund, launching Samsung into the competitive healthcare market. Numerous assumptions have been made in terms of why Samsung seems to be making its way into the healthcare circuit this late in the game, however the investment is already being seen as the catalyst to a larger shift in the company’s long-term vision.

Fred Pennic of HIT Consultant discussed the contents of Samsung’s decision stating, “The new initiative will utilize a new health open reference design platform tailored to take advantage of the latest sensors, behavioral algorithms, battery technologies and displays. To aggressively support this initiative, Samsung has also announced a $50 million investment fund dedicated to innovative start-ups and technologies in the digital health space. The goal of the fund is to stimulate creative new approaches to digital health and Samsung’s open platforms.”

The intersection of these major cell phone companies and the digital health arena has been a highly anticipated area of interest for experts throughout healthcare, especially in terms of how these digital health companies will influence the health sensors space.

According to a Samsung press release, "researchers and technologists will be able to develop and run trials to validate exciting new mobile health technologies.”

The company has recently made strides with the release of its Simbad open wearable hardware platform, which is quickly gaining attention throughout the industry. Designed to help users monitor their own health-related information, the company has embraced a partnership with UCSF to bring its technology to its full potential.

"Basic rule engines, machine learning and algorithms in SAMI help process the data and perform analysis," according to Samsung's Strategy & Innovation Center website. "And once in SAMI, the data is available to partners who want to create approved apps and services."

The Simband and SAMI software pairing seems to be a match made in heaven for users, with wearable capability and real-time transmitters able to produce information quickly, easily and as often as needed.

"Our bodies have always had something to say but now, with advanced sensors, algorithms and software, we will finally be able to tune into what the body is telling us," UCSF informatics associated vice chancellor Dr. Michael Blum said on behalf of the company. "Validation of these technologies will improve the quality of data collected and help advance the ability to bring new products to market quickly."