Key Takeaways
- • Temple, a sub-2-gram wearable priced at 85,000 rupees ($907) and developed by Zomato co-founder Deepinder Goyal, has drawn criticism from Indian doctors who say its brain blood-flow claims are not backed by peer-reviewed research.
- • Temple's BrainFlow and Entropy metrics are described by the company as "new metrics with emerging science," and it says some metrics will eventually need regulatory approval.
- • Critics including hepatologist Cyriac Philips and nephrologist Sanjeev Bagai are calling for medical-regulator oversight, while India's health ministry has not responded to Reuters queries.
- • Temple raised $54 million in February at a valuation of about $190 million and says it has received orders from more than 62 countries since November 1.
Summary
A tiny wearable device called Temple, developed by Indian billionaire entrepreneur Deepinder Goyal, has come under sharp criticism from doctors who question claims that it can track blood flow to the brain, according to Reuters. The device weighs under 2 grams, is less than one inch wide, and sticks to the temple area between the forehead and ear. It is priced at 85,000 rupees ($907) and comes in six colours. India's cricket captain Shubman Gill and Olympic badminton medallist P.V. Sindhu have worn it.
Promotional materials describe a BrainFlow feature that shows how well the brain is supplied with blood in real time, and an Entropy feature that measures how hard the body works to shed heat. The company also says the device can measure thermal, immune, digestive, cognitive and emotional readings. Physicians, however, say these capabilities lack peer-reviewed support. Hepatologist Cyriac Philips, known as "TheLiverDoc," called Temple "the biggest health scam" on X, while paediatrician and nephrologist Sanjeev Bagai described it as a "gimmick" with "no formal approval or clearance" during a prime-time television discussion. Doctor Jason Philip argued on X that optical signals over the temple would only capture data from the superficial temporal artery, which supplies the face and skin rather than the brain.
Goyal has responded that Temple is a fitness tracker and wellness device rather than a medical one. In a statement to Reuters, the company said more research would follow and that some metrics would eventually require regulatory approval. India's health ministry did not respond to Reuters queries, and the government has not yet commented on the debate.
The controversy reflects broader scrutiny of wearable makers. Some Apple Watch features, such as hypertension notifications, have received US FDA clearance as software-based medical features, while the FDA warned Whoop last year that its blood-pressure feature appeared medical, a view the company disputes.
Goyal co-founded Eternal, parent of Zomato, which has a market value of about $35 billion; he stepped down as Eternal's chief executive earlier this year to focus on Temple. Temple has advisers from the University of Ottawa and Harvard on its advisory board and raised $54 million in February at a valuation of about $190 million. The company says it is also developing detection for snoring and jaw clenching.
Promotional materials describe a BrainFlow feature that shows how well the brain is supplied with blood in real time, and an Entropy feature that measures how hard the body works to shed heat. The company also says the device can measure thermal, immune, digestive, cognitive and emotional readings. Physicians, however, say these capabilities lack peer-reviewed support. Hepatologist Cyriac Philips, known as "TheLiverDoc," called Temple "the biggest health scam" on X, while paediatrician and nephrologist Sanjeev Bagai described it as a "gimmick" with "no formal approval or clearance" during a prime-time television discussion. Doctor Jason Philip argued on X that optical signals over the temple would only capture data from the superficial temporal artery, which supplies the face and skin rather than the brain.
Goyal has responded that Temple is a fitness tracker and wellness device rather than a medical one. In a statement to Reuters, the company said more research would follow and that some metrics would eventually require regulatory approval. India's health ministry did not respond to Reuters queries, and the government has not yet commented on the debate.
The controversy reflects broader scrutiny of wearable makers. Some Apple Watch features, such as hypertension notifications, have received US FDA clearance as software-based medical features, while the FDA warned Whoop last year that its blood-pressure feature appeared medical, a view the company disputes.
Goyal co-founded Eternal, parent of Zomato, which has a market value of about $35 billion; he stepped down as Eternal's chief executive earlier this year to focus on Temple. Temple has advisers from the University of Ottawa and Harvard on its advisory board and raised $54 million in February at a valuation of about $190 million. The company says it is also developing detection for snoring and jaw clenching.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.