Xiaomi’s venture arm, Xiaomi Ventures, has invested $25 million in the maker of mHealth gadgets, iHealth Lab. As part of the deal, Xiaomi will get a seat at iHealth’s board of directors.
Launched in the US in 2010 as a subsidiary of medical device manufacturing company Andon Health, iHealth has launched the industry’s first mobile app enabled blood pressure device, the first wireless blood pressure monitor, and the first wireless blood glucose monitor. The company’s FDA approved products measure, track and share various health vitals, including blood glucose, blood pressure, heart rate, weight, body fat, lean body mass, activity, sleep efficiency and oxygen saturation.
It’s unclear how exactly this latest move will fit into Xiaomi’s overall strategy, but chances are it could soon start offering an array of mHealth devices to the ever growing Chinese economy. Moreover, we may see them launching something similar to Apple’s HealthKit platform, allowing Xiaomi device owners to keep track of their vitals from compatible (Xiaomi) smartphones and tablets.
Meanwhile, the so called “Apple of China” will soon start offering its own fitness and sleep tracking device, Mi Band, which will be available (at least in China) for as little as $12.
[Via: mHealth Spot]