OpenAI Pays Up to $100M for Torch to Power ChatGPT Health Features

TLDR

• OpenAI completed acquisition of healthcare tech startup Torch in January 2025 for estimated $60-100 million
• Torch developed technology to centralize patient medical records from different sources into single platform
• Four Torch employees joining OpenAI to support ChatGPT Health product development
• Deal follows OpenAI’s ChatGPT Health launch that connects medical records to AI chatbot
• Torch founders previously worked at Forward Health, which closed in 2024

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OpenAI confirmed it has acquired Torch, a healthcare technology startup, in a deal valued between $60 million and $100 million. The announcement came on Monday, January 12, 2025.

Torch specialized in building a unified medical data platform for artificial intelligence applications. The startup’s technology gathered patient health information from multiple disconnected sources.

The system pulled data from medical appointments, laboratory results, fitness trackers, and health apps. Torch described this as creating a “medical memory for AI” that unified scattered records.

All four Torch team members will transition to OpenAI as part of the acquisition. They will contribute to OpenAI’s ChatGPT Health initiative.

ChatGPT Health Integration

OpenAI launched ChatGPT Health just days before the Torch announcement. The new feature enables users to link their medical records and wellness apps to the chatbot.

The timing suggests OpenAI planned to integrate Torch’s technology into ChatGPT Health. Millions of people already ask ChatGPT health-related questions weekly.

Torch CEO Ilya Abyzov expressed excitement about reaching ChatGPT’s user base. He stated the acquisition would put their technology in front of hundreds of millions of users.

OpenAI also introduced enterprise healthcare products alongside ChatGPT Health. Major hospital systems including HCA Healthcare have signed on as early partners.

Torch Team History

The Torch founding team previously collaborated at Forward Health. Forward operated AI-powered primary care facilities called “CarePods” that handled patient consultations.

Forward was a direct-to-consumer healthcare company. It secured more than $400 million in venture capital funding.

The company unexpectedly ceased operations in late 2024. Forward’s sudden closure left customers with limited notice.

OpenAI’s Growing Healthcare Focus

OpenAI brought on Albert Lee from Google in December 2024 to oversee corporate development. This hire indicated plans for additional acquisitions.

The Torch purchase fits into OpenAI’s strategy to compete with Google and Anthropic. The company has completed multiple acquisitions throughout 2025.

In May 2025, OpenAI acquired io, an AI devices startup co-founded by Jony Ive. That deal exceeded $6 billion in value.

One anonymous source told reporters OpenAI paid approximately $60 million for Torch. A separate source informed The Information the price reached $100 million in equity.

Neither company revealed official financial terms. The actual purchase price has not been confirmed publicly.

The acquisition strengthens OpenAI’s position in healthcare AI. Patient data aggregation remains a persistent challenge in medical technology.

Healthcare records typically exist across different systems and formats. Torch’s technology addresses this fragmentation by consolidating information for AI processing.

OpenAI now has the team and tools to make ChatGPT Health more comprehensive. The four Torch engineers bring specialized expertise in medical data integration.

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