OpenAI acquires health technology startup Torch

OpenAI has acquired health technology startup Torch, the company announced Monday.

Torch built a “unified medical memory” for artificial intelligence that aimed to bring together in one place a patient’s health data, usually isolated and stored across a number of different providers and formats.

Torch employees will join OpenAI as part of the agreement, the companies said. OpenAI and Torch did not disclose the terms of the acquisition.

“I can’t imagine a better next chapter than now putting our technology and ideas into the hands of the hundreds of millions of people who already use ChatGPT every week for health questions,” Torch CEO Ilya Abyzov wrote in a post on X.

Abyzov previously co-founded another healthcare startup called Forward, a direct-to-consumer primary care company that conducted patient visits via technology-enabled “CarePods.” Forward abruptly ceased operations in 2024.

OpenAI’s acquisition of Torch comes just days after the launch of ChatGPT Health, a new experience that allows users to connect their medical records and wellness apps to the AI ​​chatbot.

The company also announced several enterprise-class products for healthcare organizations. The first partners include large health systems such as HCA Healthcare.

In December, OpenAI hired Google’s Albert Lee as head of corporate development, a sign that the company will continue to look for M&A targets that can help it gain a leg up on rivals like Google and Anthropic.

The company made several acquisitions in 2025, including Jony Ive’s AI device startup io for more than $6 billion in May.

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