Personalized health data promises to revolutionize well-being.
The latest: Spren, a software developer using a smartphone’s camera to analyze digital biometric data, closed $11.3M in a seed round led by Drive by DraftKings.
Spren’s tech claims to accurately read heart rate variability solely from a user’s fingerprint over the phone’s camera. Additionally, the platform uses computer vision to measure body composition and plans to extend its capabilities to other metrics.
Offering third-party integrations for a wide variety of health and fitness apps—including Fitbod and FORTË—Spren hopes to help users manage everything from stress and recovery to mental and physical performance.
Why it matters: Around 30% of Americans own a wearable device, yet national levels of physical inactivity are sky-high. A dilemma, while new research suggests wearing a fitness tracker can nudge you to exercise more, they’re still not ubiquitous — and not everyone necessarily wants one.
That leaves untapped avenues for reaching more users, including prescribing hardware or, in Spren’s case, bypassing it altogether.
Takeaway: Spren’s signature HRV product follows the stress-related use cases championed by WHOOP and Oura. But, its interoperability and ease of use put it on a path to intersect with the clinically validated ecosystems of Withings and (most recently) Garmin.
