Reports: Amazon, Nike considering Peloton acquisition and more digital health briefs

Also: Emerging market-focused Reliance Health raises $40 million, insomnia startup Dawn Health rakes in a $1.8 million pre-seed and birth control startup Twentyeight Health adds more Spanish language support.
By Emily Olsen
02:33 pm
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Photo courtesy of Peloton

Peloton has faced plenty of scrutiny over the past few weeks, including an activist investor calling on the connected fitness company's board to fire its CEO and consider a sale. Now rumors are flying about potential buyers who may be interested in a deal.

On Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported tech giant Amazon "has been speaking to advisers about a potential deal," though there aren't any guarantees the company will actually make an offer. Amazon did add to its fitness line last year – with a new wearable, plus workout classes, and a meal-planning service – but a company spokesperson told MobiHealthNews they don't comment on rumors or speculation.

The Financial Times reported that both Amazon and Nike were considering a Peloton deal, though neither were in talks with the struggling fitness company yet. Insiders who spoke with the Financial Times said others may be interested in buying Pelton, including Apple and private equity companies.

Neither Nike nor Peloton returned a request for comment. Peloton stock shot up Monday morning as the acquisition rumors circulated. 


Reliance Health, a tech-enabled healthcare company focused on providing care in emerging markets, announced it had raised $40 million in Series B funding.

The round was led by General Atlantic, with participation from Partech, Picus Capital, Tencent Exploration, AAIC (Asia Africa Investment and Consulting), P1 Ventures, Laerdal Million Lives Fund, M3, and Arvantis Social Foundation.

The startup, which has offices in Lagos, Nigeria, and Austin, Texas, offers health insurance, telehealth consultations and prescription delivery. Patients can also access in-person care through their family clinics.

Reliance plans to use the capital to expand into new markets, add new products and make new hires.

"Healthcare in emerging markets is often overlooked by private initiatives because it’s an extremely complex challenge to solve. At Reliance Health, by leveraging new innovations to break the constraints of legacy solutions, we believe there is an opportunity to solve some of these tough problems and even for aspects of healthcare in emerging markets to leapfrog to other parts of the world.

"We are excited to work with our investors towards bringing affordability and accessibility in healthcare to underserved markets, ultimately saving lives around the world," CEO and cofounder Femi Kuti said in a statement.


Dawn Health, a startup focused on insomnia treatment, has raised $1.8 million in a pre-seed round led by Kindred Ventures, according to TechCrunch

The company's app uses cognitive behavioral therapy to improve sleep, and it pairs users with a sleep coach they chat with when they need support.

Sleep tracking is a growing space for digital health. Big Health offers Sleepio, while Pear Therapeutics has a prescription digital therapeutic called Somryst for chronic insomnia. In August, smart mattress and connected sleep gear maker Eight Sleep raised $86 million in funding, while Amazon's Halo fitness tracker and the Oura Ring wearable also track sleep metrics. 


Telehealth birth control startup Twentyeight Health added Spanish language services in four new states: Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

The company first announced Spanish language support in November, first launching a website with educational articles in Spanish, plus telehealth visits and messages in Texas and Florida. 

"Even though Spanish is one of the most widely-spoken languages in the U.S., with more than 40 million U.S. residents speaking Spanish at home, a Health Affairs study published in 2021 shows that Spanish speakers receive approximately one-third less care than other Americans,”  Twentyeight cofounder Bruno Van Tuykom said in a statement.

"Our Spanish language services will further increase access to sexual and reproductive care for millions of people across the country."

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