Apple moves into health data with takeover of start-up Gliimpse

Is it a phone maker? Is it a car maker? Now Apple shifts into health data with its latest acquisition

Apple has revealed a move into personal health data with the acquisition of a start-up called Gliimpse in a deal made earlier this year, but which has only just been confirmed by the company.

"Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans," it told the Fast Company website, which first found out about the otherwise secretly concluded deal.

There is currently nothing on Gliimpse's official website about its acquisition by Apple.

Gliimpse was founded by Anil Sethi and launched in 2013 with the goal of making it easier for individuals to collate and share their own health data in simple, easily shareable formats, according to the Gliimpse LinkedIn page.

"Gliimpse began with a simple idea: everyone should be able to manage their health records, and share them securely with those they trust," the company claimed at the time.

"By unlocking hospital silos, we aggregate fragmented data into Medicare-mandated patient summaries. Gliimpse is your personal health history in the palm of your hand."

The move is the latest by Apple in the area of health technology as the company tries to make gathering, analysing and sharing health information a key component of the Apple Watch wearable range.

The Apple Watch 2 is expected to take this focus further, following reports that an improved battery life on the device will make it easier to add more sensors to track health data.

Apple will hope that this focus on health data will attract a wider range of buyers for its devices, especially as recent data suggested that Apple Watch sales fell 55 per cent in the second quarter of 2016.

The move for Gliimpse follows Apple's reported $200m purchase of artificial intelligence start-up Turi as the firm looks to boost its efforts in this area.