SocialWellth has acquired Happtique for an undisclosed sum about one year after the New York based business shelved its app certification program after a company drew attention to security shortcomings. The deal will give the Las Vegas-based digital health business a critical link to the provider community.
SocialWellth created a white labeled mobile health dashboard that’s used by payers such as Cigna and other corporate partners to manage their members’ digital health experience. The mHealth dashboard integrates and aggregates third party apps and devices, to help members manage their activities in one location and to guide their “health journey”. The idea is that payers can enhance member participation by offering incentives, coaching, and personalized recommendations.
In a company statement, SocialWellth CEO and founder David Vinson said: “We believe that the digital health market must shift from passive digital health to prescriptive digital health curation if we are to achieve the great potential which lies ahead with Connected Patients. He added that “Happtique and SocialWellth were two of the early market pioneers in launching digital health curation services within two distinct markets. Now, with our combined insights, resources and vision for prescriptive digital health curation solutions and services, we are poised to drive market adoption.”
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Vinson told MedCity News in an interview that it has added eight from Happtique. The Las Vegas-based business is establishing an East Coast foothold in New York and has offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
“This acquisition is just a precursor to investment across multiple sectors including prescriptive digital health plans with providers and payers,” Vinson said.
Among its strategic partners are Medimpact,Premera Blue Cross, Vivacity, MedImpact, MODA, and Sanford Health Plan.
Vinson had worked on the management team at Optate and subsequently WebMD when it acquired the business. He also worked at HealthMedia (acquired by Johnson & Johnson), Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan, and University of Michigan Health System – MCARE.
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Happtique was led by Lee H. Perlman, the founder and president of the Greater New York Hospital Association venture arm GNYA Ventures after Ben Chodor left amidst a management restructure in May last year. One of Happtique’s goals was to bring some order to the Wild West of mobile health apps. The idea was that by vetting apps by developers and healthcare professionals, it would make physicians more likely to prescribe apps in a shorter timeframe than the FDA.
