OpenAI has acquired Torch, a small health records startup, in a deal reportedly worth about US$100 million, as the AI company accelerates its push into healthcare-focused applications.
The acquisition as reported, citing comments from Torch co-founder Ilya Abyzov, who confirmed that the company’s technology will be integrated into ChatGPT Health, OpenAI’s recently unveiled healthcare-focused product.
Torch specialises in tools that help structure, organise, and interpret electronic health records (EHRs), a long-standing challenge in the healthcare industry due to fragmented data systems and inconsistent record formats. By bringing Torch in-house, OpenAI is positioning itself to strengthen ChatGPT Health’s ability to securely process and analyse patient data, with the aim of supporting clinicians, researchers, and healthcare organisations.
While OpenAI has not publicly disclosed the financial terms of the acquisition, the reported US$100 million price tag signals the strategic importance of healthcare to the company’s long-term growth. The move follows OpenAI’s announcement of ChatGPT Health, which is designed to provide medical professionals with AI-powered tools for summarising patient records, assisting with clinical documentation, and supporting decision-making, while stopping short of replacing human judgement.
According to Abyzov, Torch’s technology will serve as part of the underlying infrastructure for ChatGPT Health, helping the system better understand complex medical histories and longitudinal patient data. This integration could allow OpenAI’s models to generate more accurate, context-aware insights from health records, a critical requirement for adoption in clinical environments.
The deal also reflects intensifying competition in the AI healthcare space. Major technology companies, including Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, and Amazon, are racing to build AI systems that can be safely deployed in healthcare, one of the most regulated and data-sensitive sectors. OpenAI’s acquisition of Torch mirrors a broader industry trend of buying specialised startups to gain domain expertise, data pipelines, and compliance-ready technology.
OpenAI has emphasised that privacy, security, and regulatory compliance will remain central to its healthcare strategy. Any use of patient data within ChatGPT Health is expected to align with existing health data protection standards, including strict access controls and safeguards.
As AI adoption in healthcare accelerates, the Torch acquisition positions OpenAI to play a more direct role in shaping how artificial intelligence is embedded into everyday clinical workflows.
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