Meditation app Calm is buying Ripple Well being Group, a San-Francisco-based well being care expertise firm. The phrases of the deal weren’t disclosed. Calm says the acquisition will speed up its psychological healthcare ambitions. Following the acquisition, Ripple Well being Group CEO David Ko will tackle the function of Calm co-CEO, alongside Michael Acton Smith. Calm co-founder Alex Tew will transfer from co-CEO to government chairman.
Based in 2019, Ripple connects customers with correct well being care choices and builds options that handle urgent well being issues. Ripple’s first two merchandise, which launched final month, give attention to growing older in society and assuaging the burden of caregiving for each skilled and non-professional caregivers.
The Ripple workforce will now be part of Calm and give attention to constructing Calm Well being, which can substitute the corporate’s present employer providing, Calm for Enterprise. Calm Well being is predicted to launch quickly with the goal of supporting psychological well being throughout the care spectrum. The Ripple workforce will probably be tasked with constructing out a collection of Calm Well being options that combine into present healthcare expertise and are each safe and easy to make use of. Calm says Ripple may even proceed to construct merchandise that goal to cut back the burden of caregiving.
“As an advisor to Calm since 2019, I’ve witnessed firsthand the workforce’s skill to pioneer the way forward for psychological well being, redefining each the class and the distribution channel,” mentioned Calm’s new co-CEO, David Ko, in an announcement. “Calm is on a mission to make the world happier and more healthy. I can’t consider a greater match for Ripple’s workforce and expertise. We’re extremely honored to affix the corporate. I’m excited to work alongside Michael to carry Calm to healthcare.”
Earlier than becoming a member of Ripple, Ko was the president, COO and board member of Rally Well being, a digital well being firm that develops cell options that goal to make it simpler for customers to entry care.
“David’s enterprise acumen, operational excellence and confirmed document scaling healthcare firms will probably be invaluable for Calm as we enter into new ventures and form the way forward for the class,” mentioned Calm co-CEO and co-founder Michael Acton Smith, in an announcement.
Calm’s acquisition comes a couple of weeks after it make its first foray into bodily exercise and video content material with the launch of its new Each day Transfer characteristic. The characteristic guides customers via easy workouts to get them shifting. Calm sees the brand new characteristic as an entry level into aware content material for individuals who discover conventional meditation a troublesome place to begin. The corporate additionally just lately launched a brand new “Premium Household” subscription plan that features as much as six accounts. The brand new providing is offered globally for $99.99 per yr, whereas a premium particular person plan prices $69.99 per yr.
Calm, together with different meditation apps, has fared nicely through the ongoing pandemic and seen a surge in customers. The corporate boasts over 100 million downloads thus far and says it averages 100,000 new customers day by day. In December 2020, Calm raised $75 million in Sequence C funding, pushing the corporate’s valuation to $2 billion. Prior investor Lightspeed Enterprise Companions led the spherical.