Sharecare Acquires Behavioral Voice Analysis Technology Provider Feingold Technologies
Sharecare, a comprehensive digital health and wellness engagement platform founded by TV's Dr. Mehmet Oz and Jeff Arnold, has acquired Feingold Technologies, a developer of technologies that analyze and understand human mindsets and behaviors. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"As part of our strategy to create the comprehensive health profile for every consumer regardless of where they are on their health journey, it is critical we find new ways to help people be mindful of their health every day without disrupting their daily routine," said Arnold, Sharecare's chairman and CEO, in a statement. "With more mobile phones on the planet than people, we believe strongly that harnessing the power of the phone is critical to achieving this, and Feingold Technologies' advanced voice and text analysis, correlated with data from various mobile sensors, introduces a whole new level of possibilities. We are excited to expand their suite of products, seamlessly integrate them into the Sharecare platform, and work together to play an even bigger role in helping people optimize their health and live happier, more fulfilling lives."
Founded in 2010, Germany-based Feingold Technologies specializes in technologies that analyze and understand human behavior, mindsets, and emotional states. Feingold discovered a series of patterns in interpersonal voice and text communications that have a strong correlation to certain emotional expressions. Out of this research, it created a framework to organize and describe mindsets.
As part of the acquisition, Feingold Technologies will operate under Sharecare effective immediately, including its offices in Munich and Berlin. Bringing unique expertise in artificial intelligence and behavioral health, the Feingold team will work in parallel with Sharecare's existing product and technology teams to create user-friendly mobile products and applications that help people optimize their productivity, happiness, and, ultimately, their health. Additionally, Feingold Technologies' founder and CEO Erik Feingold joins Sharecare as chief innovation officer, based at the company's Atlanta headquarters.
Several Fortune 500 and DAX companies from the logistics, pharmaceutical and financial industries, including Deutsche Post DHL, Merck, and Boehringer Ingelheim are using Feingold's business applications, such as iCoach and StressControl, to reduce stress and achieve more impact. Sales teams, customer service agents and their managers use the mobile applications to optimize their conversations with customers, employees, and managers.
In a separate press release, Sharecare announced that it is launching the first of many innovations it will develop with the Feingold team: a beta Android app to help people improve self-awareness, personal relationships, well-being and, ultimately, their overall health. Initially available through a crowd-sourced, adaptive trial, the Sharecare app provides people with real-time feedback by analyzing the spectral-data in the tone of their voice during phone calls, while not listening to, recording, storing or analyzing the actual content of the call.