OpenAI has acquired the healthcare technology start-up Torch as it expands its presence in healthcare.
Torch was building a “unified medical memory” for artificial intelligence, designed to bring a patient’s health data into one place when it is typically siloed across different vendors and formats.
Torch’s employees will join OpenAI as part of the acquisition, the companies said.
Torch chief executive Ilya Abyzov wrote in a post on X: “I can’t imagine a better next chapter than to now get to put our technology and ideas in the hands of the hundreds of millions of people who already use ChatGPT for health questions every week.”
The deal comes days after OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT Health, a new experience that allows users to connect their medical records and wellness apps to the AI chatbot.
The company also announced several enterprise-grade products for healthcare organisations, with initial partners including large health systems such as HCA Healthcare.
Abyzov previously co-founded another healthcare start-up called Forward, a direct-to-consumer primary care business that carried out patient visits via tech-enabled ‘CarePods’.
Forward abruptly shuttered operations in 2024.
In December, OpenAI hired Google’s Albert Lee to lead corporate development, a signal that the company will continue to hunt for acquisition targets to gain an edge over rivals such as Google and Anthropic.
OpenAI made several acquisitions in 2025, including Jony Ive’s AI devices start-up io for more than US$6bn in May.
