Following the announcement last weekChatGPT Health featureEarlier, OpenAI announced its acquisition of medical technology startup Torch, and according to CNBC, citing sources familiar with the matter, the deal was worth [amount missing].Approximately $6000 million (Approximately NT$19.5 billion). Through this acquisition, OpenAI is attempting to solve the problem of fragmented medical data, enabling AI doctors not only to "chat" but also to "understand" your medical records scattered in various places.
Torch's core value: Unifying medical records
OpenAI's interest in Torch stems from its "Unified Medical Memory" system, which is currently under development.
The biggest problem with current medical data is the "silo effect," where patient information is scattered across different hospitals and clinics in various formats (PDF, handwritten, digital). Torch's technical goal is to integrate this health data, which is scattered across different vendors and in different formats, into a unified platform.
With the acquisition complete, the entire Torch team will join OpenAI. Torch CEO Ilya Abyzov stated on the X platform, "It's hard to imagine a better new chapter than delivering our technology to the hundreds of millions of users who use ChatGPT to consult about health issues every week."
It's worth mentioning that Ilya Abyzov is also a co-founder of another once-high-profile healthcare startup, Forward. Forward previously focused on futuristic AI clinics called "CarePods," but ceased operations in 2024 due to operational issues. Now, Ilya Abyzov has joined OpenAI with Torch, clearly hoping to continue her vision for healthcare by integrating pure software with AI.
We've acquired Torch, a healthcare startup that unifies lab results, medications, and visit recordings. Bringing this together with ChatGPT Health opens up a new way to understand and manage your health.
We're excited to welcome the Torch team to OpenAI @IlyaAbyzov, @elh_online,… https://t.co/4H8KNa8kVt
- OpenAI (@OpenAI) January 12, 2026
ChatGPT Health's Last Mile
OpenAI just launched the ChatGPT Health feature on January 8th of this year, allowing users to connect wearable device data and electronic medical records to ChatGPT and to collaborate with large medical institutions such as HCA Healthcare.
This acquisition of Torch completes ChatGPT Health's key puzzle in "data processing." For AI to provide accurate health advice, it must be able to read and understand a user's complex past medical records without difficulty, which is precisely Torch's strength.
No hesitation in acquisitions, competing against Google and Anthropic
Since poaching Albert Lee from Google in late 2024 to lead corporate development, OpenAI's acquisition strategy has become more aggressive. Besides Torch, in May 2025, OpenAI even acquired io, the AI device company founded by former Apple design director Jony Ive, for over $6 billion. This series of moves indicates that Sam Altman is attempting to build a moat in vertical sectors such as hardware and healthcare through rapid acquisitions to counter competition from Google and Anthropic.
