Empatica's 2022 in review

As 2022 draws to a close, we look back on the achievements and milestones we hit while navigating a year that brought on new significant challenges for businesses and individuals alike. We feel proud to acknowledge the hard work that led to significant innovations and contributions to the clinical, research, and epilepsy communities, and not only.

Here are some of Empatica’s key moments from 2022.

FDA clearance for the Empatica Health Monitoring Platform

The biggest milestone of the year was saved for the end: the Empatica Health Monitoring Platform, our full-stack solution for remote health data collection and monitoring, received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November. This clearance is a testament to the rigorous testing and validation that goes behind all our products, to ensure the highest quality data collection and patient experience. This momentous achievement took months of hard work, as we validated four key digital biomarkers through clinical studies to ensure measures taken by EmbracePlus and calculated by our algorithms match the gold standards that can usually only be found in healthcare facilities. The Empatica Health Monitoring Platform is now FDA-cleared for the continuous data collection of Electrodermal Activity, skin temperature, SpO2, and movement during sleep.

Series B fundraising

Alongside the FDA clearance, we also announced the recent closing of our Series B fundraising round, led by Sanofi Ventures and RA Capital Management, with participation by Black Opal Ventures. We are immensely grateful to our investors for the trust placed in our people, technology, and mission, and we look forward to using the funding to continue pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the field of health monitoring using digital biomarkers. You can read the press release on our FDA clearance and Series B announcement here.

We began to say goodbye to the E4

The E4 wristband has been the industry-standard wearable in academic research and studies of a longitudinal nature for years. This summer, we began the process of sunsetting our beloved E4 to make room for more advanced technology, namely the Empatica Health Monitoring Platform. The E4 has been and still is being used to publish thousands of papers, investigating a broad range of fascinating topics, from how physiological data can be used to make music, to how play can help reduce the stress of children during hospital visits. Visit our Publications page to see the countless ways in which the E4 has paved the path to new discoveries.

If you are an existing E4 user, remember you can continue using your E4 wristband, as we will be servicing all our E4 customers until August 2024. And if you bought an E4 from 2020 onwards, you are eligible for an upgrade to the Empatica Health Monitoring Platform - simply complete this form with your device details and our team will be in touch.

Researchers can now use the Empatica Health Monitoring Platform in their studies, thanks to the Professional Plan

Multiple of the top 20 pharma companies are using the Empatica Health Monitoring Platform to develop their own digital biomarkers and advance treatments across oncology, neurology, and psychiatry. With the introduction of our new Professional pricing plan, and the release of the Care Lab app, researchers working on smaller-scale academic, lab, and longitudinal studies are now able to use the Empatica Health Monitoring Platform to harness the power of EmbracePlus data and our digital biomarkers in their work. We started shipping devices to our new users in Autumn, and we look forward to seeing all your published work in 2023!

We continued to serve our epilepsy community

Thousands of people around the world continue to use Embrace2 and Alert to monitor their seizures and keep their caregivers close in case of an emergency. Embrace2 remains the only wrist-worn wearable device to have FDA clearance for detecting possible seizure events, and we remain committed to providing peace of mind to those living with epilepsy and their loved ones through beautiful, medical-grade technology.

EmbracePlus got enhanced with new, powerful sensor modes (and a brand new band)

EmbracePlus is an adaptable powerhouse that can change its functionalities based on the needs of your study. Sensor modes are preset hardware configurations that turn EmbracePlus into a versatile data collection tool that is tailored to specific parameters and study requirements, from Actigraphy to SpO2.

In addition to the sensor modes, we also introduced a brand new band for EmbracePlus. We kept the silicone material with breathable holes that make it comfortable to wear, and upgraded it with a sleeker design, including a buckle that makes it easier to fasten and keep on throughout the day.

We built an interactive art sculpture using health data and our SDK

Cocoon is a generative art installation powered by human data. A gigantic art sculpture, Cocoon used EmbracePlus data to create a unique, interactive experience for the guests of the prestigious Life Itself event, which took place at the historic Hotel del Coronado in San Diego in May. The pandemic taught us that health is not a singular endeavor but a community one, and by creating Cocoon we wanted to reflect this in a beautiful, interactive, and collective way. We gave an EmbracePlus to all guests and, using a dedicated app, streamed their health data to the rings of Cocoon, which lit up and gave everyone a beautiful experience.

Prioritizing employee wellbeing

We upgraded our benefits to reflect our hybrid working setup, with a focus on enhancing the well-being of all Empatica employees, no matter where they are based. At the beginning of the year, all Empaticans received a premium Gympass membership, enabling them to have access to gyms and sports clubs in their location, while also benefiting from various mental health benefits such as meditation apps and weekly online sessions with licensed psychotherapists. We also rolled out a new private health insurance policy to all Empaticans, ensuring the health of our employees is well looked after.

We grew our team by 70%

Whether through our engineering graduate program or through more experienced hires across three continents and over a dozen teams, the Empatica team continued to grow with talented and passionate people across 25 different nationalities. We also returned to Sardinia for our annual summer retreat, the first visit for many, and one that definitely won’t be the last. Looking to join a company at the forefront of digital health that makes a real positive difference in the world? We are hiring!

The Empatica Health Monitoring Platform is now available in over 18 languages

To support the increasing multisite and multinational needs of our clients, we have translated the Care App into multiple languages. The translated versions are available to use in clinical trials with our Enterprise plan, making the Empatica Health Monitoring Platform a truly global tool that can enhance diversity in data collection and treatment development.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of making 2022 a year to remember. We wish all our partners, users, and followers a peaceful end to 2022, and a prosperous and healthy 2023, filled with new discoveries and successes.

The Empatica team