Ascension Health Ventures, recently led a Series E financing in BodyMedia, Inc., a world leader in the design and development of wearable body monitoring products and services. The financing also included existing investors Draper Fisher Jurvetson ePlanet and Draper Triangle Ventures.

BodyMedia’s innovative products and technologies provide accurate, objective, and actionable data about the health and behaviors of people in a free living setting. Data is gathered via the BodyMedia SenseWear monitors and transmitted to the company via personal computer or a proprietary wireless hub. The company’s software distills low level high rate vital signs, like galvanic skin response, motion, near body temperature and heat flux, into high level statements about the state and activity of the human body. BodyMedia derives important health and lifestyle information from underlying physiological signals such as sleep, caloric expenditure and core body temperature, making it accessible to clinicians, health care providers, and consumers.

The technology has proven and innovative applications in weight management, fitness, home care, disease management and as a research tool. BodyMedia works with partners to customize new products to address known market needs, or extend an existing product or service.
“BodyMedia represents a proven technology that has the potential to be expanded into traditional care settings.” said Taras Silecky, Investment Manager at AHV. “It’s free living monitoring approach fits with almost any lifestyle and offers a valuable tool to help improve the overall health and well being of the population.”

“We are proud to have Ascension Health and AHV join our team” said Astro Teller, Co-Founder and CEO of BodyMedia. “BodyMedia straddles the worlds of medicine and wellness and our new relationship with Ascension Health and AHV both validates the parts of the market we have chosen to address and gives us new opportunities to learn and expand our products into more traditional healthcare environments.”