Empatica Acquires PKG Health To Expand AI Wearable Monitoring For Parkinson’s

Health monitoring platform Empatica has acquired PKG Health, a company known for its movement disorder algorithms and digital endpoints for Parkinson’s disease. Empatica develops AI-enabled wearables, digital biomarkers, and software that support health monitoring and treatment, including the Empatica Health Monitoring Platform, which is widely used for remote patient monitoring in clinical trials.

Earlier this year, Empatica received FDA clearance for its pulse oximetry algorithm that collects wrist-based data. The clearance included a Predetermined Change Control Plan, allowing Empatica to update the algorithm without submitting a new 510(k) application. Among its key products are the EmbracePlus wearable—used in clinical trials to collect digital biomarkers such as skin temperature, pulse rate, and electrical conductance—and the EmbraceMini, an actigraphy device designed for clinical and research use.

Through the acquisition, Empatica will integrate PKG Health’s advanced algorithms to enhance its technology for movement disorder monitoring. This move expands the company’s presence in clinical care, neurology research, and diagnostics. Matteo Lai, Empatica’s CEO and cofounder, said PKG Health has built the largest body of clinical evidence in neurologic movement disorders using wearables, and combining its algorithms with Empatica’s monitoring platform and EmbraceMini device will create the most comprehensive solution for tracking Parkinson’s disease.

The acquisition aligns with Empatica’s broader efforts to advance wearable health technology. In May, the company received CE mark approval for EpiMonitor, a wearable and app combination designed to detect seizures and provide continuous health monitoring for epilepsy patients. Other digital health innovators targeting Parkinson’s disease include Neu Health, which recently earned FDA clearance for a smartphone-based tremor measurement tool, and Turkey-based h2o therapeutics, whose Apple Watch-enabled gait-cuing feature, Foggy, is FDA-listed as a Class II medical device.