05-Apr-18, Demand Newspaper
Babylon, the British digital health start-up that uses artificially intelligent algorithms to assess illness, has struck a deal with Chinese Internet giant Tencent to offer its technology on the group's hugely popular WeChat social messaging platform.
%20Demand%20Newspaper.jpg "Babylon signs Tencent deal to deploy health technology on WeChat (c) Demand Newspaper")
Image: Demand Newspaper
The deal will give WeChat's almost 1 bn users the ability to message medical symptoms to Babylon's app, which will send back healthcare advice, and propel the company into China's huge medical market.
It is the second international deal signed by the company, following a similar arrangement Babylon signed with Saudi Arabia’s ministry of health in Mar-18.
Babylon has more than 1.4 mn users to whom it offers paid-for video consultations with human doctors, in addition to a free automated symptom-checker. Almost half its users are based in the UK, with the remainder spread across Rwanda and Ireland.