iBeat launches wearable heart monitor

iBeat said today that it launched its wearable heart monitor on Indiegogo. The campaign began this morning and features a 78% sale on the device at $99 for 100 early-bird backers.

The San Francisco, Calif.-based start-up raised $1.5 million in seed funding in August to recruit “high profile talent” to expand its operations. Dr. Mehmet Oz joined the company as a special advisor and is assisting in the launch, according to iBeat.

The iBeat Life Monitor is a smartwatch that continuously monitors a user’s heart rate and will warn loved ones and emergency responders if it detects signs of an oncoming cardiac arrest and the user is unresponsive.

It’s equipped with GPS to provide a user’s location to first responders in case of an emergency. The wearable monitor is cellular, so it doesn’t require WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity to function.

“The early interest we’ve seen in iBeat has been remarkable,” founder and CEO Ryan Howard said in prepared remarks. “We are excited to bring our device to the Indiegogo platform to drive even more awareness around the product and its ability to potentially save someone’s life. If you suffer a life-threatening heart incident such as sudden cardiac arrest, you have a 90% chance of dying without intervention. There are many devices on the market including diabetic monitors, heart-rate monitors, and other health monitoring solutions, but all these devices only passively monitor you. None of them actively monitor and analyze your heart health around-the-clock like the iBeat Life Monitor. Continual monitoring and quick intervention can mean the difference between life and death in emergency situations.”

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