Looks like Google might be ticking off a box on its wearables shopping list, or someone else might be. Basis Science, the company behind the Basis Health Tracker Watch, is on the market, according to two people familiar with the matter.
We’ve heard that the company has been shopping itself around over the past few weeks and has spoken to Google, Apple and possibly Samsung and Microsoft about a potential sale.
The price we’ve heard for any possible activity is “sub-hundred million,” which could mean a small return for investors like Norwest Venture Partners, Mayfield Fund and Intel Capital, who have poured over $30 million into the company.
The alternative to an acquisition for Basis would be a long-sought-after C round of funding, say those people.
Though its market share is unclear, the company would be an interesting buy for any of the big four mentioned above. Google, which recently scooped up “Internet of Things” darling Nest, is gunning to be the frontrunner in both the AI and hardware spaces. It is also said to be working on its own wristwatch as an entry into the consumer hardware market.
Apple, too, is rumored to be keeping an iWatch product waiting in the wings, while Samsung’s smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear, has already hit the shelves, leaving much to be desired from a design perspective.
Microsoft would be the dark horse in this race, with only the Kinect to boast of in the wearables department.
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Of all the fitness trackers available currently, Basis is said to be the most accurate in its data collection and reporting, but the most clunky with regards to design. A generous parent company could give it the chance to experiment with a more-streamlined, Jawbone or Fitbit-esque product without it having to go through the pains of raising another round of capital to support R&D.
Update: Basis representative Damon Miller has responded, “Our focus is on building the most advanced health tracker on the market. As a matter of policy, we don’t comment on rumor or speculation.”
