Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal has launched a new wellness wearable, 'Temple,' priced at Rs 85,000, triggering debate over its scientific claims. While medical experts question the device's physiological tracking, the company maintains it is a wellness tool, not a medical one. This independent venture is separate from the listed Zomato business and has raised $54 million ahead of its 2027 delivery target.
The recent launch of the 'Temple' wearable, founded by Zomato’s Deepinder Goyal, has sparked a heated debate regarding the intersection of high-end wellness technology and clinical science. Priced at Rs 85,000, the device claims to track metrics such as 'Brain Flow' and 'Entropy' using sensors on the temple area. Following its pre-order launch on November 1, 2026, the project has drawn sharp criticism from members of the medical community, who have questioned the lack of independent, peer-reviewed data to support the device's physiological claims.
It is important for market participants to note that 'Temple' is an independent venture separate from the publicly listed Zomato (now Eternal). This means the operational success, financial performance, and regulatory risks associated with the wearable are not part of Zomato’s corporate balance sheet or financial reporting. Investors looking at the performance of the listed company should distinguish between the founder’s personal entrepreneurial projects and the publicly traded business.
At the core of the controversy are concerns raised by medical professionals, including Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips (commonly known as The Liver Doc), who have labeled the device’s lack of clinical validation as problematic. Critics argue that physiological signals detected on the skin surface do not reliably represent internal brain activity, casting doubt on the diagnostic utility of the metrics promoted. In response to the pushback, Deepinder Goyal has clarified that Temple is marketed as a wellness and fitness device, rather than a medical device, and has acknowledged that some of its proprietary metrics are still in the early stages of research.
Despite the skepticism, the venture has attracted significant institutional interest. The company has raised $54 million at a valuation of $190 million, with marquee investors including Peak XV Partners and Steadview Capital. Goyal has personally invested $20 million of his own wealth into the project, emphasizing his commitment to it as a long-term research endeavor. The company has also implemented a 14-day return policy, which acts as a mechanism to address consumer concerns regarding the device’s performance.
The project now enters a critical development phase leading up to its 2027 delivery target. For consumers and observers, the key monitorables will be whether the company can provide independent scientific data to substantiate its claims and how it navigates potential regulatory scrutiny. As a high-cost consumer product, the device's long-term success will rely on its ability to build trust with users who expect the physiological benefits marketed by the brand.