Stryker
(NYSE: SYK)
announced that it completed its previously announced acquisition of Care.ai.
Last month, the Portage, Michigan–based orthopedic giant announced its agreement to acquire privately held Care.ai. No financial terms for the deal were disclosed.
Care.ai specializes in AI-assisted virtual care workflows, smart room technology and ambient intelligence solutions. Stryker said the acquisition strengthens the company’s growing healthcare IT offering and wirelessly connected medical device portfolio.
“We welcome the care.ai team to Stryker and look forward to working together to accelerate our digital vision to provide customers with real-time, smart and connected decision-making tools that can enhance the lives of caregivers and their patients,” said Andy Pierce, group president, MedSurg and Neurotechnology, Stryker.
Stryker continues adding to this segment as customers face a series of barriers to care. Those include nursing shortages, employee retention challenges, overworked and cognitively burdened staff and a rise in workplace safety concerns.
CEO Kevin Lobo said last fall that Stryker targeted growth in connected care as a significant part of its strategy. Lobo previously pointed to the 2022 acquisition of Vocera as a source of particular excitement as well. Company officials believes Care.ai brings complementary technology that can integrate seamlessly with the Vocera platform and Stryker devices.
“I think there’s going to be an explosion of opportunities over the next 5–10 years around connected care using data and predictive algorithms,” Lobo said at The MedTech Conference in Anaheim, California last October.
