Originals · Startup · Startups & Fintech
Deepinder Goyal's Temple wearable opens pre-orders, then runs into a wall of doctors asking for proof
The head-worn tracker went on sale on 1 November at a listed Rs 85,000. Within days, physicians were calling its brain blood flow claims unproven, and Goyal was answering them on X.
Temple, the wearable startup founded by Eternal (Zomato) founder Deepinder Goyal, opened pre-orders on 1 November 2026 through its website and app, Business Today reported. Demand briefly knocked temple.com offline before Goyal said it was back up. Inc42 reports a listing price of Rs 85,000, while Business Today notes the company had not formally confirmed the final retail price in its launch post. Units are made to order, with deliveries expected roughly three months after purchase, so most buyers will receive devices in early 2027.
The device sticks to the side of the head near the temple with an adhesive and uses optical sensors to track signals linked to blood flow. On launch day Goyal shared an internal study comparing Temple's heart rate readings with five flagship wearables, including an Apple Watch, against a chest strap reference, and said Temple had the lowest error in every zone tested. He said an extended study by independent researchers was under way and that the company would fund further replication.
Within days, several doctors pushed back. Inc42 reports that hepatologist Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, known online as The Liver Doc, called it a wellness fraud, and that critics noted the studies on Temple's website were funded and run by the company and not peer reviewed. YourStory reports that oncologist Dr Rishabh Jain asked for data that independent researchers can review, arguing that investment figures and a return policy are not scientific validation.
Goyal replied on 5 November that about $30 million had gone into building the device, including $20 million of his own money, and pointed to a 14 day no questions asked return policy. He said pre-prints would come before peer reviewed papers, and in a follow up post said Temple is a fitness tracker and wellness device, not a medical device, and has not been clinically validated. YourStory adds that he later said the first 10,000 orders will not pay a subscription.
Why it matters: Temple raised $54 million in February 2026 at a valuation of about $190 million, according to Inc42 and YourStory, with backers including Steadview Capital and Peak XV Partners. It is one of the most expensive bets on Indian built consumer health hardware. Whether its sensor can really read anything about the brain from the side of the head is now a public question, and the answer will come from independent studies once devices ship.
