Zomato co-founder Deepinder Goyal defends Temple wearable amid scientific criticism
Deepinder Goyal said the Temple wellness device cost $30 million to develop, with most funding from his own resources, and pledged independent studies to verify its claims after doctors raised doubts.
Zomato co-founder Deepinder Goyal responded on X to criticism of the Temple wellness wearable, stating that the company has invested $30 million in its development, including roughly $20 million (₹188.49 crore) of his personal funds. He said selling a few thousand units would only recoup a small portion of that outlay and argued that a product that does not deliver would quickly be exposed as a scam.
Goyal emphasized that he left his role as CEO of Eternal to focus on Temple, describing the venture as purpose-driven rather than profit-driven. He asserted that his incentives are aligned with scientific validation and that his reputation, built over two decades, is not being leveraged for short-term gains.
He noted that the current financing round is largely backed by customers, suggesting that a fraudulent scheme would not attract such investment. Goyal expressed confidence that the device will attract “positive astonishment” and that its claims are “easily verifiable by individuals and institutions,” adding that independent studies are expected to emerge once the product is widely used.
Temple is marketed as a compact wearable that attaches to the side of the head with adhesive grips and uses optical sensors to monitor blood flow-related signals near the brain. Priced at ₹85,000, it reportedly measures a real-time metabolic metric called “Entropy.”
Medical professionals, including Kerala-based hepatologist Cyriac Abby Philips, have questioned the scientific basis of the device, arguing that its sensors detect blood flow in superficial facial arteries rather than cerebral circulation.