Eternal founder defends high price and global focus of AI wellness device Temple

Founder Deepinder Goyal responded to online criticism of Temple, the AI-driven wellness device launched by his startup Eternal, by emphasizing that the product is aimed at a global audience rather than the Indian market. In a post on X, he wrote, "Temple is not made for India. It's made for the world," and added that the company does not expect more than one percent of sales to come from India.

Addressing concerns about the device’s price, Goyal said the company invested significant effort in its development and priced it at what they consider its value. "If you are upset that the pricing is too high, I am sorry. There's a lot of work that went into Temple, and we priced it at what we think it's worth," he wrote, suggesting that potential buyers could wait for user reviews before deciding.

Goyal also rejected calls for nationalist support, stating that Eternal seeks backing from consumers who believe in early-stage innovation rather than patriotic sentiment. He clarified that Temple is marketed as a fitness and AI device, with no medical claims, and should not replace professional healthcare.

Regarding scientific scrutiny, Goyal acknowledged that evidence for some features, such as the "Brain Flow" metric, is still emerging. He noted that proof levels progress from whitepapers to peer-reviewed studies and that regulatory bodies, not social media, will determine compliance with standards. He highlighted another metric, "Entropy," as the core proposition of the device and indicated that more information on this feature will be shared with waitlisted customers.

Overall, Goyal positioned Temple as a consumer wellness product intended for a global market, priced to reflect its development costs, and subject to ongoing scientific validation.