Amaury Kosman, Co-founder and CEO of Circular

In this Q&A, you’ll hear from Amaury Kosman, co-founder and CEO of Circular, a French smart ring startup. Amaury shares Circular’s goal of revolutionising personal health through its latest smart ring and suggests how its specific blend of AI, tech and UX could be a game-changer for preventative healthcare.

What’s going on at Circular?

Amaury Kosman: Circular, a French company founded in 2019, is a pioneering organisation in smart ring technology.

We’re on a mission to revolutionise personal health by transforming complex data into actionable insights through an easy-to-wear device and innovative platform. And we’re guided by our core principles of accessibility, data privacy and a commitment to advancing personal health through technology.

What are some new features we should be excited about?

AK: We recently launched the Circular Ring Slim, the thinnest, lightest and most intuitive smart ring in the world – and the first to incorporate haptic navigation and alerts. Paired with Kira+, Circular’s powerful AI wellness assistant, the Circular Ring Slim assesses seven biometrics and 142 derived markers to help people sleep better and live healthier.

Noticing a gap in the market for user-friendly health devices, we dedicated years to developing a smart ring. Other devices were difficult to understand for ordinary consumers, or even top-level athletes, so we introduced Kira, an AI wellness assistant, to enhance the user experience.

What path are you taking to differentiate your product?

AK: As mentioned before, it’s the slimmest and lightest smart ring among its competitors. It has haptic feedback, which allows the users to get additional features around wellness, such as guided breathing sessions, vital alerts and medication reminders.

In terms of software, most of the major differences are within the Circular app. The app simplifies complex metrics and makes meaningful recommendations through Kira+, providing personalised advice. We also gamified the app, so users can earn coins and rewards online to unlock new features.

Additionally, while most competitors record and track health metrics every five to 30 minutes, Circular records every two minutes, increasing granularity in the data.

Where do wearables fit in the future of healthcare?

AK: COVID-19 played a major role in the impact of wearables across the entire healthcare spectrum, especially in the field of prevention.

Circular is technologically able to tell if you’re going to get sick 10 to 24 hours before you feel the symptoms because biometrics decline before symptoms appear. We are also capable of remote and continuous prevention, which is interesting for the healthcare sector. From post-operation to medication follow-up and raising awareness of a healthy lifestyle, remote monitoring enables real-time treatment adjustments.

But that’s only with the data from a single wearable. The future goal is to mix the data with other sources to unlock more power behind a sole device.

This will allow healthcare providers to fully monitor patients from a distance, reducing hospital visits and extending care to remote or underserved regions. It would also help tailor treatment plans to a patient’s specific health and lifestyle profile, enhance medical interventions and provide researchers with more accurate data. Insurers, meanwhile, could personalize health plans and incentives, potentially lowering healthcare costs by promoting healthy behaviors.

Looking ahead, wearable technology is poised to play a transformative role in the future of healthcare. At Circular, we’re at the forefront of a shift towards more proactive, personalised and patient-centered healthcare. The key will be to ensure privacy and equitable access as this technology becomes increasingly integrated into our healthcare systems.

What developments are on the roadmap for the next six months?

AK: Throughout 2024, we will enhance the new Circular Ring Slim and develop Kira+ and Ring Pro.

We will introduce some significant health-tracking functionality linked to specific health concerns and implement another data source. Expanding our use cases, we’ll announce new partnerships with sports ambassadors and organisations.

What consumer trends are you most excited about in 2024 & beyond?

AK: Aside from wearables, we’re excited about AI, which has already brought a lot to Circular. We also keenly follow what is happening around smart homes, robotics, VR and autonomous cars.

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