Temple run: Eternal CEO in face-off with doctors over wearable device

New Delhi:  Temple, the wearable device startup founded by former Eternal CEO Deepinder Goyal, has come under scrutiny from doctors over its scientific claims, prompting the entrepreneur to publicly defend the product and reject allegations that it is misleading consumers.

In a series of posts on social media platform X, Goyal said Temple’s claims would be quickly tested by users once the device reaches customers, noting that the company offers a 14-day no-questions-asked return policy. He said Temple has invested about $30 million in developing the wearable, including around $20 million of his own capital, saying that the scale of investment and long-term commitment behind the project run counter to suggestions that it is a fraudulent venture.

Goyal, who said he stepped away from his role as CEO of Eternal to focus on Temple, maintained that his reputation was tied to ensuring the science behind the product is accurate. He acknowledged that Temple has not yet clinically validated all of its metrics and said the company would disclose such validation when available.

“Temple is a fitness tracker and wellness device. We are not a medical device,” Goyal said, adding that further scientific validation and independent studies would emerge once the product becomes available to users. The comments come amid mounting criticism from doctors, led by hepatologist Cyriac Abby Philips, popularly known online as The Liver Doc. Philips has publicly questioned Temple’s scientific claims, particularly its ability to assess brain-related metrics through measurements from the superficial temporal artery.

In posts on X, Philips alleged that the company had not provided sufficient evidence to support claims related to brain blood flow and other advanced metrics. He argued that existing public material and pre-print research papers do not conclusively establish the device’s claimed capabilities and accused the company of overstating the science behind the product.

The exchange has triggered a broader debate on social media over the level of scientific validation that consumer wellness devices should provide before making health-related claims. Goyal also said Temple would continue to publish validation data and maintained that the company stood by its scientific methods, while critics called for independent peer-reviewed evidence before such claims are accepted.