Wearable technology is evolving beyond bulky fitness bands and smartwatches. Hiyd, a startup focused on discreet health monitoring, is developing a compact sensor that attaches to an existing wristwatch, allowing users to track important health metrics without changing their personal style.

The company aims to make health tracking a natural part of everyday life rather than something that requires wearing a separate fitness device. Founder Salah Batroukh believes consumers should not have to choose between fashion and functionality when monitoring their health.

A New Approach to Everyday Health Tracking

Hiyd’s first product is a small, lightweight disc that attaches to the back of a conventional watch. The device uses microsuction technology to remain securely in place without magnets or adhesive.

According to the company, the attachment mechanism uses a specially textured silicone surface containing numerous tiny pockets. When pressed against a compatible surface, these pockets create suction, allowing the sensor to stay attached while remaining easy to remove.

The design is intended to avoid adhesive residue and reduce potential interference with mechanical watches that use magnets in their operation. The attachment layer is reportedly just 0.3 millimeters thick, while the complete sensor measures approximately 2.7 millimeters in thickness and weighs seven grams.

This approach could appeal to watch enthusiasts who want access to wearable technology without replacing their traditional timepieces.

Tracking Health Metrics With AI

Hiyd’s sensor is designed to collect several biometric measurements commonly found in modern wearable devices. These include heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep stages, movement, estimated calories burned, and estimated VO2 max, a measure associated with aerobic fitness.

The collected information syncs with a mobile application compatible with iOS and Android devices.

Artificial intelligence also plays a role in the product’s development. Hiyd’s team is gathering and labeling activity data to help its system distinguish between different movements, including walking, jogging, and running.

By analyzing these datasets, the company aims to improve the accuracy of activity recognition and provide users with more meaningful information about their daily habits.

However, the practical accuracy of these measurements will depend on further testing, real-world performance, and validation against appropriate benchmarks.

Moving Beyond Basic Fitness Statistics

Hiyd is also exploring nutrition tracking within its application. Rather than focusing exclusively on calorie counting, the company wants to help users understand how everyday decisions may influence sleep quality, exercise performance, and recovery.

For example, the app could eventually identify patterns between late-night workouts and reduced sleep quality. It may also highlight potential relationships between eating habits and changes in sleep patterns.

These personalized insights could make health data easier to understand and apply to daily routines. Instead of simply presenting charts and numbers, the platform aims to explain how behavioral patterns may affect individual outcomes.

Such insights should be treated as potential associations rather than definitive medical conclusions. Factors such as stress, exercise intensity, meal timing, and sleep schedules can interact in complex ways.

An Experienced Team Behind the Product

Hiyd was founded by Salah Batroukh, who spent approximately seven years working as a manufacturing design engineer at Apple. He is joined by co-founders Omar Shakir, the company’s chief technology officer, and Mahamad Charawi, who leads software development.

The team is working to combine hardware engineering, software development, and AI-powered data analysis into a wearable product designed around convenience and personal choice.

Hiyd also gained visibility through TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield, where it competed among the event’s leading startup companies. The company planned to launch a Kickstarter campaign in November 2026 and reported that more than 16,000 people had placed deposits to secure its initial units.

What Hiyd Could Mean for the Wearables Market

The wearable technology market continues to explore ways to make health monitoring more convenient, personalized, and accessible. Hiyd’s approach offers a different direction by adding tracking capabilities to a watch people already own rather than asking them to adopt another wrist-worn device.

If the company delivers on its design and performance goals, its product could attract traditional watch enthusiasts, professionals, and consumers who prefer less noticeable technology.

The bigger opportunity lies in combining discreet hardware with useful, personalized insights. As AI capabilities improve, wearable devices may increasingly help people recognize patterns in their behavior instead of merely collecting health statistics.

Hiyd’s progress will ultimately depend on product reliability, measurement accuracy, battery performance, privacy protections, and the usefulness of its software.