Indian billionaire, Deepinder Goyal, is working on a device called Temple that aims to track blood flow to the brain to see how it is coping with stress.

The device, which is under development, would sit on the side of the head near the temple, and continuously monitor how much blood is reaching different parts of the brain, which could give an indication of how well the mind is coping with stress. 

Some experts have questioned whether it is possible to measure deep-brain signals with a skin-mounted sensor. If it succeeds in delivering what it is setting out to do, Temple may reshape how athletes view the brain’s role in performance.

As wearable device usage becomes ever more common and interest builds around brain health and its impact on longevity, this is claimed to be the first time that the brain has been the focus of the wearable market. Goyal says Temple will measure metrics that existing wearables cannot and will initially be aimed at elite athletes, who need deeper insight into performance.

Goyal says: “We're building the ultimate wearable for elite performance athletes. A device that measures what no other wearable in the world measures, with a level of precision that doesn’t exist yet. We're building for people who push their bodies to the edge.”

Goyal, who founded food delivery giant, Zomato, has raised US$54 million from family, friends and employees, giving the company a valuation of $190 million.