Google is reportedly mulling to make a "strategic investment" in wireless and wearable device maker Jawbone, though the size of the reported investment and its implied value is not clear.
The sources of tech news website Re/code added that Google and Jawbone are still in preliminary talks, which means that it is possible that Google will not make any investment in Jawbone at all.
While speculations are stating that Google may be interested in fully acquiring Jawbone, Re/code reported that that is not the case and that Google is not considering buying the wireless and wearable device company.
Jawbone, however, is talking to several potential strategic investors even as the company completes an investment round worth $250 million in its latest round of funding efforts. Jawbone has been stating the company's value at up to $3 billion.
Google's interest in making an investment in Jawbone is apparently to further its expansion into new business lines. Google's entry into the industry of connected devices and sensors will be made easier if it acquires a stake in Jawbone, as this industry was pioneered by the startup.
A partnership with Google may also prove to be beneficial for Jawbone, as its app could become the default health app for Android devices, taking Jawbone deeper into the still-growing Android ecosystem of devices.
Google's efforts into researching and developing new devices is headed by Tony Fadell, a former executive for Apple that founded the smart home company Nest, which was acquired by Google in 2014. Similar to Nest, Jawbone has been able to achieve great brand recognition in the industry, with its products often receiving favorable reviews.
Jawbone first entered the wearable device market in 2011, and its entry was not as smooth as the company hoped due to faulty Up trackers being sold. Since then, many fitness and activity trackers have been released that have crowded up the market.
Jawbone's Up 3 activity and sleep tracker wristband, which can also track the wearer's heart rate, is now delayed. The company said last November that the device would be shipping in a few weeks, but the device is still not out now.
Jawbone has had a heavy focus on the company's software through the Up app, including data gathering practices. Through data scientists such as Monica Rogati, Jawbone also releases interesting reports on anonymized user data that the company has collected.
However, these efforts have not been able to make Jawbone profitable, despite the company's hardware and software combining for revenue of hundreds of millions.
Both Jawbone and Google have refused to issue comments regarding the reported investment.
