What You Should Know
- Digital health provider Hinge Health, Inc. announced a definitive agreement to acquire virtual-first digestive care company Cylinder Health, Inc. for $105M in cash.
- The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.
- Cylinder Health brings an established commercial footprint covering nearly 100 enterprise clients across two million lives, partnerships with two of the three largest PBMs, and commercial relationships with three of the top five health plans by self-insured market share.
- The acquisition addresses a high-demand clinical category: gastrointestinal conditions impact roughly one in four U.S. adults, drive $135B in annual medical expenditure, and suffer from severe provider shortages with 69% of U.S. counties lacking a gastroenterologist.
- Hinge Health plans to integrate Cylinder Health’s clinical model into its AI-powered technology platform, launching a unified single-app offering across MSK, Migraine, and GI Care in 2027.
Hinge Health Integrates Virtual GI Care into Single-App Architecture
Hinge Health has signed a definitive agreement to acquire virtual digestive health company Cylinder Health for $105M in cash. Expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, the deal accelerates Hinge Health’s expansion beyond musculoskeletal (MSK) and migraine care into gastrointestinal (GI) health, setting up an integrated multi-condition platform launch in 2027.
The acquisition targets a primary area of buyer consolidation among self-insured employers and health plans, which are increasingly seeking unified platforms to reduce vendor fragmentation and administrative overhead. Digestive health affects roughly one in four U.S. adults and drives $135 billion in annual medical spending, yet access remains severely restricted, with 69% of U.S. counties lacking a practicing gastroenterologist. Without specialized virtual care, patients frequently cycle through primary care, urgent care, and emergency departments without long-term management plans.
Cylinder Health brings a commercial footprint covering two million lives across nearly 100 enterprise clients, alongside active distribution partnerships with two of the top three pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and three of the top five national health plans. Clinically, chronic GI conditions frequently co-occur with chronic pain, sharing overlapping physiological pathways like gut-brain axis interactions and central sensitization.
Hinge Health plans to embed Cylinder’s clinical care model directly into its AI-driven engine, unifying MSK, pelvic, migraine, and GI care within a single patient application. The acquisition is projected to contribute $7M to $8M in revenue in 2026, scaling in 2027 as integrated cross-selling takes effect across the combined client base.
“We’re entering GI care because of member and client demand,” said Daniel Perez, co-founder and CEO of Hinge Health. “Many people we already serve for back, joint, pelvic, and migraine care also have chronic digestive conditions. After spending time with Terry Boch and the Cylinder team, it’s clear that Cylinder gives us a running start in a category with significant unmet need.”
