Hinge Health, the listed digital musculoskeletal care company, signed a definitive agreement to acquire Cylinder Health, a virtual-first digestive care provider based in Chicago, for $105 million in cash. The deal was announced on 4 August 2026.
The acquisition was expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, subject to customary conditions. HLTH reported on 8 September 2026 that Hinge had completed the purchase.
Hinge plans to launch an integrated Gastrointestinal (GI) Care Program alongside its existing musculoskeletal and migraine programs. It will combine Cylinder's clinical model with its own AI-driven technology in a single app expected in 2027.
What Cylinder built
Cylinder offers care for the full range of digestive problems, from bloating and gas to irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. Its programme includes courses, microbiome testing, diet and lifestyle plans and virtual visits. Members can reach a care team that includes health coaches, registered dietitians and gastroenterologists.
The company sells mainly to employers and health plans. It has nearly 100 enterprise clients covering about two million lives, partnerships with two of the three largest pharmacy benefit managers, and contracts with three of the top five health plans by self-insured market share. Cylinder says it has treated more than 150,000 people.
Hinge expects Cylinder to add about $7 million to $8 million in revenue in 2026, with more to come in 2027 as the two companies sell to each other's clients.
“We’re entering GI care because of member and client demand. Many people we already serve for back, joint, pelvic, and migraine care also have chronic digestive conditions.”
Why Hinge is buying
Hinge said GI conditions affect about one in four US adults and drive $135 billion in annual medical spending, while 69% of US counties have no gastroenterologist. Chief executive Daniel Perez said clients see digestive care as a growing cost, in part because GLP-1 drugs can cause stomach side effects.
Perez said many members who already use Hinge for back, joint, pelvic and migraine care also have chronic digestive conditions. On a call with investors, he said Cylinder sells to the same customers, uses the same sales approach and works with the same distribution partners as Hinge, which should make integration easier.
The GI programme will track what members eat and how their bodies respond in order to build personalised diet and lifestyle plans, paired with access to GI specialists, Perez said. William Blair analyst Ryan Daniels called the deal a logical extension of the business.
The funding behind Cylinder
Cylinder was known until recently as Vivante Health. Kimon Angelides founded Vivante in 2016, and its GIThrive platform offered personalised nutrition plans and on-demand support for gut conditions.
Vivante raised a $5.8 million Series A1 in 2020, then a $16 million Series A led by 7wireVentures, with Human Capital, Intermountain Ventures, SemperVirens, Elements Health Ventures and Leaps by Bayer joining and FCA Venture Partners, NFP Ventures, Lifeforce Capital and Big Pi Ventures returning. In 2023 it raised a $31 million Series B led by Mercato Partners, with Health Catalyst Capital as a new investor. Dealroom lists a $124 million valuation for that round. 7wireVentures, Intermountain Ventures, Distributed Ventures, Human Capital and SemperVirens also took part. In total the reported rounds add up to about $52.8 million.
Bill Snyder led Vivante as chief executive during both rounds. Perez said in the deal announcement that he had spent time with Terry Boch and the Cylinder team before agreeing to the purchase. Neither company disclosed Cylinder's headcount or how its investors fared on the $105 million price.
A buyer flush with cash
Hinge, based in San Francisco and founded in 2014, went public in May 2025. In the second quarter of 2026 it reported revenue of $212.8 million, up 53% year on year, and an operating profit of $40.4 million. It added 570 clients over the year to reach 2,929 and raised its full-year revenue guidance to between $856 million and $860 million.
The deal reflects a wider move in digital health away from single-condition tools. Employers and health plans increasingly want fewer vendors that cover more conditions, and Hinge is betting that adding GI care will help it sell a broader platform to the same buyers.
