Dive Brief:
- Virtual healthcare company Sword Health is planning to acquire digital mindfulness company Headspace, according to a regulatory filing.
- Headspace’s parent company OrangeDot is seeking to be acquired by Sword in an all-cash deal, the company told regulators in Massachusetts on July 22.
- The acquisition is expected to close on Sept. 14. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Neither Headspace nor Sword Health responded to a request for comment by publication time.
Dive Insight:
Sword Health’s proposed acquisition of California-based Headspace could give the combined company a stronger presence in the highly competitive digital health space.
The transaction, first flagged by Healthcare Dealflow, will leverage Headspace’s mental health and wellness app and Sword’s artificial intelligence-backed virtual care platform, Headspace said in the filing, which regulators in Massachusetts require for material changes related to healthcare M&A.
Despite the planned integration, Headspace says it “expects to continue operating its business substantially as it currently exists, preserving its existing virtual service offerings,” which include virtual therapy, behavioral health coaching and on-demand wellness content.
The companies do not anticipate material changes to reimbursement rates, access to services, care quality or payer mix as a result of the transaction, according to the filing.
However, the companies could lay off employees in duplicative roles.
“Any such workforce reductions are expected to be limited to corporate functions and are not expected to affect patient care, customer or payer relationships, or the availability of clinical services,” the filing states.
New York-based Sword Health was founded in 2015, and made a name for itself developing digital rehabilitation tools to support physical therapy in musculoskeletal care. The company announced a $40 million funding round at a $4 billion valuation last year and broke into the mental health arena with the launch of an AI-backed platform called Mind.
Headspace says on its website that it has reached over 100 million lives and garnered 105 million app downloads over its tenure. The company was valued at about $3 billion in 2021 following its acquisition of Ginger, another mental healthcare app.
Digital health deals are accelerating as more companies embrace AI and competition heats up in a growing market.
Rock Health research shows that digital health acquisitions are ramping up — the sector drew in 115 acquisitions in the first half of the year, ahead of last year’s total of 199.
The sector drew in 115 acquisitions in the first half of the year, ahead of last year’s total of 199, according to Rock Health.
Hinge Health, one of Sword’s top competitors in the musculoskeletal care space, purchased Cylinder Health in August for $105 million. That acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter this year, after which Hinge plans to expand into gastrointestinal care — Cylinder’s specialty.
