What happens when a data scientist with IBS meets a digital health operator scaling virtual GI care? You get more than an acquisition—you get a glimpse of where gastroenterology is headed.On this episode of The Scope Forward Show, Asaf Kraus (founder of Dieta Health) and Bill Snyder (founder & CEO of Cylinder Health) join me to announce Dieta’s acquisition. But we didn’t stop at the deal.We talked AI, clinical outcomes, and why digestive health—despite affecting millions—remains underrecognized in digital health. Cylinder has already served 100,000 patients. GI care represents a $136 billion market, mostly buried in fragmented smaller markets. That’s starting to change.Asaf’s journey—from Uber to founding Dieta—shows what happens when lived experience meets data science. Bill’s work at Cylinder is proof that virtual GI care can scale with rigor and stay grounded in patient outcomes.This conversation isn’t just about what just happened. It’s about what’s next—and who’s willing to build it.
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Key takeaways:
01:41 - Acquisition announcement on The Scope Forward Show
Asaf explains that he deliberately chose Praveen’s platform because of its broad reach and innovation-focused GI community. He cites last year’s GI Mastermind Conclave as an example of how influential this community can be.
03:23- Dieta Health’s Origins
Asaf recounts how a personal bout with IBS during his time as a data scientist at Uber inspired him to apply data-driven personalization to GI care.
05:17 - Dieta’s AI Revolutionizes GI Diagnostics
Dieta ran four clinical trials and served 25,000 patients, confirming the viability of AI-based stool classification. Asaf references the trials to highlight that the solution is clinically grounded, not just theoretical.
06:53 - Cylinder’s Perspective and Asaf’s Motivation
Bill details how he has known Asaf for years and admired Dieta’s dedication to personalizing care.
10:52 - The Scale and Scope of Cylinder
Cylinder has already served 100,000 members with GI conditions and is on a rapid growth trajectory.
15:12 - Future of Gastroenterology and AI
Praveen asks both guests to imagine GI care a decade from now in light of recent AI leaps.
22:36 - Bill’s Background & Founding Cylinder
Bill traces his career from Humana (understanding the payer/provider landscape), then Virta Health (diabetes-focused) to eventually founding Cylinder in 2021.
25:27 - Fundraising for Cylinder
Bill clarifies how investors recognized GI’s massive, often-hidden market potential—buried in scattered claims data—and were drawn to Cylinder’s proven outcomes and cost-saving evidence, resulting in about $50 million in raised capital.
29:01 - Advice for entrepreneurs to fundraise in GI
Bill urges entrepreneurs to reveal GI’s large, underrecognized market, noting that scattered claims data masks its full cost.
32:19 - Bill’s Path to Success
Bill highlights two key enablers: first, educating the market on GI’s huge needs and second, strengthening partnerships with payers, employers, and providers.
35:14 - Cylinder Health's operational model
Cylinder’s two-pronged offering combines a core product (health coaches + dietitians) with a full-stack virtual clinic (gastroenterologists + lab/prescription services).
38:41 - How Cylinder differs from competitors
Cylinder commits to measurable outcomes, ROI, and patient satisfaction.
44:33 - Embracing Potential Disruption
When asked about AI advancements possibly surpassing human capabilities—thereby disrupting Cylinder’s model—Bill views it as an opportunity rather than a threat.
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