• Collaboration brings together Canary's proven active implant technology and NanoHive's advanced spinal implant design to unlock next-generation data-driven spinal care
• Global spinal fusion market estimated at ~$6-9 billion today and projected to grow to ~$1316 billion over the next decade

VANCOUVER, BC and WOBURN, Mass., April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Canary Medical, a medical technology company pioneering active implantable platforms and AI-driven analytics, and NanoHive Medical, a leading innovative 3D printed spinal implant technology company, today announced an exclusive partnership to jointly develop next-generation smart spinal cages that integrate Canary Medical's proprietary implantable sensing technology with NanoHive's proprietary Hive™ Soft Titanium® spinal implant design capabilities.

The partnership unites two organizations focused on advancing spine care through intelligent implant technology. By integrating smart sensing capabilities into spinal interbody fusion cages, the companies aim to deliver objective, actionable data that enhances visibility into patient recovery, biomechanics, and fusion progression. This approach is designed to support more informed clinical decision-making and strengthen outcomes across the continuum of care.

Spinal fusion outcomes remain variable, with published data suggesting that nearly 50 percent of patients report some degree of dissatisfaction following their procedure, driven by persistent pain, functional limitations, and uncertainty around fusion progression. Today, recovery is assessed primarily through periodic imaging and patient-reported symptoms, offering only episodic snapshots rather than continuous insight. Smart spinal cages offer a new paradigm by embedding sensing technology directly into the implant to generate objective, longitudinal data on fusion progression, segment mobility, and patient activity, thereby enabling earlier identification of recovery deviations, more personalized rehabilitation, and data-informed intervention. Building on Canary Medical's proven FDA-cleared smart knee platform, the partnership with NanoHive extends validated active implant architecture into spine to address a  large market with significant unmet need.     

The global spinal fusion market, driven primarily by lumbar procedures, is estimated at $6–$9 billion today and projected to exceed $13–$16 billion over the next decade, supported by an aging population and rising rates of degenerative spine disease. With more than one million procedures performed globally each year, the companies believe data-enabled spinal cages can establish a differentiated, premium segment within a large and established implant market, aligning with the healthcare system's increasing emphasis on measurable outcomes and valuebased care.

"Canary Medical was founded on the belief that medical devices should do more than provide structural support, they should be interconnected and collect real-time data from the patient," said Dr. Bill Hunter, Founding Member, CEO & CMO of Canary Medical. "NanoHive has developed an impressive portfolio of innovative spinal implants that are a perfect fit for our technology, with the design allowing space for our smart implant while maintaining the porous structure and ideal modulus that promotes bone growth and stability. By combining our proven smart implant platform with NanoHive's design expertise, we have a unique opportunity to redefine what spinal implants can deliver for surgeons and patients."

NanoHive Medical has built its reputation on advanced engineering, porous structures, and implant designs that support bone integration and stability. Through this collaboration, the company will accelerate its smart technology development efforts by integrating Canary Medical's smart technology into its spinal cage platforms, creating a differentiated category of implants that support both mechanical and clinical performance.

"NanoHive's mission is to leverage the success of our Soft Titanium platform technology to become a leader in spinal fusion personalization," said Patrick O'Donnell, President & CEO of NanoHive Medical. "Canary Medical's leadership in implantable sensing technology makes them the ideal partner as we move into the era of intelligent spine implants. This collaboration is an important milestone in delivering patients, surgeons and other spinal fusion stakeholders a tool that generates meaningful - ultimately predictable - clinical data to guide better outcomes. In addition, the partnership allows us to substantially reduce development and regulatory risks and costs."  

Joint development efforts will begin immediately, focusing on design integration, engineering validation, and defining key clinical applications. Additional updates regarding development milestones and future clinical plans will be announced as progress continues.

About Canary Medical  
Canary Medical is a medical technology company pioneering active implantable platforms and AI-driven analytics to build a future where connected devices continuously inform treatment and lower the overall cost of healthcare. Its patented canturio^®te technology powers the world's first FDA-approved smart knee that autonomously collects and transmits objective mobility and joint performance data from inside the body. Canary has built one of the largest real-world datasets in total joint arthroplasty, supporting more informed clinical decisions and measurable improvements in patient recovery. The company is leveraging its core sensing, power, and data architecture to expand intelligent implants across additional therapeutic categories.

For more information contact us at admin@canarymedical.com or visit www.canarymedical.com. Follow Canary Medical on LinkedIn.

About NanoHive Medical
NanoHive Medical, LLC is a commercial-stage innovation pioneer in 3D printed spinal interbody fusion implants and instrumentation. The company's mission is to be the leader in spinal fusion personalization by leveraging its Hive™ Soft Titanium® interbody fusion lattice technology in the $3.2B spinal interbody fusion device market. The Hive™ portfolio of interbody fusion devices provide surgeons and their patients ideal biomechanical elastic modulus properties, clear and precise diagnostic imaging capability, osteoblast cell attraction and integration – all features that lead to consistently strong fusion constructs and efficacious clinical experiences.

NanoHive Medical is located in Woburn, Massachusetts U.S.A.

Website: www.nanohive.com

Canary Medical Investor & Media Contact 
Monica Kendrick
Chief Communications Officer
mkendrick@canarymedical.com 

NanoHive Medical Investor & Media Contact 
Patrick O'Donnell
CEO & President
patrick.odonnell@nanohive.com

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Some of the statements in this press release may be forward-looking statements or statements of future expectations based on currently available information. Such statements are naturally subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors such as the successful completion of research and development, completion of clinical trials, marketing of the products described above, acceptance of such products by the medical community, regulatory approvals, and numerous other circumstances may cause the actual events or results to be materially different from those anticipated by such statements. The Companies do not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or updated status of such statements. Therefore, in no case whatsoever will the Companies be liable to anyone for any decision made or action taken in conjunction with the information and/or statements in this press release or for any related damages. 

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SOURCE NanoHive Medical