Neko Health has completed a $260m Series B funding round to further R&D and US and European market expansion efforts for its healthcare scanner.
Co-founded by Hjalmar Nilsonne and Daniel Ek – who is also CEO of the famous music app Spotify – the health tech startup’s non-invasive Neko Health Scan diagnostic uses 70 scanners and a combination of technologies, including thermal imaging and 2D/3D photography, to map approximately 50 million health data points in a user’s body.
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Once the 10-minute scan completes, artificial intelligence (AI) analyses the datapoints gathered and provides users with a detailed picture of their health status in under an hour.
The scanner’s overall aim is to give users insights into potential health fallibilities, the idea being that those who use the scanner can apply its results towards taking preventative measures for improving their health. For instance, the scanner can detect symptoms of metabolic syndrome and risk factors for stroke and heart attack, and measures blood sugar levels to assess pre-diabetes risk – all of which may prompt users to make lifestyle adjustments to mitigate any potential risks the scanner flags up.
Since launching the scanner at sites in Stockholm, Sweden in early 2023 and London, UK in September 2024, Neko stated that over 10,000 scans have been completed. According to the startup, an average of 80% of users book and prepay a scan for the following year at the end of their appointment.
Neko co-founder and CEO Hjalmar Nilsonne commented: “We’re at the beginning of a big shift of the healthcare market, from reactive to proactive, driven both by technological advancements and growing consumer demand.
“This round of financing accelerates Neko’s global expansion of locations to include the US, as well as investments in breakthrough R&D.
“In the coming years, Neko will continue to bring incredible innovations to the market to find and prevent disease before it has a chance to develop.”
Lightspeed Venture Partners led the Series B round, which also featured participation from investors including General Catalyst and Atomico. As part of the funding round, Lightspeed partner Bejul Somaia will join Neko’s board. Neko completed its $65m Series A funding round in 2023, which was led by venture capital firm Lakestar.
A recent statement by the UK government’s Department of Health & Social Care called for investment into more preventative healthcare services, with claims that in the UK, applying known, evidence-based preventative interventions earlier and more broadly could add 20 more healthy days per person each year.
