Daniel Ek’s Neko Health raises $65M for preventative healthcare with full-body scans

Daniel Ek’s health tech startup Neko Health raised €60 million ($65 million) in its first external funding round.

Lakestar, Atomico, and General Catalyst led Series A.

Neko Health, founded in Sweden in 2018 by Ek and Hjalmar Nilsonne, exited stealth in February with the promise of preventative healthcare through full-body scans and AI software that help doctors detect skin conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndromes.

The company claims each scan takes 10 minutes and costs €250, followed by an in-person consultation to explain the results.

The Stockholm-based company has a waiting list for full-body scans at its first clinic and 35 doctors, researchers, and technicians across Europe.

“Healthcare costs are spiraling out of control—we believe preventive health will be key to reversing this trend,” said Neko Health CEO Hjalmar Nilsonne. “Doctors don’t have time or resources to focus on prevention. This causes many health issues to go undetected until they become serious, causing pain and straining the healthcare system.”

Silence harms
Neko’s aversion to questions is particularly notable in light of Theranos’ spectacular fall from grace after making bold claims with little foundation. With the announcement of its first institutional investment today, Neko Health is sticking to its no-interview policy from earlier this year.

Neko Health’s U.S. and European investors include Spotify, AirBnb, Snap, and Hubspot. After investing, Lakestar and Atomico’s founders, Klaus Hommels and Niklas Zennström, will join Neko’s board of directors.

The company plans to expand into more European clinics, R&D, clinical studies, and recruitment with its new cash.