The archive · Health & Care · Product decision · 2018–2026
Neko Health: Preventive Checkups as a Business
Swedish startup offers full-body scans for £299; raised $700M in 2026, valued at $1.8B.
Neko Health
What the business is
Operates its own clinics in Stockholm, London and other locations, offering a 10–15-minute full-body scan with 70+ sensors and millions of data points plus a doctor consultation, charging per visit and encouraging annual repeat purchases.
Starting capital：After 2018, Daniel Ek invested about €30M upfront through Prima Materia; in July 2023, a $65M Series A (led by Lakestar, with Atomico, General Catalyst, and Prima Materia); in January 2025, a $260M Series B (led by Lightspeed, valued at $1.8B); in July 2026, a $700M Series C (led by Lightspeed and O.G. Venture Partners).
How it started
In 2018, Daniel Ek saw Hjalmar Nilsonne's post about the healthcare market on Twitter and contacted him by direct message; neither had a healthcare background (Nilsonne had previously worked in climate tech), and their conversation produced the idea of preventive healthcare plus vertical integration. The team spent six years developing its own scanning hardware and software and building its own clinics, opening the first store in Stockholm in February 2023; appointment slots sold out within hours of opening.
What happened
In July 2023, completed a $65M Series A (led by Lakestar, with Atomico, General Catalyst, and Prima Materia participating); in 2024, opened the second store in London, by which time Stockholm had completed about 3,000 scans and Sweden's waitlist had about 20,000 people. In January 2025, completed a $260M Series B, led by Lightspeed, valued at $1.8B, with cumulative scans of 10,000 and a global waitlist of more than 100,000 people, and 80% of members prepaid for the next year's scan on the spot.
How it ended up
In July 2026, raised another $700M Series C (led by Lightspeed and O.G. Venture Partners), with cumulative financing exceeding $1B; already operating in the United Kingdom and Sweden, preparing for its first U.S. clinic in New York; as of July 2026, cumulative scans exceeded 100,000 people and waitlist and appointments exceeded 350,000 people. The company is still expanding rapidly.
Background
Neko Health is a Swedish preventive healthcare company founded by Spotify founder Daniel Ek and serial entrepreneur Hjalmar Nilsonne. It does not sell equipment to hospitals; instead, it develops its own full-body scanning hardware and software and operates its own clinics: one scan of about 10–15 minutes collects millions of health data points, covering indicators such as skin moles, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk, and blood glucose, after which a doctor consultation delivers the results, priced at about £299.
After the two met on Twitter in 2018, they began this six-year commitment—Ek invested about €30M upfront through his investment firm Prima Materia, and the team did not open its first store in Stockholm until February 2023, with appointment slots sold out within hours of opening. In July 2023, the company completed a $65M Series A (led by Lakestar, with Atomico and General Catalyst participating).
In 2024, Neko expanded to London; Stockholm had accumulated about 3,000 scans and a waitlist of about 20,000 people. In January 2025, it completed a $260M Series B, led by Lightspeed, valued at $1.8B; at that time, the global waitlist exceeded 100,000 people, cumulative scans were 10,000, and 80% of members directly prepaid for the next year at the end of the examination.
In July 2026, the company raised another $700M (led by Lightspeed and O.G. Venture Partners), with cumulative financing exceeding $1B, preparing for its first U.S. clinic in New York; as of that time, cumulative scans exceeded 100,000 people and waitlist and appointments exceeded 350,000 people. The bet is that healthy people are willing to pay for early detection—demand-side validation currently holds, and what remains is making the clinic network and diagnostic capabilities scalable.
What has to be true
- Demand validated: slots sold out on opening day; 80% prepaid for next year.
- Vertical integration creates data and experience moat.
- Investors see platform potential: from $65M Series A to $1.8B valuation.
- Risk: scans don't equal improved outcomes; self-pay limits access.
What can be applied
Turn prevention into a product: vertically integrate hardware, software, clinics. Prove repeat purchases (80% prepay) to attract capital. But clinical evidence and regulatory trust are essential.
Aftermath
As of 2026-09-01, Neko Health operates in Stockholm and London, preparing for New York. Completed 100,000+ scans, waitlist 350,000+. After $700M Series C, expands clinics and R&D. Competitors like Zoi, Aware, Midjourney emerge. Next: prove long-term clinical and commercial value.
Sources
- Neko, the body-scanning startup co-founded by Spotify's Daniel Ek, snaps up $260M at a $1.8B valuation
- Neko Health raises $260m Series B led by Lightspeed
- Daniel Ek's body scanning healthtech Neko Health is expanding to the UK
- Daniel Ek's body-scanning startup Neko Health raises another $700M
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