Healthcare
Spotify Founder's Health-Scanning Startup Neko Raises $700M to Enter US Market
Daniel Ek's AI-powered preventive-care clinic, which uses full-body scans to screen for disease, is expanding from Europe to open its first US location in New York.
The Verge
Neko Health, the preventive-care startup founded by Spotify's Daniel Ek, has secured $700 million in fresh funding as it prepares to launch its first clinics in the United States. The company plans to debut in New York this year, marking its first push beyond Europe, where it currently operates eight locations across the UK and Sweden.
What Neko Health Offers#
The company runs private screening clinics equipped with custom-built medical devices and AI tools that perform comprehensive full-body scans and blood work. Its technology is designed to detect early warning signs of conditions including skin cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, with the aim of enabling people to address health concerns before symptoms emerge. Customers in existing markets pay roughly $400 in the UK and $285 in Sweden for scans, though US pricing has not yet been announced.
Growth and Demand#
Neko, which quietly launched in 2023 after being founded five years earlier, has already built a substantial waitlist. Over 350,000 people have signed up or registered for scans at the company's existing clinics, with about 100,000 having completed them so far. A signup list for the New York location is now live on the company's website.
Investors and Valuation#
The latest funding round attracted a prominent group of backers spanning entertainment, sports, and technology. New investors include musician will.i.am, tennis champion Maria Sharapova, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, and retired footballer Thierry Henry. Earlier supporters include Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian and actor Zoë Saldaña. While Neko did not disclose its new valuation, Financial Times reporting suggests the company is now valued at approximately $7 billion.
The Preventive Care Trend#
Neko is part of a broader shift toward preventive screening and longevity-focused medicine, driven by growing consumer interest in health optimization and frustration with traditional healthcare systems that often focus on treating symptoms rather than preventing disease. The expanded funding will support the company's US expansion as well as further research into scaling its technology for wider access.
