Neko Health, the body-scanning startup co-founded by Spotify’s Daniel Ek, has raised $260 million in a Series B funding round, bringing the company’s valuation to $1.8 billion. The round was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and also included investors such as General Catalyst, Lakestar, and Atomico. This funding follows a $65 million Series A round raised in 2023.
Launched in 2023 by Ek and Hjalmar Nilsonne, Neko Health specializes in full-body scans designed to detect a variety of health conditions, including skin cancer and heart disease. The startup has already performed over 10,000 scans and currently has a waiting list of more than 100,000 individuals. Operating primarily in Stockholm and London, Neko Health is set to expand globally, with plans to enter the U.S. market and enhance its research and development efforts.
Neko Health is part of a growing shift in healthcare from reactive to proactive care, as demand for preventative healthcare solutions continues to rise. Nilsonne highlighted that this shift is fueled by both technological advancements and changing consumer behavior. Preventative healthcare is poised for significant growth, with the market expected to surpass $500 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research.
Despite a slowdown in venture capital investment in healthtech, proactive health solutions are gaining traction. Companies like Prenuvo and Ezra, which also focus on body imaging for early health detection, are part of this trend.
Though VC investment in the healthtech sector has faced challenges, dealmaking is expected to pick up in the coming years as AI technology continues to revolutionize healthcare.
References:
- Neko Health
- Grand View Research
- PitchBook
Image by Nyoman Suartawan from Pixabay
