Spotify CEO Adds €60M for Healthtech Startup

Medical diagnostics company Neko Health announced new funding led by Lakestar, with participation from Atomico and General Catalyst.

Co-founded by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, Neko launched earlier this year, unveiling private clinics complete with proprietary full-body scanning technology.

Untapped potential. Ripe for disruption, Neko CEO Hjalmar Nilsonne said healthcare needs to evolve from reactive to proactive, identifying and treating diseases before it’s too late.

“Healthcare costs are spiraling out of control. We believe preventive health will be key to reversing this trend. Doctors today just don’t have enough time or resources to focus on prevention. This leads to many health problems going unnoticed until they get really serious, causing a lot of pain and putting a massive strain on the healthcare system.”

To achieve this mission, in February, the company opened its first location in Stockholm, Sweden, offering AI-powered body scans to identify skin and heart conditions.

Using more than 70 sensors to collect 50M data points, Neko also builds a 3D model of each patient to track health status over time.

Growth mode. Having completed more than 1K scans to date as its waitlist grows, the latest investment will fuel expansion across Europe, including a potential clinic in London.

High-tech health. Attempting to prevent diseases and increase longevity, more companies are leveraging technology to reimagine healthcare.

• Similar to Neko, medical imaging upstarts Ezra and Prenuvo use preventative MRIs to detect cancer and other major diseases.
• Wearables from Withings to Apple are adding medical-grade features while continuous glucose monitoring for healthy individuals gains traction.
• At-home lab testing platforms like Thriva and LetsGetChecked unlock personal health insights, while InsideTracker promises to decode healthspan.

Elsewhere… From biohacking social clubs to longevity clinics, the quest to live a longer, healthier life is blurring the lines between wellness and healthcare.

Punchline: With countless lives and billions of dollars at stake, the effort to upend healthcare is just beginning. While innovation will play a key role in enhancing well-being, ensuring access and affordability remains a work in progress, as much of the most revolutionary tech comes with a hefty price tag.