Daniel Ek, the visionary behind Spotify, is now venturing into the realm of healthtech with his latest startup, Neko Health. Originally launched in Stockholm just over a year ago, Neko Health has rapidly gained momentum, conducting over 3,000 scans and is now eyeing the UK market, with plans for a London debut slated for this summer. This strategic expansion follows a successful fundraising endeavor last July, where the company secured €60 million to fuel its international growth.
At the heart of Neko Health’s offering lies a revolutionary full-body scanning system, meticulously designed for comprehensive and non-invasive health data collection. Armed with more than seventy sensors, capable of capturing a staggering fifty million data points, Neko Health aims to deliver swift, convenient, and cost-effective health assessments. The scanning process, a mere 10-15 minutes, is followed by consultations with medical experts. What sets this technology apart is its ability to detect subtle changes indicative of various health conditions, ranging from skin cancer to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndromes.
Despite the €250 price tag per scan, demand has surged, with all available slots at the Stockholm clinic snapped up within hours of its launch. Neko Health has even amassed a waiting list of 20,000 patients in Sweden, with a substantial number of individuals from the UK eagerly signing up for the international waitlist.
The genesis of Neko Health traces back to 2018 when Daniel Ek, alongside entrepreneur Hjalmar Nilsonne, laid the foundation for the startup. Operating in stealth mode initially, Ek poured approximately €30 million into the venture, leveraging his investment vehicle, Prima Materia. The decision to expand into the UK was a strategic one, with London emerging as a hub for longevity investments across Europe.
Ek’s foray into healthcare stems from a desire to disrupt an industry plagued by inefficiencies. Despite steering Spotify through fierce competition with tech giants like Apple and Amazon Music, Ek remained resolute in exploring healthcare solutions. Immersing himself in medical literature and meticulously monitoring his vital signs using devices like Fitbit and Apple Watch, Ek’s commitment to addressing healthcare challenges intensified. Following Spotify’s triumphant IPO in 2018, Ek’s focus shifted towards healthtech, solidifying his determination to drive meaningful change in healthcare and enhance human longevity.
Teaming up with Nilsonne, whose passion for disruption mirrored his own, Ek embarked on the journey to build Neko Health—a beacon of innovation in the realm of annual health checkups. This collaborative endeavor epitomizes Ek’s unwavering dedication to harnessing technology and capital to catalyze transformative advancements in healthcare and extend the human lifespan
