Neko Health Brings Advanced Body Scanning to America
Neko Health, the Swedish body-scanning startup co-founded by Spotify's Daniel Ek and Hjalmar Nilsonne, has officially arrived in the United States. The company, which has raised nearly $1 billion to date, opened its first U.S. location in New York and reports a global waitlist exceeding 300,000 people.
The service uses advanced technology to screen for issues in the blood, skin, and metabolism. Neko Health aims to make preventative care more accessible and data-driven.
Tackling Preventative Care Gaps in the U.S.
TechCrunch spoke with Farooq Abbasi of Preface Ventures, an investor in Neko Health, about the company's potential to reshape preventative medicine—particularly in the U.S., where the healthcare system faces well-documented challenges.
Abbasi points out that preventative care utilization remains low in the U.S., largely due to cost concerns. Neko Health currently charges $500 for a one-hour scan, which is not covered by insurance but may qualify as an eligible expense for Health Savings Accounts. "I think preventative care and healthcare should be cheap and accessible," Abbasi said.
A Vision for Nationwide Expansion
Abbasi hopes Neko Health can address some of these systemic issues and is eyeing expansion across the U.S. Having been scanned twice himself, he's a passionate advocate. "I think there should be Neko clinics everywhere," he said.
He also noted significant improvements in the product since his first scan. "In my generation one scan, it was a blood test with 15 biomarkers," he said. "It was fifty-five this time."
Neko also employs advanced computer vision for its scans, which Abbasi sees as another example of how AI is improving the medical sector. He argues that Neko Health isn't just another wellness fad, but a tool that provides people with "actionable insights to make their lives better."
Challenges Ahead
Neko Health still faces a long road in the U.S., particularly regarding scaling and regulatory approval. But Abbasi remains optimistic, hoping more venture capital will flow into the right companies. He doesn't believe anything is too broken to fix.