Neko Health, a Stockholm-based company focused on preventative healthcare, has secured $260 million in Series B funding to expand its services across Europe and the US. The round was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with support from other investors like General Catalyst, O.G. Venture Partners, Lakestar and Atomico, joining original investors Prima Materia. Founded by Hjalmar Nilsonne and Daniel Ek, Neko Health’s technology offers a quick, non-invasive body scan that checks for a range of health risks, including skin cancer and heart disease. This funding will help Neko Health expand its locations and invest further in research and development to enhance its diagnostic capabilities. The company’s broader goal is to shift healthcare toward preventative measures, addressing growing consumer interest in early detection and wellness.
Nearly two years post launch (February 2023), Neko Health has completed 10,000 scans across Stockholm and London. On average, 80% of members book and prepay a scan for the following year at the end of their appointment. Demand remains high, with the global waiting list totalling more than 100,000. In response, the company is building out capacity with further locations and new regions.
BejulSomaia, Global Partner, Lightspeed Venture Partners, said “After meeting Hjalmar, Daniel and their team, it was clear Neko Health wasn’t just building another healthcare company – they were fundamentally rethinking how we approach prevention. Neko combines breakthrough technology with meticulous attention to detail in everything from their scanning technology to the patient experience. With a long waitlist and a clear path to international expansion, we believe comprehensive preventive care can be both accessible and scalable. Lightspeed is incredibly excited to support Neko Health’s mission of keeping people healthier for longer.”
Today’s announcement follows Neko Health’s Series A funding of $65m in July 2023, which saw Lakestar, Atomico and General Catalyst join original investors Prima Materia.
The company’s vision is to create a healthcare system that can help people stay healthy, through preventative measures and early detection. The unique, non-invasive Neko Health Scan maps millions of health data points on the body – both inside and out – in just a few minutes. It checks moles and marks across the body, symptoms of metabolic syndrome and risk factors for stroke and heart attack, along with blood sugar levels to assess pre-diabetes risk. Additionally, it checks for skin cancer and blood abnormalities. Immediately following the scan, members receive full results as part of a doctor-led consultation. The whole experience is complete in just under an hour.
Hjalmar Nilsonne, CEO and Co-Founder of Neko Health, said “We’re at the beginning of a big shift of the healthcare market, from reactive to proactive, driven both by technological advancements and growing consumer demand. This round of financing accelerates Neko’s global expansion of locations to include the US, as well as investments in breakthrough R&D. In the coming years Neko will continue to bring incredible innovations to the market to find and prevent disease before it has a chance to develop.”
The news comes as medical experts, governments and healthcare stakeholders collectively agree that a reorientation towards prevention is the only way to avert the growing health crisis. Since launch, Neko Health has been referenced by a number of independent experts who believe the scans can play a part in this future.
Dr Jack Kreindler, Founder of WellFounded and Medical Director of CHHP (Centre for Health and Human Performance), said “In the last two decades, I’ve never seen such a seismic shift in attitudes to personal healthcare, prevention and screening as now. An ever increasing number of my clients have an overarching feeling of “wanting to do more for themselves”,in particular when it comes to screening and preventive health. When I first heard about Neko Health and started sending my clients there, I knew they’d hit the nail on the head from an experience and value for money perspective. Without any bias or incentive, I see that Neko is truly setting new ground – at just the right time to harness a changing self-directed healthcare revolution.”
Dr Vishal Gulati, MD, independent health expert, HealthTech investor, founder and managing partner, Recode Ventures, said “The greatest challenge in modern healthcare isn’t treating the sick – it’s engaging the healthy. People don’t want to be patients; they want to be participants in their own wellbeing journey. The only way forward is to reimagine healthcare experiences that align with their aspirations of staying well, like Neko Health is doing. Having experienced the Neko Health scan for myself, I’m even more convinced of the need to shift from a system that waits for sickness to one that empowers wellness through experiences like this.”
The Neko Body Scan is currently available in London and Stockholm, with plans for further expansion in the coming months.
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Read the orginal article: https://arcticstartup.com/neko-health-raises-260m-series-b/
