Neko Health

Neko Health was founded in Sweden in 2018 and is headquartered in Stockholm; its co-founders are Daniel Ek and Hjalmar Nilsonne. The company develops health scanning devices and software and, through its own centers, provides preventive health services that combine scans, blood markers, and doctor consultations.⁠[1]

Ek reached out to Nilsonne, who had previously been an energy technology entrepreneur, and the two explored shifting the focus of healthcare toward maintaining health and identifying risks earlier, beginning development in 2018.⁠[2]

Neko’s first center opened in Stockholm in February 2023. Its service uses data collected by multiple sensors for individual health assessments, with doctors interpreting the results and deciding whether further examination is needed; the company positions this model as identifying risks before symptoms appear.⁠[3][4]

Neko announced a €60 million Series A round, its first external funding, led by Lakestar with participation from Atomico and General CatalystGeneral CatalystGeneral Catalyst (GC) is an investment firm founded in 2000 and headquartered in San Francisco, United States, created by Joel Cutler, David Fialkow and Bill Fitzgerald, that backs companies from the seed stage through growth.Open the full entry. Lakestar founder Klaus Hommels and Atomico founder Niklas Zennström joined the board, serving alongside the two founders.⁠[1]

Neko Health London Limited, located on St. Vincent Street in London, registered with the UK’s Care Quality Commission on July 12, with registered services including treatment of disease and diagnostic and screening procedures. The regulator currently marks this location as not yet inspected.⁠[5]

Neko opened its first UK center in Marylebone, London, where a scan was then priced at £299, including a doctor consultation, with the whole process taking about one hour. The company stated that doctors make all medical decisions and arrange referrals when they find conditions requiring further care; scans and data analysis do not replace clinical judgment.⁠[4]

Doctor Margaret McCartney and medical journalist Deborah Cohen wrote in UnHerd about false positives, overdiagnosis, and the resulting burden on public healthcare from private screening. Interviewed doctor Minna Johansson questioned whether Neko’s observational data can measure the benefits and harms of the service.⁠[6]

Neko responded that its service aims to relieve pressure on the NHS and that scans include doctors interpreting results and arranging necessary follow-up examinations. The company also passes findings and recommendations to the patient’s existing general practitioner.⁠[6]

Nilsonne disclosed that Neko had acquired an unnamed sensor company.⁠[7]

Neko announced the completion of a $260 million Series B round led by Lightspeed Venture PartnersLightspeed Venture PartnersLightspeed Venture Partners backs companies from seed through late-stage financing. Its website distinguishes Lightspeed Management Company (LSVP) from Lightspeed India Partners (LSIP): the two are separately operated investment advisers, with the U.S., European, and Israeli offices belonging to LSVP and the India and Southeast Asia offices belonging to LSIP.Open the full entry, with participation from General Catalyst, O.G. Venture Partners, Rosello, Lakestar, and Atomico. Lightspeed partner Bejul Somaia joined the board. The company is using the funds to expand its services and for technology research and development.⁠[3]

On January 28, Neko opened its first West Midlands center on Livery Street in Birmingham. The company stated that at full capacity the site can provide 25,000 scans per year; the opening followed its earlier expansion in Manchester.⁠[8]

On May 20, the FDA determined through the 510(k) process that Derma-2 is substantially equivalent to a legally marketed predicate device. Its intended use is to aid in recording and viewing images of the skin surface and relative temperature distribution, for interpretation by professionals; the documents do not give the device an automated diagnostic use.⁠[9]

On May 22, Spectrum-2 also received 510(k) clearance, for recording and monitoring changes in superficial tissue oxygenation in people with potential circulatory impairment during circulation or perfusion examinations. The submission summary describes two retrospective measurement performance studies.⁠[10]

The company announced the addition to its scan experience of a body composition assessment based on its own imaging technology, including body fat and visceral fat information, and the integration through its iOS app of Apple Health data such as activity, sleep, and heart rate variability, giving doctors context on day-to-day changes beyond the scan. These are product feature descriptions and cannot on their own be taken as proof of clinical effectiveness.⁠[11]

As of that announcement, Neko operated centers in Stockholm, London, Manchester, and Birmingham. Its hardware, software, and clinical processes are designed together by the company, and scan results are still interpreted by doctors.⁠[11]

Neko announced the completion of a $700 million Series C round led by Lightspeed and co-led by O.G. Venture Partners. Existing investors Atomico, General Catalyst, and Lakestar continued to participate, and new investors included Liberty City Ventures, Positive Sum, and BDT & MSD Partners. David Ofer’s appointment to the board remained subject to regulatory approval.⁠[12]

The company stated at the time that more than 100,000 people had been scanned, about 350,000 had signed up or joined the waitlist, and 75% had prepaid for the following year’s scan. These are company operating statistics, not an independent evaluation of effectiveness.⁠[12]

Neko announced plans to open its first U.S. center at 300 Lafayette Street in SoHo, New York, on September 24, 2026, with a single service priced at $499 and expected to take about 60 minutes, and plans to expand further into Miami, Washington, and San Francisco. As of September 20, 2026, the New York opening date had not yet arrived.⁠[13]

In its privacy notice updated in September, the U.S. clinic stated that because it does not participate in health insurance plans, it is not a covered entity under HIPAA. The notice also commits to complying with stricter consent requirements under applicable state law and lists the means of accessing and correcting medical records and filing complaints.⁠[14]

The company’s Year Three report covers 80,858 members and 92,002 scans from January 31, 2023, to June 30, 2026. Among them, 9,138 returning members showed overall improvement in seven cardiometabolic markers from their first to their second scan. This is an observational follow-up of the company’s own member population without randomized controls, and it cannot show that the improvement was caused by the scan itself.⁠[15]

The report also states that people who pay for and actively choose the service do not represent the general population, and that diagnostic outcomes after some referrals have not yet been obtained; about one third of referrals in Sweden still lack final outcomes. Detection findings and changes in risk markers therefore cannot be directly equated with reductions in serious illness or death. The company positions the service as a complement to existing healthcare.⁠[15]

The report also applied corrections to HDL and HbA1c readings across different clinics and devices, and noted that changes in grip strength among members scanned three times may have been affected by adjustments to the measurement method.⁠[15]

Research projects published by Neko include the SCAPIS 2 study of microcirculation and arterial aging conducted with Danderyd Hospital and the MIND project focused on people with type 1 diabetes. The project descriptions explain directions for sensor research and do not amount to a conclusion that all scans have improved health outcomes. The transparency page lists Hjalmar Nilsonne as chief executive officer and board member and describes mechanisms for medical responsibility, quality reporting, and incident handling.⁠[16][17]

The U.S. medical terms distinguish between Neko Health Inc., which provides management and technical services, and Neko Health P.A. (doing business as Neko Medical Health), which provides medical services. The clinic collects fees directly and currently does not accept insurance; its services do not include treatment of issues detected, and it does not serve emergency or routine primary care functions.⁠[18]

Neko Scribe can help transcribe consultations and generate medical record summaries, with clinical staff responsible for review and medical decisions; users can opt out of the feature.⁠[18]

On September 24, Neko announced the official opening of its SoHo center in New York at 300 Lafayette Street, with a single service priced at $499. The process takes about one hour and combines scans, on-site blood analysis, and a consultation with clinical staff; HSA or FSA funds can be used for payment.⁠[19]

Follow-up referral partners announced by the company include Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University, formally Columbia University in the City of New York, is a private research university in New York City and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1754 by royal charter from King George II as King's College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in New York State and the fifth oldest in the United States. It was renamed Columbia College in 1784 and adopted the university name and moved to Manhattan's Morningside Heights in 1896. It has 17 schools and four affiliated colleges, with 35,978 students enrolled in fall 2025. Legal scholar Jennifer L. Mnookin became president on July 1, 2026.Open the full entry Irving Medical Center, Mount Sinai, and other institutions, and members’ existing doctors can also be contacted at their request. Additional New York locations, Miami, Washington, and San Francisco remain listed as expansion plans.⁠[19]

Neko combines device development, software, clinics, and clinical processes in a single system, and its devices are designed, manufactured, and assembled in Stockholm. Its in-house device family includes Derma, Spectrum, Echo, and Neko Lens, which collect information on the skin, heart, circulation, and other areas.⁠[2]

The company’s terms position AI Chat as a generative tool providing general educational information and contextual explanations; with user authorization it can use scan and consultation data, and users can also turn off data access.⁠[20]

Neko Health: Official website: https://www.nekohealth.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[1]