Prevention is Better Than Cure: Neko Health Expands into London
The age-old adage, "Prevention is better than cure," resonates strongly with a bold new startup making waves in the healthcare sector. Neko Health, co-founded by Daniel Ek of Spotify fame and Hjalmar Nilsonne, is on a mission to revolutionize preventative healthcare through annual full-body scans and AI-driven insights that identify conditions such as heart disease and skin cancer. The Swedish company is now setting its sights on London, marking its first expansion beyond its home country.
For £299 and about an hour of your day, Neko Health provides an array of scans and tests that generate “millions” of data points to evaluate your health across various areas including cardiovascular, metabolic, and more. An in-person consultation with a physician is part of the experience. If you’re interested in scheduling a visit, you can sign up here.
Neko Health is making its U.K. debut after a successful start in Stockholm, where it opened two clinics in its inaugural year. To date, the company has conducted scans on 2,707 patients. While 78.5% of them reported no health issues, approximately 14.1% uncovered problems necessitating further medical attention, with 1% identified as having “severe” conditions like cardiovascular or cancerous issues—none of whom were aware of their ailments prior to their visit, Neko reports.
The name Neko, which means "cat" in Japanese, reflects the founders' hopes for users to have nine lives—or, in other words, numerous lucky breaks. “We want our technology to provide that sense of safety for our users,” Nilsonne explains.
A Visit to Neko Health’s London Clinic
Despite the involvement of a major tech figure like Ek, Neko Health maintains an understated ethos that can sometimes dampen its visibility. When I visited the London clinic for this review, I surprisingly walked past the entrance several times. The clinic’s only outdoor indication was its logo—an N sliced through its middle—adorned on a glass doorway, leaving the street-level lobby resembling an upscale apartment entryway rather than a healthcare facility.
Once inside, you’re welcomed into a minimalist lobby with sleek furnishings, muted tones, ambient lighting, and calm electronic music creating a tranquil atmosphere, blending elements of a luxurious day spa with a progressive medical clinic.
As part of the process, an assistant collects some preliminary information before escorting you to a private room where you change into a robe and slippers. A second assistant then measures your height and weight and leads you to a cylindrical chamber reminiscent of a tanning booth combined with an airport security scanner.
This chamber is equipped with 70 sensors, including multiple volumetric and specialized cameras, generating a composite profile with an impressive 50 million data points. Following this, you’ll move to an examination bed for further scans, additional measurements—such as eye and blood pressure—and a grip strength test. Finally, a blood sample is collected, making this the only invasive procedure during your visit. All these tests are wrapped up in under an hour.
Afterwards, you change and transition to a separate consultation room where a physician reviews your results.
Neko’s approach emphasizes risk assessment and proactive healthcare rather than merely addressing existing conditions. The data is organized into categories highlighting potential health risks, including skin cancer (notably, I have more moles than average), high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome, which can lead to serious illnesses like heart disease and diabetes.
Should any issues arise from the data, you’ll be referred for advanced diagnostic tests and additional medical consultations.
An Unlikely Start for Neko Health
Nilsonne recounts that the journey to Neko began in 2018 when Ek reached out to him via Twitter. At the time, Nilsonne’s startup—focused on AI-based home energy monitoring—was struggling financially and winding down after failing to connect with potential big energy clients.
“Out of the blue, I received a direct message from Daniel,” Nilsonne recalls. Ek had just achieved phenomenal success with Spotify’s IPO and was eager to tackle another challenging problem, aiming to make a positive difference in the world. Feeling drawn to reinvigorate healthcare, he contacted Nilsonne, who, despite having no medical background, had experience with hardware, software, and AI.
Ek offered to fund a startup led by Nilsonne on the spot. Initially hesitant, Nilsonne ultimately recognized their mutual vision. The duo started to realize they had the potential to transform the healthcare landscape.
Wearables such as Fitbits and Apple Watches have created a wealth of valuable health data, and Nilsonne saw the opportunity to combine this abundance with AI to revolutionize how healthcare functions. This vision set in motion five years of developing prototypes for both the clinics and their technological components and software.
Despite originating from Sweden—known for its comprehensive socialized medicine—Neko Health has attracted significant attention. You might expect that a nation offering free healthcare would make a paid service like Neko challenging to market to the public. However, the opposite has proven true. When Neko announced a $60 million funding round last year, a waiting list of “thousands” had already formed. Currently, that number has surged to 22,000.
While some of this interest is undoubtedly due to the involvement of a prominent entrepreneur like Ek, Nilsonne believes the company addresses a critical gap in the healthcare system that will ensure its longevity.
Most healthcare services, in Sweden and the U.K. alike, tend to focus on treating conditions instead of preventative care. As populations age, the incidence of treatable conditions is rising, placing unbearable strain on healthcare systems. “Our hypothesis is that prevention and early detection could resolve many of these challenges,” Nilsonne states, noting that 75% of healthcare expenditures are still tied to chronic diseases.
“Most chronic conditions are preventable or can be delayed for years with effective early interventions. Unfortunately, the current system only engages patients once they arrive with a disease, at which point reversing it becomes difficult and costly.”
Neko Health is not alone in its focus on preventative healthcare technology; companies like Zoi in France and Aware in Germany are tackling similar issues. In the U.K., the NHS offers a Health Check that covers similar areas as Neko, but as Nilsonne notes, it is infrequently available.
“The NHS health check is only available once every five years for individuals aged 44 to 74,” he notes. “It also provides a narrower range of tests and lacks a consultation with a physician to discuss outcomes. Our data shows chronic diseases are increasingly presenting in those under 44—the average age of a Neko client—which underscores the need for a proactive health strategy to identify and address potential issues early.”
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