Spotify Founder and CEO Daniel Ek knows a thing or two about growing a company from the ground up. And that's exactly what he plans on doing with his newest venture Neko Health.
The healthcare startup announced that it has raised $60 million in a round led by Lakestar with Atomico and General Catalyst also participating.
What's Neko Health?
Neko Health was founded five years ago by Ek and Hjalmar Nilsonne. After a long wait, the company finally broke secrecy and opened its first clinic earlier this year in Stockholm, Sweden.
In the clinic, patients undergo a comprehensive 3D body scan inside a streamlined booth that looks like something out of a science fiction movie.
This advanced module is outfitted with an array of sensors powered by artificial intelligence. Its sophisticated algorithms can promptly identify potential skin ailments and assess the risk of cardiovascular disease.
"I've spent more than 10 years exploring the untapped potential of healthcare innovation," Ek said in a recently released statement. "We are dedicated to building a healthcare system that focuses on prevention and patient care, aiming to serve not just our generation, but those that follow."
As part of the process, laser scans and an ECG are conducted. In most cases, it only takes 10 to 15 minutes from start to completion. From there, the results are read and explained by human doctors.
Today, the price for a Neko Health assessment is roughly $315. Since its launch in February, the company has performed more than 1,000 scans. Even more impressive is that 80% of these customers have prepaid for a follow-up scan next year.
Niklas Zennström, founder of Atomico, is excited about the future of Neko Health and preventative healthcare as a whole.
"Neko Health is exactly the type of mission that gets us excited at Atomico. It's that rare combination of a firm with a purpose and outsized ambition and founders with a world-class track record," he said. "They're solving a problem we can all relate to, with the potential to fundamentally transform global healthcare forever."