Preventative healthcare is a cornerstone of maintaining well-being and improving quality of life. Many of us tend to overlook potential health risks until they manifest as serious issues, but early action can often mean the difference between minor interventions and major health crises.
Take skin health, for example. Regular monitoring can identify changes that might otherwise go unnoticed until it’s too late. Early detection of conditions like melanoma significantly improves outcomes and reduces the need for invasive procedures. With 20% of the adult population at high risk for skin cancer alone, the need for better preventive care is urgent and massive.
This principle also extends beyond skin health and applies universally–whether it’s monitoring cardiovascular health, managing chronic conditions, or identifying early signs of diseases through routine screenings. Advances in technology and a growing understanding of health risks have opened doors to more proactive approaches, allowing us to detect and address concerns before they escalate.
Enter Neko Health.
Founded by Hjalmar Nilsonne and Daniel Ek, Neko’s vision is to create a healthcare system that can help people stay healthy through preventive measures and early detection. Hjalmar comes from a family of doctors and holds an MSc in Industrial Engineering from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Many know Daniel Ek as the founder of Spotify. But what they might not know is that he has had a long-standing interest in health. In 2018, after Spotify’s IPO, he was looking to make a meaningful impact on the world and was searching for a company that could do for healthcare what Spotify did for music. After several months of discussions and careful consideration, Daniel and Hjalmar joined forces to start Neko and help the healthcare system shift its focus: from reacting to symptoms to preventing diseases from breaking out in the first place.
Neko’s scan can identify early warning signs across the body’s major systems: cardiovascular issues that could lead to heart disease or stroke, metabolic changes that might indicate pre-diabetes, inflammatory markers that signal systemic health issues, and even early indicators of eye pressure problems. By establishing a detailed baseline of your health and tracking changes over time, Neko can spot potential issues long before they become serious problems.
Unprecedented Market Response
The market is ready for this transformation. In just months since launch, Neko has completed over 10,000 scans and amassed a waitlist of over 100,000 people – achieved with zero paid marketing, no ads, and no influencer collaborations. Even more telling is that 80% of members are rebooking and paying a year in advance. We attribute much of this response to the exceptional quality of the customer experience, and Neko’s vertically integrated approach. Because Neko controls the hardware, software, AI, data, and more, they’re able to rapidly innovate and constantly deliver more value to customers.
Breakthrough Technology
Neko’s proprietary scanning technology represents a quantum leap in preventive health screening. Their full-body scan provides insights that were previously impossible to gather in a single, efficient session.
The impact is profound: approximately 1% of patients scanned are identified with serious, potentially life-threatening conditions, while another 7% discover significant health conditions that require attention. These aren’t just statistics – they represent real people whose lives could be dramatically improved or saved through early detection.
Each scan captures millions of data points across multiple health dimensions:
- Cardiovascular health markers that can predict heart disease risk
- Metabolic indicators that might signal pre-diabetes or other systemic issues
- Detailed skin mapping that can identify concerning changes long before they’re visible to the naked eye
- General health markers including inflammation levels, muscle mass, and body composition
- Eye health indicators that can catch early signs of pressure-related issues
A Global Partnership
While Neko’s roots are in Sweden, their vision and execution are decidedly global. The company is already operational in the UK and has plans for expansion, including the U.S. As a global firm at the intersection of consumer and healthcare, our mission is to bring the full power of our platform to bear to support Neko. I’m excited to join the company’s board of directors and work closely with my partner Paul Murphy while leveraging the collective wisdom of our consumer, AI, and healthcare teams.
Looking Ahead
We at Lightspeed believe Neko Health has the potential to become one of the most important healthcare companies of our generation. They’re attacking the world’s largest market with breakthrough technology, demonstrated consumer demand, and a clear path to global scale.
The technology exists. The demand is proven. The team is exceptional. We’re proud to partner with Neko Health on their journey to revolutionize global healthcare. This is just the beginning.
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