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Neko Health raises $700 million to bring full-body scan clinics to the US

Neko Health raises $700 million to bring full-body scan clinics to the US

Money Moves

Daniel Ek's preventive-care startup hits a roughly $7 billion valuation and plans its first American clinic in New York

July 15th, 2026: Neko raises $700 million for US launch

Overview

Updated Jul 15

Neko Health just raised $700 million, one of the largest single funding rounds the preventive-health field has seen. The Swedish company, co-founded by Spotify's Daniel Ek, will use the money to open its first US clinic in New York.

Neko sells a 60-minute full-body scan meant to catch disease before symptoms appear. More than 100,000 people have been scanned in Sweden and the UK, and over 300,000 more are on a US waitlist. The round values the company at about $7 billion, roughly four times its worth 18 months ago.

Why it matters

If Neko's model works, catching disease early could shift from a doctor's referral to a $300 scan you book like a dentist appointment.

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Key Indicators

$700M
Series C raised
Led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, co-led by O.G. Venture Partners.
~$7B
Valuation
About four times the roughly $1.8 billion valuation set in January 2025.
100,000+
People scanned
Across six clinics in Sweden and the UK since 2023.
300,000+
US waitlist
Sign-ups waiting for the first American clinic to open.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

January 2018 July 2026

4 events Latest: July 15th, 2026 · 2 months ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. Neko raises $700 million for US launch

    Latest Funding

    The Series C values Neko near $7 billion and funds its first US clinic in New York.

  2. Series B raises $260 million

    Funding

    The round values Neko at roughly $1.8 billion as it expands into the UK.

  3. First clinic opens in Stockholm

    Milestone

    Neko begins offering its 60-minute full-body scan to the public in Sweden.

  4. Neko Health founded

    Founding

    Daniel Ek and Hjalmar Nilsonne start Neko to catch disease before symptoms appear.

Scenarios

1

Neko opens its first US clinic in New York

Likely Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Neko Health press release; Fierce Healthcare; Bloomberg

Neko says the money funds an immediate US launch, with a flagship clinic in Manhattan. The company has a large waitlist and its own hardware ready to ship. The main risks are hiring doctors, securing a location, and meeting US health rules. If those fall into place, the first scans could happen within months.

2

US doctors and regulators push back on scanning healthy people

Possible Resolves by Jul 15, 2027

Discussed by: JAMA authors; MedCity News; systematic reviews of whole-body screening

Medical researchers warn that scanning people without symptoms leads to false alarms and follow-up tests that may do more harm than good. Neko uses sensors and blood tests rather than MRI, which changes the risk profile, but the core debate over screening the healthy still applies. A public dispute or a professional-society warning aimed at Neko's US model would mark real friction.

3

Neko raises again or reaches a $10 billion-plus valuation

Uncertain Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Tech.eu; venture analysts tracking health-tech funding

Neko's valuation jumped roughly fourfold in 18 months. If US demand matches the waitlist and clinics scale fast, another large round could follow at a higher price. A downturn in health-tech funding or a slow US rollout would stall that. This tests whether investor enthusiasm holds as the company faces a harder, more regulated market.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2007-2025

23andMe rise and fall (2007-2025)

23andMe sold at-home DNA kits that gave consumers health and ancestry data. It reached a multibillion-dollar valuation, then struggled to turn one-time tests into lasting revenue and filed for bankruptcy in 2025.

Then

The company's value collapsed from a peak near $6 billion.

Now

It showed that consumer health data is easy to sell once but hard to build a durable business around.

Why this matters now

Neko faces the same question: can a one-time scan become a repeat relationship, or will customers scan once and not return?

2015-2018

Theranos collapse (2018)

Theranos claimed its machines could run hundreds of tests from a single drop of blood. Investigations found the technology did not work as promised. Founder Elizabeth Holmes was later convicted of fraud.

Then

The company dissolved in 2018 and investors lost roughly $700 million.

Now

It made investors and regulators far more skeptical of health startups that promise breakthrough diagnostics without published evidence.

Why this matters now

Neko sells consumer diagnostics on a bold promise too. The Theranos memory raises the bar for proof that its scans actually improve health outcomes.

2024-2026

Whole-body MRI screening debate (2024-2026)

US firms like Prenuvo and Ezra scanned tens of thousands of healthy people with MRI. Medical reviews warned of frequent false positives and no proven survival benefit, while the companies defended the scans' value.

Then

The companies kept growing despite the criticism.

Now

The dispute over screening healthy people remains unsettled, with no clear regulatory ruling.

Why this matters now

Neko enters a US market already arguing about whether scanning the healthy helps or harms. It will inherit that debate on day one.

Sources

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