The Swedish healthtech startup, Neko Health, which uses body scanning technology to offer users a full ‘MOT’ on their body, is set to expand to two new cities in the UK, doubling its UK presence with new locations in Manchester and Birmingham.
Co-founded by Spotify CEO, Daniel Ek, Neko Health launched in London less than a year ago but is also growing quickly here, with a huge waiting list of UK customers seeking body scans.
Rapid UK Growth
Neko Health has opened two centres in London in the past year, after its first site launched in Stockholm in early 2023. The company has seen huge demand in the UK so far, with nearly half of its 100,000-person global waiting list comprising UK customers.
Founded by Ek and Neko CEO, Hjalmar Nilsonne, in 2018, the company offers full-body skin scans designed to detect early signs of conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and skin irregularities. The comprehensive health screening uses geothermal imaging, 2D and 3D photography, and blood samples to measure patients’ health, with those scans costing £299 and an appointment taking about an hour, including a consultation with an in-house GP.
Technology and Market Validation
According to Neko Health, its Stockholm clinic conducted 4,362 scans in 2024, with 54 people found to have had a previously unknown life threatening condition. The company’s scanning technology uses 70 sensors to map millions of health data points in under ten minutes, checking for skin cancers, fat and sugar levels, and other risk factors.
Hjalmar Nilsonne, CEO and Co-Founder of Neko Health, positioned the service as addressing a gap in the UK healthcare system:
“In the UK, you are required to do an MOT on your car. However, when it comes to your body, you often need to break down before seeing a doctor. To bend the cost curve of healthcare, we need to shift towards proactive, preventive care.”
The company’s approach has generated significant consumer interest, with the UK seeing particularly strong demand. Nilsonne noted:
“We’re at the beginning of a big shift in the healthcare market, from reactive to proactive, which is being driven both by technological advancements and growing consumer demand.”
Active Recruitment for Northern Expansion
Evidence of the expansion plans can be seen in Neko Health’s active recruitment for Birmingham-based positions, including nurses and general practitioners. Job listings specify roles for healthcare workers to work on-site in Birmingham, indicating the company’s commitment to establishing a physical presence in England’s second-largest city.
The company describes itself as seeking “passionate and ambitious nurses” and GMC-registered general practitioners with experience in health screening and diagnostics to join what it calls “London’s most modern clinic” whilst expanding to new locations.
Preventive Healthcare Market Positioning
Neko Health’s expansion comes as the preventive healthcare market gains momentum, particularly among consumers seeking proactive health management. In first-year operations, the company reported that 78.5% of scanned patients had no health issues, whilst 14.1% required medical treatment and 1% received potentially life-saving treatment for severe conditions they were previously unaware of.
The service includes comprehensive mole mapping, with every mark on the body mapped, numbered, and ready for year-on-year comparison. Results are presented across seven different health categories including skin imaging, blood tests, heart and circulation, eye pressure, grip strength, and blood sugar analysis.
Investment and Expansion Strategy
Earlier this year, Neko raised $260m in Series B funding led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with its valuation hitting $1.7bn. The funding round supports the company’s expansion strategy beyond its initial Swedish and UK markets.
The expansion to Manchester and Birmingham represents a significant step in bringing the technology to major population centres outside London.
Future Growth Prospects
Looking ahead, the company has indicated plans for continued innovation and expansion. Nilsonne stated:
“In the coming years, Neko will continue to bring incredible innovations to the market to find and prevent disease before it has a chance to develop.”
The Manchester and Birmingham clinics will almost certainly follow the same model as the London centres, featuring the company’s distinctive Scandi-minimalist design aesthetic.
With the UK representing such a significant portion of its global waiting list, Neko Health’s expansion into England’s other major cities reflects both the demand for preventive healthcare services in the UK, and the company’s ambition to establish itself as a leader in the UK’s growing healthtech sector.
