Neko Health’s Cutting-Edge Scans: 50 Million Data Points in Just 10 Minutes

Neko Health, started by Daniel Ek, wants to change healthcare with its ￡299 (around R6,000) full-body scan called the Neko Body Scan. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because Daniel Ek is also the founder and CEO of Spotify, the popular music streaming platform. Now, he hopes to bring the same creativity and success from Spotify into healthcare.

The Neko Scan uses high-resolution 2D and 3D photography, thermal imaging, and detailed cardiovascular measurements to map how the heart pumps and how blood flows through the arteries, veins, and capillaries. The company offers a full-body scan that takes approximately 10 minutes and collects an estimated 50 million data points from the body. The scan uses 70 sensors to analyze physical features such as moles and assess blood fat and blood sugar levels. The results of the scan are made available immediately, and a personalized consultation is offered by a Neko Health doctor following the scan.

Key Features of Neko Health:

Full-Body Scanning:

• Uses cutting-edge sensors and AI technology to scan the body for skin changes, cardiovascular health, and other potential abnormalities.
• The process is non-invasive and aims to be quick and comfortable for patients.

Preventive Health Focus:

• The primary goal is to detect health problems early, allowing for timely interventions.
• Encourages regular checkups to maintain long-term health.

Advanced Technology:

• Employs machine learning and AI to analyze scan data with high accuracy.
• Provides detailed health insights in an accessible format for patients and healthcare providers.

Accessible Healthcare:

• Aims to make preventive health services affordable and accessible to a broad population.
• Initial pricing in Sweden was reported to be competitive, with a focus on scaling globally in the future.

Most experts agree that finding diseases early can save lives and improve health. However, some worry about something called 'disease fishing.' This means looking for small issues that might never cause problems. Finding these minor issues can lead to unnecessary stress, treatments, and higher healthcare costs. Critics are concerned that this approach might focus too much on finding unimportant problems instead of providing the care people really need.

According to data from Neko’s first year of operation in Stockholm, during which they scanned 2,707 people aged 22 to 75, further medical attention or monitoring was required by 14% of the individuals for conditions that the vast majority (90%) were unaware they had. In 1% of cases, patients received potentially life-saving interventions for conditions such as aortic aneurysms and malignant melanomas.