Swedish well being tech startup Neko Well being has a lofty imaginative and prescient: to create a healthcare gadget that is helping folks keep wholesome via preventive measures and early detection.

“In as of late’s number one care gadget, medical doctors shouldn’t have the time or assets to concentrate on prevention of illness. Steadily, well being problems aren’t detected till a affected person develops extra severe signs, main to non-public struggling and high-cost remedies. It’s extra essential than ever to be aware of the significance of early detection and preventative care,” mentioned Neko CEO Hjalmar Nilsonne.

Traders appear to be assured that Neko, which produces scientific scanning generation, can advance itself towards reaching that challenge. The corporate not too long ago raised €60 million (about $65.8 million) in Collection A financing. The investment spherical was once led through Lakestar, with participation from Atomico and Common Catalyst.

This marks the primary time that the startup has introduced in exterior capital. The corporate was once based in 2018 through Nilsonne and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek — they selected the identify Neko as a result of it’s the Eastern phrase for cat.

“Cats, throughout more than a few cultures, were symbols of well being and wellbeing. Actually, in lots of cultures there’s a trust that cats have 9 lives and will narrowly steer clear of reputedly disastrous eventualities,” Nilsonne defined.

Neko’s scientific scanning generation targets to comfortably and cheaply gather in depth well being information to assist medical doctors in catching sicknesses early. The startup’s scan takes about 10 mins, and it’s at all times adopted through a session with a doctor. It’s supposed to help medical doctors in detecting sicknesses together with pores and skin prerequisites, pores and skin most cancers, heart problems, diabetes and different metabolic syndromes. 

The generation makes use of greater than 70 sensors to assemble 50 million information issues in mins, the corporate claims. It additionally says that its scans can come across extremely refined adjustments within the physique, akin to pores and skin adjustments as small as 0.2 millimeters (lower than 0.008 inches).

“Neko Well being does now not use MRI, CTs or different such applied sciences — we’ve got evolved our personal scientific tool with the objective of providing an reasonably priced and exact well being review. We function those gadgets in our personal clinics, combining scientific research with scientific workflows, to give you the best possible high quality enjoy, each for the affected person and with regards to scientific high quality,” Nilsonne declared.

The corporate operates two clinics in Stockholm — one is a scanning heart, and the opposite is a number one care hospital that serves the general public. Sufferers are charged €250 (about $275) for a scan and private session with a doctor.

“The motivation for preventative care is missing in as of late’s healthcare gadget and therefore, our preliminary center of attention is customers,” a Neko spokesperson added.

Nilsonne mentioned that Neko is “taking a look intently on the U.S. marketplace.” The startup reveals this marketplace “very intriguing” but it surely doesn’t have a timeline for when its scans will grow to be to be had stateside, he defined.

However Neko isn’t the one startup on a challenge to supply fast, whole-body scans that lend a hand medical doctors in finding sicknesses previous. There’s additionally Prenuvo, which raised $70 million in October. Neither Nilsonne nor Neko’s media spokesperson answered to questions on how the corporate differentiates itself from competition akin to this.

Picture: Neko Well being