Spotify founder Daniel Ek is entering the healthcare sector. He shared a post on LinkedIn naming Ek the co-founder and CEO of Neko Health. The company specializes in artificial intelligence (AI) powered body scans.
The post states that Neko Health is officially launched after four years of intensive research and product development. Hjalmar Nisonne and Daniel Ek founded the company intending to create a system that helps people remain healthy through early detection and preventive measures.
Neko Health’s website says that the Swedish company’s noninvasive full-body scanner can detect the growth of age spots, rashes, and birthmarks. The scanner also uses a separate scanner that detects abnormalities in heart function, blood pressure, pulse, and other body functions.
Neko claims that the 360-degree body scanner has more than 70 sensors and collects more than 50 million data points about skin, heart, vessels, and respiration. The data is then processed by an “AI-powered self-learning system,” which displays the results to doctors and patients. Clients receive results right at their appointment. They can also view and track their results via an app.
Nilsonne wrote in a LinkedIn post, “Our mission is to build a proactive health system that is focused on preventing disease.” He cited the increasing healthcare costs in Sweden and Europe. Neko claims that the scans take only a few minutes and are available to the public in Sweden for 2,000 SEK (or $190).
Ek’s entry into the healthcare sector is not surprising. Rumors of the startup have circulated since November. Ek has always hinted that he would like to get involved in healthcare. According to The Financial Times, Ek was found to be “spending spare hours thinking about how we can fix a “screwed up” healthcare system since 2013.
Although it’s too early to predict the impact Neko Health will have on healthcare, it does sound promising. Similar technology was used in the past by New York University and Facebook to speed up MRI scans.
Researchers also developed AI technology that scans your retina and predicts your likelihood of developing heart disease. Neko Health uses this technology on a much larger scale and is more accessible, which is exciting.
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