The High Cost of High-Tech Wellness: Neko Health's Manhattan Gamble
AI-generated image · US National Wire
Daniel Ek is bringing his body-scanning startup to SoHo, but the venture's reliance on proprietary hardware and celebrity prestige raises questions about clinical utility versus luxury theater.
The arrival of Neko Health in the United States is being framed as a milestone in preventative medicine, but as TechCrunch first reported, it may be more of a milestone in luxury retail. On September 24, the startup will open its first American office at 300 Lafayette Street in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood—an area noted for luxury shopping.
Founded by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek and CEO Hjalmar Nilsonne, Neko Health utilizes proprietary body-scanning technology integrated with bloodwork and fitness device data. The company claims 100,000 people have already undergone scans and more than 25,000 New Yorkers have joined a waitlist. TechCrunch reports that Neko Health recently raised a $700 million Series C round.
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**Opinion: The Vaporware of 'Wellness Theater'**
Neko Health is a textbook example of what I call wellness theater: the deployment of expensive, proprietary hardware to create a sense of medical rigor without the supporting evidence of peer-reviewed clinical utility. When a company emphasizes its presence in a luxury shopping district over the publication of validated health outcomes, the red flags should be waving. Until Neko Health provides transparent data proving these scans lead to better outcomes than standard screenings, this is simply a high-priced hobby for the wealthy.
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Neko is part of a growing cluster of venture-backed health-scanning ventures. TechCrunch notes that AI lab Midjourney plans to integrate a body scanner into a San Francisco spa experience in 2027, while Peter Diamandis and Tony Robbins have launched Fountain Life.
Other players are consolidating through acquisition; Function Health, co-founded by Dr. Mark Hyman, expanded its blood testing into body scanning by acquiring Ezra. TechCrunch reports that Function Health recently secured a $450 million loan from General Catalyst’s Customer Value Fund via profit-sharing arrangements. While capital is flowing, the clinical value remains opaque, relying on the prestige of founders like Ek rather than medical efficacy.