Swedish startup opens Manhattan clinic

Neko Health, founded by Spotify's Daniel Ek and CEO Hjalmar Nilsonne, opened its first U.S. clinic in Manhattan yesterday, offering AI-powered physical exams for $499.

The exam maps your whole body

The checkup includes a scan mapping skin and body composition plus heart, blood, and metabolic health tests. A physician reviews results while standing in front of a three-dimensional image.

Nilsonne wants to democratize care

CEO Hjalmar Nilsonne said the company aims to create a magical consumer experience around health care and make high-quality preventive care available to millions or hundreds of millions of people.

“We want to create this almost magical consumer experience around health care. We want to democratize high-quality preventive health care and make it available to millions or hundreds of millions of people.”

Health care costs are soaring

The developed world faces a silver tsunami as aging populations impact tax revenue and consumer behaviour. Health care is getting more expensive while jobs become less secure and people live longer.

AI is saving doctors time

AI is saving at least one hundred thirty-two hours annually for half of health care professionals surveyed in the two thousand twenty-six Philips Future Health Index. They report seeing more patients and making fewer mistakes.

Mark Cuban targets pharmacy middlemen

Mark Cuban launched Cost Plus Drugs in early two thousand twenty-two to disrupt pharmacy benefit managers. The direct-to-patient pharmacy has expanded to manufacturing, lowering the price of one hundred ninety medications.

“My mission is just to fuck up health care. Trying to optimize a broken system doesn't really change anything.”

Employers are shifting costs to workers

Large U.S. employers expect a median nine point two percent increase in health care costs next year, according to the nonprofit Business Group on Health. About half expect to push those costs onto workers.

Amazon invests in worker health

Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechel, who oversees all Amazon grocery, is investing in organic foods and workers through higher pay, apprenticeship programs, and cheap health care. The company raised hourly pay for one hundred thousand workers to twenty-one dollars an hour.

Health spending hits six trillion

Health care spending is expected to hit six trillion dollars this year. The opportunities to create cheaper and better solutions may grow faster than spending itself, opening space for AI-powered disruption.