Neko Health has raised $700 million in funding, and the company is now valued at $7 billion. That's a massive jump—just over a year ago, the company was worth $1.7 billion. The startup scans people's bodies to check for early signs of disease like skin cancer, heart problems, and diabetes.

The company was founded by Daniel Ek, who co-founded Spotify. It currently operates eight clinics in the UK and Sweden, and it plans to open its first US clinic in New York in 2025. So far, more than 100,000 people have had scans, which cost about £299 in the UK.

What makes the funding interesting is who is investing. New backers include celebrities like will.i.am, tennis player Maria Sharapova, actor Mark Zuckerberg, football legend Thierry Henry, and Zoë Saldaña. This is different from typical health company funding, which usually comes from healthcare investors and medical researchers. Instead, Neko is raising money from famous people and tech figures—a sign that the company is building its reputation through celebrity and brand trust.

The real test comes now, with the US expansion. In the UK and Sweden, healthcare rules are simpler for a company like Neko. In the US, things are more complicated. The government (the FDA) has to approve the scanning devices. Different states have different medical licensing rules. And crucially, health insurance doesn't cover elective preventive scans like Neko's. All of this changes how the business works.

Neko is one of several startups trying to offer preventive health screening directly to consumers using artificial intelligence and advanced imaging. The company's approach is different from competitors because it built its own custom scanning hardware instead of using existing equipment.

One thing to keep in mind: startups backed by celebrity investors have sometimes raised a lot of money in the past without clear plans for insurance coverage or medical proof that they actually work. This pattern has happened before with other health-tech companies. It doesn't mean Neko will have the same problem—but it's worth paying attention to as the company grows in a more regulated US market.

Ultimately, Neko's bet is simple: if AI-assisted screening is cheap and easy enough, people will use it regularly—like getting an oil change for their body. If the scans work reliably and the FDA approves them, this could help many more people catch disease early. Whether the New York clinic proves that works is something to watch closely.