On paper Neko Health gives off big Theranos vibes
It tests your blood in 15 minutes, takes thousands of pictures of your body in minutes and can detect diseases early including skin conditions, skin cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other metabolic syndromes, all in a one-hour appointment. Well, it sounds too good to be true…
Neko was founded by Spotify co-founder Daniel Ek and having gained traction with two sites in Sweden, it now has health conscious Londoners in its sights with a new Marylebone salon. The design is a cross between an Acne store and the offices from Severance, with a series of tests that play out like a Black Mirror episode. If that sounds weird, it’s because it is – it’s really quite a surreal experience.
The hour-long appointment starts with removing your shoes to put on some rather strange grey foam sandals. Then you’re taken downstairs to put a robe on before entering the test chamber and becoming the subject. The procedure starts with a full body scan – front and back – that takes thousands of images, which are then analysed for markings afterwards. Then it’s onto the bed where blood is taken and deposited into a vacuum pipe to a lab above (bonkers!), before various bits are attached to your body to monitor heartbeat, blockages, stiffness, strength and a ton of other bits that went a little over my head.
Once the tests are done (around 30 minutes) your assigned doctor runs through the results. It’s hard not to be impressed by what they can tell in such a short space of time, and they keep the results and images so year after year you can track how your body changes.
At £299 a pop, it isn’t cheap but if, like me, you struggle to get an appointment at your GP clinic due to working (I’m sad to admit I let things slide because of a busy schedule, but know I am not alone in doing so – especially post-Covid where jobs are really more demanding than ever) it’s 100% worth it. It’s also great for those people like me who have a needle phobia because it gets the job done then and there. And it measures not only your cholesterol but white blood cell count too, which can help identify serious issues.
Having walked out with a clean bill of health, minus my weak strength test (something I need to work on), Neko gave me real peace of mind.
Key Information
Address | 9 St Vincent St, London W1U 4DA
For more information | nekohealth.com