The pursuit of longevity has become a global phenomenon, with venture capital funds around the world recognizing the immense potential of innovative solutions aimed at extending human life and improving health during ageing. These globally distributed VC funds and grant programs are reshaping the future of healthcare, and by investing in them, they’re increasing our chances of paving the way for a healthier and longer life.
Living Better, Longer Is Hard To Create, Replicate, Commercialise And Scale
These investors are channelling their resources into a spectrum of disciplines, spanning biotechnology, regenerative medicine, artificial intelligence, genomics, epigenetics, senescence biology, and beyond, all with a singular mission: extending human lifespan and enhancing the quality of life as we age.
The pursuit of longevity technology, while promising and very exciting, is not without its complex set of challenges. From a financial perspective, extensive research and development (R&D) efforts require substantial capital, posing a financial burden on investors. Longevity research often operates on significantly longer timescales, making it a riskier and costlier endeavour – which is especially difficult given the short time horizons of VC funds.
Regulatory hurdles and ethical questions pose additional challenges for founders and investors
Regulatory hurdles can impede the development and approval of longevity-focused therapies and interventions, impacting the potential return on investment. On the R&D front, exploring the intricacies of ageing and developing innovative solutions is a formidable task. The multifaceted nature of ageing-related diseases necessitates diverse approaches, increasing the complexity of research efforts.
Ethical concerns arise regarding the implications of extending human lifespan, such as overpopulation, resource allocation, and the equitable distribution of longevity technologies. Additionally, ethical questions encompass issues like consent, privacy, and societal implications. The legal landscape is equally intricate, with evolving regulations around gene therapy, personalised medicine, and data privacy, necessitating adaptable legal frameworks to navigate this innovative frontier.
Balancing these financial, R&D, ethical, and legal aspects is taxing both for startups and investors – yet it is crucial for a successful development and implementation of longevity technology.
Most Relevant Global VC Funds Investing In Longevity
1. LongeVC
- Location: Lugano, Switzerland and Miami, FL, USA
- Fund Size: 35m EUR
- Founders: Garri Zmudze, Ilya Suharenko and Sergey Jakimov
- Mandate: LongeVC is dedicated to investing in innovative companies focused on extending human lifespan and improving health during ageing. This Silicon Valley-based fund plays a pivotal role in advancing the emerging field of longevity research and investment. Garri Zmudze, Ilya Suharenko and Sergey Jakimov, with a background in healthcare technology startups, bring profound insights into the challenges and opportunities within the longevity space.
2. LifeX VC
- Locations: New York, Madrid, San Francisco and London
- Fund Size: $100 million
- Founders: Inaki Berenguer and Amol Sarva
- Mandate: With offices in both Boston and London, LifeX VC is deeply committed to investing in technologies and therapies with the potential to extend human lifespan and enhance well-being during ageing. Inaki Berenguer and Amol Sarva, both hailing from scientific backgrounds in biotechnology and biomedical engineering, co-founded this firm to nurture innovation within the field of longevity science.
3. Longevitytech.fund
- Locations: Florida, US & Czech Republic
- Fund size: closed the fund in October 2022 with $50 million. Ongoing commitments will be accepted through the beginning of 2023 with a maximum fund size of $100 million.
- Founder: Petr Sramek
- Mandate: Longevitytech.fund is a globally distributed venture capital fund dedicated to supporting startups and companies focused on longevity and healthy ageing. By providing early-stage funding for promising longevity technologies, the fund bridges the gap between cutting-edge research and commercialization. With operational hubs in Miami and Prague Longevitytech.fund connects with the global longevity ecosystem, uniting a consortium of prominent investors who share a strong commitment to advancing the field.
4. Longevity Impetus Grants
- Based: San Francisco, USA
- Mandate: Longevity Impetus Grants is a specialised grant program designed to offer financial support to non profit projects exploring innovative approaches to extending human lifespan. Open to researchers, scientists, and entrepreneurs on a global scale, these grants foster collaboration, promote scientific progress, and ultimately drive breakthroughs in the field of longevity. Supported by a network of philanthropists, investors, and institutions, these not for profit grants empower researchers to push the boundaries of our understanding of ageing and develop interventions to mitigate its negative effects.
5. BioAge Ventures:
- Based: San Francisco, USA
- Fund Size: $127 million
- Founder: Kristen Fortney
- Key Investors: Khosla, A16Z, Kaiser Foundation, Felicis, Redpoint
- Mandate: Situated in the heart of innovation, San Francisco, BioAge Ventures operates with a $127 million fund, dedicated to supporting companies that are deeply committed to extending the healthy human lifespan. Their primary focus lies in therapeutics designed to target ageing and age-related diseases. While BioAge Ventures may not disclose specific key investors, it is evident that they are on a mission to drive advancements in the field of longevity by supporting companies that aim to enhance the quality of life as we age. Kristen Fortney, the founder, brings her expertise and passion to the forefront of the longevity investment landscape, furthering the quest for longer, healthier lives.
6.LEAPS by Bayer
- Based: Leverkusen, Germany
- Fund Size: $1.5bn
- Founders: N/AF
- Key Investors: N/A
- Mandate: with their HQ in Leverkusen, Germany, LEAPS by Bayer has invested $1.5bn so far in various biotech and health-related companies, and is dedicated to propelling advancements in ageing and age-related diseases. While specific founders and key investors may not be disclosed, their mission is clear – to foster collaboration among entrepreneurs, life sciences companies, and academic institutions. By bringing together diverse expertise and resources, LEAPS by Bayer is committed to discovering and developing breakthrough solutions that address the challenges of ageing, thus contributing to a healthier and extended human lifespan.
7. Juvenescence:
- Based: London and New York
- Fund Size: $200 million
- Founders: Greg Bailey, Declan Doogan
- Key Investors: Bruce R. Booth, Jim Mellon
- Mandate: Nestled in the Channel Islands, Juvenescence operates with a substantial assets size of $200 million. Founded by Greg Bailey and Declan Doogan, and backed by notable investors like Bruce R. Booth and Jim Mellon, Juvenescence is on a mission to support companies that are pioneering therapies, interventions, and technologies with the potential to make a significant impact on aging and age-related diseases. Their commitment to advancing the field of longevity underscores the importance of innovative approaches in addressing these challenges.
8. Kizoo Technology Ventures:
- Based: Karlsruhe, Germany
- Fund Size: 300 million EUR
- Founders: Michael Greve
- Key Investors: N/A
- Mandate: Operating from Karlsruhe, Germany, Kizoo Technology Ventures boasts a substantial fund size of 300M EUR. Founded by Michael Greve, Kizoo Technology Ventures is committed to identifying and investing in disruptive technologies with a primary focus on longevity. Their unique approach covers various stages of development, from early seed-stage startups to late-stage companies. This global perspective enables them to discover and nurture innovations that hold the potential to extend healthy human lifespan and improve well-being in later life.
9. Apollo Health Ventures:
- Location: Berlin, Germany
- Size: $180 million
- Founders: Nils Regge and Dr. Ole Mensching
- Mandate: Transatlantic early stage Venture Capital firm actively co-founding and investing in age-related healthcare companies.
- Key Investors: N/A
- Thesis: Investing in transformative healthcare companies targeting age-related diseases and ageing itself.
10. Maximon
- Location: Zug, Switzerland
- Size: €96 million
- Founders: Marc P. Bernegger
- Mandate: Venture builder for longevity companies.
- Key Investors: N/A
- Thesis: Maximon identifies and cultivates the most promising prospects within the longevity sector, constructing new companies from the ground up. The fund, powered by a team of accomplished global entrepreneurs and venture investors, has developed a unique venture-building process tailored for the longevity market, that effectively bridges the divide between scientific innovation and business enterprise.
11. Life Extensions Ventures
- Location: New York
- Size: $100 million
- Founders: Dr. Inaki Berenguer and Dr. Amol Sarva
- Mandate: This is an early stage venture capital fund focusing on human longevity. animals, agriculture, food, energy and transportation, AI, direct-to-consumer, web3, infrastructure-as-a-service, platforms and marketplaces.
- Key Investors: N/A
- Thesis: “longevity for people and planet”
12. BioQube Ventures
- Location: Hasselt, Limburg, Belgium
- Size: N/A
- Founders: Nico Vandervelpen
- Mandate: An early stage venture capital fund – dedicated to advancing exciting science in vibrant ecosystems to breakthrough therapies for patients.Based in Europe with a global footprint.
- Key Investors: EIF (European Investment Fund) and others
- Thesis: Putting their venture creation experience at work to translate and de-risk scientific innovation, advancing our investment portfolio and maximising value for investors.
Sandhill Road, Big Tech Tycoons And Sector Agnostic VCs Joining The Race
Despite the fact that longevity is often complex, requires deep scientific and regulatory expertise, iconic VCs and generalists are also joining the race.
Notably, companies such as Chroma Medicine (epigenetic editing therapeutics), Precision Biosciences (ARCUS genome editing), Tune Therapeutics (fine tuning activities of genes in cells) all secured financing from the tier 1 VC funds on the Sandhill Road.
According to MIT Technology Review, Bezos has invested in Altos Labs, a mysterious new start-up pursuing biological reprogramming to rejuvenate cells in the lab. The company reportedly intends to apply the technology to entire animal bodies, ultimately halting biological ageing and extending the human lifespan.
California-headquartered Unity Biotechnology, a start-up pursuing therapies to slow or reverse the symptoms of ageing, has attracted investors like Bezos, venture capitalist Robert Nelson and billionaire PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel in the dozen years since it was founded.
Calico Labs, backed by Google and established in 2013, is an American biotechnology research and development company with the goal of unravelling the biological mechanisms associated with ageing and addressing diseases related to growing older. The primary focus of the company is to create and introduce innovative treatments for age-related ailments like neurodegeneration and cancer. Additionally, Calico Labs is conducting research into the potential of biological reprogramming to reverse the ageing process in laboratory cells and tissues.
Investing In Tomorrow
The collaborative efforts of these longevity-focused venture capital firms and grant programs, including LongeVC, LifeX VC, Longevity Tech.fund, EIC and Longevity Impetus Grants, are propelling the field of longevity research forward.
Their commitment to supporting innovative startups and research projects not only has the potential to extend human lifespan but also improve the quality of life during ageing.
This trend highlights the recognition that targeting ageing itself can have a profound impact on addressing multiple age-related diseases simultaneously. As more capital flows into the longevity space, it will likely accelerate the development of innovative therapies and stimulate collaboration among academic researchers, biotech startups, and larger pharmaceutical companies.
With globally distributed funds and a diverse range of prominent investors, these entities play a crucial role in fostering the development of groundbreaking longevity technologies and therapies – offering hope for a healthier and longer life.
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