We’re back with the latest edition of the brand-new Longevity and DeSci Recap. Here, you’ll find the latest interviews, insights, and research in the longevity tech sphere, covering topics such as blockchain, DAOs, cryptocurrency, DeSci, and events that have been happening over the past month.
This is the summer of longevity. With two conferences happening this month spanning two continents and one dedicated event happening later in the year, coupled alongside new discoveries and technologies and even more longevity projects being funded by DAOs, this past month has been packed with news.
Upcoming conferences
The holidays are months away, but ‘tis the season for science. Over the course of the next couple of months, longevity and biotech conferences across the globe will give professionals the stage to discuss the most important industry topics.
Join us at our Longevity+DeSci Summit in New York City: The Longevity+DeSci Summit in New York City is rapidly approaching. Longevity and crypto enthusiasts have already booked their spaces to join our sixth Ending Age-Related Diseases event on August 10-11, 2023.
Tickets to this international event can be purchased here. Speakers include Brian Kennedy of the National University of Singapore, longevity and evolution expert Natasha Vita-More of Digital University, Hanadie Yousef of Juvenal Therapeutics, Vadim Gladyshev of Harvard Medical School and many more renowned names.
Keep learning at Longevity Summit Dublin: Meanwhile, across the pond, Longevity Summit Dublin will be taking place from August 17-20. Speakers include Nir Barzilai of the Einstein Institute for Aging Research, Jan Adams of Apollo Health Ventures, Vera Gorbunova Professor of Biology and Co-director of the Gorbunova and Seluanov Laboratory at the University of Rochester, and Aubrey de Grey, among other well-known experts.
Don’t miss out on DeSci.Berlin x Funding the Commons: Intensive workshops, insightful talks, and networking potential for DeSci enthusiasts is waiting at DeSci.Berlin this September. Tickets can be bought online with the event promising to “ignite the development of new partnerships and initiatives” over the course of two days.
Gstaad, Switzerland to host Longevity Investors Conference: From September 27-29, 2023, the Alps will be alive with the bustling of longevity investors. Coming together to discuss the latest trends, events, and business opportunities, this exclusive conference is open to only 150 guests and will host speakers such as Alex Zhanavoronkov of Insilico Medicine, Nir Barzilai of the Institute for Aging Research, and Evelyne Yehudit Bischof of Human Longevity Inc. among many others.
In-depth interviews and insights with industry experts
It’s all in the delivery, say creators: Raising awareness and promoting longevity research is at the heart of Lifespan.io’s operations. This month, our contributors Ryan O’Shea and Pat Graziosi sat down to discuss the challenges and rewards of creating longevity content and the power that technology can have on accelerating scientific progress. Watch the full video here.
Lifespan chats with Peter Fedichev from Gero: Gero is an AI-powered biotech company hacking the complexities of aging through drug discovery and biomarkers. If this sounds complicated, grab a few minutes to read Arkadi Mazin’s interview with Gero founder Peter Fedichev, who puts all the pieces of the puzzle together and explains how tech and longevity science go hand in hand.
Science of Super Longevity with Dr. Morgan Levine: Although stopping aging might be a far-off dream, rejuvenation methods are based on science. Industry expert Dr. Morgan Levine talks through the reality of the science of aging, hallmarks of aging, genetics, technology, and the potentials in this insightful 7-minute video.
Fauna and technology combined: Fauna Bio is a new biotech company dedicated to developing new therapies based on disease resistance exhibited in animals. Lifespan’s Arkadi Mazin caught up with Fauna’s CEO Ashley Zehnder to chat about how Fauna Bio came into being and what priorities the biotech start-up has in the near future.
Longevity investment and development news
Q2 Longevity Investment Report released: The latest Longevity Investment Report has just been released, and it shows that the total financing for Q2 2023 is approximately $282 million. The United States is the top financing location, holding a massive 93.9% of the market, while the UK, Australia, Europe, and Japan make up most of the remainder. Notably, the market appears to be evolving, with late-stage venture capital accounting for the majority of deals, with early venture capital slowing down to a close second.
K4 Connect raises $8.9 million: Focusing on enterprise-class technology, K4 Connect has raised almost $9 million in funding to drive forward its projects for the senior living market, including advancing patented FusionOS integration technology and the K4Community Engagement Suite, which draw together the companies’ technologies.
Impetus grants are opening for August 1-31, 2023: Alongside Hevolution and Rosenkranz Foundations, Impetus will soon launch a new grant-funding round dedicated to aging science. This round will be open-ended, meaning that a broad spectrum of projects are eligible for parts of the available $10 million. Impetus grants especially encourage people who are involved in stress-testing popular protocols for extending lifespan along with popular aging theories, proposals that test novel mechanisms and approaches to reversing aging, and translations of preclinical findings. People who seek to apply should keep an eye on the website for the latest details and follow the application guidelines.
Tech breakthroughs
Integrated Biosciences discovers new senolytic compounds with AI technology: Collaborating with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Integrated Biosciences has recently announced the discovery of senolytic compounds that could be crucial in the creation of anti-aging drugs. This company’s solution harnesses artificial intelligence technology in a proprietary platform to identify potential candidates for further longevity science research.
Cellular reprogramming trend continues as Focal Biosciences enters the scene: Focal Biosciences is a start-up funded by ETH Zurich, Apollo Health Ventures, and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). The latest discovery from the company has saw the creation of a small molecule epigenetic reprogramming platform. In longevity, this could be used to modulate cell reprogramming sparking an advancement in the field of mechanobiology.
New health-monitoring device, Kairos, released: Diving deeper into personalised health, a biosensor precision health monitoring solution from Biostrap has just been released. This wearable device tracks stress resistance and heart rate variability insights, combing them with the latest tech to give health insights. This is an upgrade from past wearables, as it harnesses data used to analyze the nervous system, which has only been previously possible with electrocardiogram chest straps.
Cellular reprogramming trend continues as Focal Biosciences enters the scene
Focal Biosciences is a start-up funded by ETH Zurich, Apollo Health Ventures, and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). This company’s latest discovery resulted in a small molecule epigenetic reprogramming platform. In longevity, this could be used to modulate cellular reprogramming and spark an advancement in mechanobiology.
DAOs and communities
VitaDAO’s fast token sale success: Reaching a massive 2,000% oversubscription, VitaDAO’s exclusive fast token sale launched with a massive success. The sale allows token-holders to get involved in decision-making on IP licensing, and contribute to setting experiment priorities. It has resulted in a $620k boost for longevity projects.
ExceptGen Inc set to received funding from VitaDAO: With an 80.66% majority voting in favor, ExceptGen Inc has just received the green light from the VitaDAO community in support of its project. The approved sum, around $100k, will go towards optimising RNA delivery for longevity therapeutics.
World Longevity News
Deepening the connection between lifespan and finance: Both lifespan and lifelong financial security are the motivations behind Society of Actuaries (SOA) Research Institute’s International Longevity Illustrator tools, which help people estimate how long they’ll live and how healthy and productive they’ll be over that lifespan so that they can more accurately plan for retirement. The tool is already available for residents of Canada, Singapore, and Hong Kong here.
New paper released on how to measure aging: Maryam Keshavarz, Kan Xie, Daniele Bano, and Dan Ehninger explore and document the factors that go into analyzing aging and potential frameworks by reviewing established processes, perspectives, and experimental factors.
Social media pages to follow this month: Twitter is one of the best resources, alongside Discord, to get the latest longevity tech news. Here are the best accounts to follow this month.
- VitaDAO features the latest happenings of the DAO including votes, changes, and projects funded.
- AthenaDAO offers the forefront of women’s health and the most recent news on the DAO’s progress.
- Bio.xyz explains the accelerator for the next generation of Biotech DAOs and encourages applications for programs and funding.
- Molecule showcases this decentralised biotech, which is focused on IP tokens, Web3, and DAOs.
- Lifespan.io is our own page. Follow us to keep up to date on the most trusted longevity news.
Coming soon…
With our Ending-Age Related Diseases conference, the Longevity+DeSci Summit, just days away, there’s no time like the present to book your tickets. Whether you’re in the New York City area, travelling or joining the conference online, the event’s program is packed with discussion on topics such as longevity, DeSci, and blockchain.
