Insights from our Expert Roundtable Series on Longevity

Author: Margaret Malone

Insights on the future of longevity and challenges faced by companies today ft. Lance Armstrong, Livora Health, Parsley Health, Function Health, Insilico Medicine, and more.

As we kick off 2025, I’m excited to share a recap of our Longevity discussion a few weeks ago.

In Q4 2024, we hosted five experts from across the field of longevity to share their unique insights on the evolving and buzzy sector. The discussion covered a wide range of topics, from high-cost healthcare populations to women’s health and the regulatory landscape. Panelists also emphasized the importance of innovation, data, and a shift toward preventative care. At Flare Capital, we partner with exceptional founders innovating in the healthcare technology ecosystem; as it relates to longevity, we are particularly excited by new datasets that can be deployed in traditional healthcare models to advance longevity discussions, innovative longevity clinic models, the role of technology in supercharging these clinics, and applications of AI and automation in the fields of drug discovery and personalized medicine. Below is a quick breakdown of our three discussion segments:

• Fireside Chat: The event kicked off with a fireside chat with Lance Armstrong, Co-Founder & General Partner of NEXT Ventures and globally known cyclist, endurance athlete, and cancer survivor. Lance was joined by Varsha Rao, Executive Partner at Flare Capital and Chief Executive Officer at Zeal AI. Varsha was previously the Chief Executive Officer at Nurx and Head of Global Operations at AirBnB. Lance and Varsha discussed macro trends and investing in longevity, along with recommendations for living a healthier and longer life.
• Innovator Panel: Following this discussion, Dr. Hillary Lin at Livora Health, Dr. Robin Berzin at Parsley Health, and Pranitha Patil at Function Health joined me for a panel discussion focused on innovations within the longevity ecosystem.
• Fireside Chat: We concluded the session with a discussion on AI in drug discovery with Vic Lanio, Partner at Flare Capital, and Dr. Alex Zhavoronkov, Founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine.

In case you missed the live discussion, we’ve summarized the key learnings below and encourage those interested to check out the recording on our website here and reach out if you are interested in discussing more!

Where are we today in the field of longevity?

The field of longevity is rapidly evolving, blending cutting-edge research, technology, and medical innovation to extend healthy life years, prevent disease, and address chronic health issues. While the pursuit of longer life spans isn’t new, recent advancements in science and technology are finally catching up with what was once only imagined. Biohacking solutions and anti-aging treatments, which have been experimented with for centuries, are now being explored with renewed vigor thanks to new research.

A growing consumer interest in longevity is further driving the conversation. Fueled by breakthroughs in the field, increased media coverage and celebrity interest, and dissatisfaction with the traditional U.S. healthcare system, nearly half of Americans are seeking ways to maximize their life span¹. Despite this, many still face significant health challenges. Chronic diseases affect half of the U.S. population², and access to primary care remains limited for many. Furthermore, consumer engagement in fitness applications drops off rather quickly, with most users abandoning them after just a few months.

The current healthcare system largely focuses on reactive treatment of chronic diseases, with 90% of the US $4.1 trillion healthcare spending directed toward this³. As the U.S. population ages and the prevalence of chronic diseases rises, there is a growing need for proactive, preventive care. Personalized healthcare, supported by better user experiences, will likely be the key to driving long-term success in the longevity space.

What’s Next?

“If people get interested in their health, it snowballs…and we have a healthier population.”

As we heard from Lance during the discussion, there is no magic bullet; rather, pursuing longevity is a combination of lifestyle changes and decision making. On a population level, in the absence of being able to drive individual decision making, combining data with the right clinical model can have a profound impact on longevity.

Advancements in AI, biohacking, and drugs like GLP-1s, which target aging mechanisms, are propelling the longevity sector into a new era. Investment in this area is already surpassing 2023’s totals, reflecting the immense potential for growth. However, the sector faces challenges, including fluctuating consumer awareness and interest, regulatory hurdles, and ongoing research complexities.

Startups have emerged trying to elucidate the root causes of chronic disease and aging. Nevertheless, the explosion of entrepreneurship within longevity has led to both successes and failures, providing valuable lessons for those entering the space. Many innovators are working to make solutions more accessible to a broader audience. As Lance shared, the simplest tools — like a weight scale — can be the most impactful first step for consumers. Technology’s role in unlocking new possibilities is clear. It is providing Americans with access to treatments that can extend their health spans and help reduce age-related chronic diseases. Technology is helping to infuse traditional data sets with more robust consumer-collected information. Evidence-based care models tailored to specific consumer groups and aligned with the right business strategies are expected to drive the most success in this market.

During our Expert Roundtable, we heard from innovators like Dr. Robin Berzin at Parsley Health who is transforming longevity care by offering a functional medicine clinic to consumer nationwide, Dr. Hillary Lin who is redefining longevity by blending precision medicine with deep meaningful patient-provider relationships at Livora Health, and Pranitha Patil who is rethinking how biomarker data can power active health management and health assurance at Function Health.

The market map below highlights a sample of companies focused on the emerging longevity technology field.

Key Themes & Takeaways from the Discussion

1. Longevity & Health Span: We focused on longevity and expanding the health span, which refers to the years an individual lives a healthy, active life rather than just extending life expectancy. Key factors sharing this market include the growing aging population (and those interested in staying healthy as they age), proliferation of health information and awareness around health, US physician shortage and consumer perceptions about our healthcare system, and the growing trend of consumer engagement in health and wellness.
2. Data-driven Insights, Technology and Innovation: The intersection of cutting-edge research and technology is seen as vital in advancing longevity. Data can lead to better decision making for both consumers, providers, and those designing new payment models. Technology and innovation are the solutions to impacting the US $4.1 trillion spend on healthcare.
3. Shift from Chronic Disease to Preventative Care: A staggering 90% of U.S. healthcare spending goes to managing chronic conditions and mental health. The panel highlighted the role of innovation in shifting focus to prevention and personalization. We touched on how high-cost populations are targeted for cost savings in the longevity field, though the buzzy longevity models haven’t quite figured out how to help these populations at scale. The focus is on managing these groups more effectively to reduce healthcare expenses.
4. Entrepreneurship is Attracting Investment: Despite the challenges, Longevity is attracting investment, presenting opportunities for innovation and progress. H1 2024 financing activity outpaced 2023 activity, and we anticipate increased awareness and interest in this market. In addition to startups being funded, we also saw some interesting partnerships emerge that we anticipate will continue.

Stay in touch with Flare Capital!

• Building in the Longevity space / Interested in connecting about the Longevity space? → Please reach out to Margaret Malone at margaret@flarecapital.com
• Want to learn more about our past Expert Roundtables? Check out our team’s Insights.
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Sources

[1] The Consumer Sentiment Survey. June 2023. A/B Consulting

[2] CDC

[3] CDC