Humans have fantasized about extreme lifespans for millennia, but the age-old pursuit is now attracting fresh interest from VCs and tech companies. Imagine a world where age was truly but a number. Where centenarians are not just commonplace but nimble and healthy, maybe even still working, while bedridden people can live for decades, requiring financial and physical support. How people lived and planned their lives would almost certainly change dramatically. Such a world may not be so far away. Armed with increasingly powerful AI tools and a growing ability to analyze and manipulate genetics, more and more tech companies are taking a shot at selling longevity. Dreams of immortality aside, the prize for founders focused on providing services to live longer, healthier lives could be big — age-defying consumers would likely be a lucrative source of recurring revenue.
The first tech focus is solutions to repair and restore health to typical diseases associated with old age and improve the quality of life of their customers. Emerging technologies include restoring eyesight, repairing spines, cartilage repair, reversing bone loss, and regenerating teeth, among others. Rising rates of chronic disease and obesity are helping to fuel the adoption of activity trackers and body monitors that provide real-time information on a person’s well-being. New capabilities of biometric sensors include tracking everything from heart rate and blood pressure to oxygen levels and sleep quality. Smart patches allow medical teams to monitor patients remotely to help manage things like diabetes, recovery from surgery, and medication. Some startups are turning their attention to underserved issues like menopause as the women’s health space continues to expand.
Some companies are even trying to grow entirely new organs to extend lifespans. Futuristic solutions, such as growing new kidneys, livers, or pancreases out of lymph nodes or implantable tissues that can be programmed to act as organs, are all within reach. These mini-organs would act as an alternative to a full-blown transplant for people where this isn’t an option — such as for those who are very ill or when a suitable donor can’t be found.
However, not all seniors have high incomes, and older people are more likely to be chronically unemployed. Moreover, health insurance schemes and pension funds will be put under a lot of pressure by the changing demographics. The need for affordable health is clear, as nearly 40% of American adults face medical debt, and 7 in 10 people report putting off a doctor’s appointment or medical procedure because of the cost. Add on growing labor shortages in the field, and it is not hard to see why so many people are looking outside of traditional medical systems for answers. Digital physical therapy platforms, 24/7 access to licensed providers, at-home sample collection, and more data than ever on doctors, healthcare plans, costs, and more are empowering patients to take control of their health and well-being.
Our assumptions about age may prove right or wrong over the coming years, but one thing is for sure: For the tech world, the dream of immortality will never die.
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