Top investors, innovators and scientists converge in Switzerland to propel the future of longevity science and investment.
The Longevity Investors Conference 2024 (LIC), held from 24-27 September in the serene setting of Le Grand Bellevue Hotel, Gstaad, Switzerland, assembled the world’s leading minds in longevity science and investment. This fifth edition of LIC welcomed a select group of 130 attendees, including prominent figures in science, technology and private and institutional investment, to discuss the latest advancements in extending the human lifespan and promoting health through innovation and collaboration.
Longevity.Technology: The Longevity Investors Conference continues to play a pivotal role in advancing the field, bringing together diverse stakeholders under one roof to enhance collaborative efforts, drive funding for promising research and foster connections that extend well beyond the conference. Such gatherings are essential to stimulating productive dialogues, addressing challenges and ensuring longevity science reaches its potential as an investable sector.
As the number of longevity events continues to grow, it will be important to carefully curate events with diverse focal points to maximize value for participants. By focusing on investor needs and connecting them with leading scientists and entrepreneurs, LIC maximizes value through targeted insights into industry trends, investment strategies and cutting-edge scientific developments in health and longevity. In a digital age, the importance of face-to-face connections stands out at LIC, where a carefully maintained intimate setting allows for high-quality networking and meaningful exchanges. This environment fosters trust and collaboration, cultivating relationships that can help drive longevity research forward by attracting more investment into innovative solutions and therapies.
The 2024 conference maintained its hallmark focus on four key pillars: longevity investment, general longevity, personal longevity and longevity science, covering topics from aging population sustainability to AI integration in longevity research. Breakout sessions on the event’s first day enabled participants to delve into focused discussions on topics such as investment strategies, the workforce implications of an aging population and the role of AI in developing therapies. These initial sessions set the stage for larger presentations, including a range of expert-led keynotes, fireside chats and panels on subsequent days, including Longevity.Technology CEO Phil Newman, who used LIC to publicly and exclusively launch our Ten Levels of Longevity framework.
“Longevity is all over the place,” said cofounder Dr Tobias Reichmuth. “In the last 12 months, it’s been talked about in all the news outlets, blogs, etc, whereas three years ago it was ‘Longevity? Whatever!’ But now, longevity has hit the mainstream, and we are also seeing its collaboration with AI – the first small molecule against fibrosis was developed by AI in less than 18 months. The industry is growing and moving – and LIC is not a conference where you meet the same people and hear the same things every year – it’s in flux every year.”
A stellar lineup of experts and pioneers
LIC 2024 showcased an impressive roster of speakers, including Dr David Sinclair from Harvard Medical School, Dr Nir Barzilai of Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Dr Aubrey de Grey, founder of the LEV Foundation. The diversity of perspectives among these experts and others emphasized the breadth of advancements underway across the fields of genetics, biochemistry and preventative healthcare.
Dr David Furman of the Buck Institute noted: “There’s been a huge amount of investment and we have yet to see returns. Aging and longevity in general are great business, including for governments and the global economy. With aging, there are changes that are more or less linear, and it is claimed that aging is complex. I hate that statement because it means we don’t understand it. I believe that everyone in the field of aging today agrees that aging is hierarchical.”
The conference’s carefully curated agenda created space for cross-pollination of ideas between scientific researchers and financial leaders, enhancing the potential for practical applications of longevity science. Nir Barzilai highlighted the unique value LIC adds, remarking: “The reason this meeting is different from other investor meetings is that sometimes we need special forces to get things done. And you’re creating special forces by bringing us together.”
The Startup Showcase and emerging innovators
A key highlight of LIC 2024 was its highly anticipated Startup Showcase, featuring ten innovative companies at the forefront of longevity science. With companies such as Micregen, Leucadia Therapeutic, and Kyttaro Therapeutics presenting their cutting-edge solutions, the showcase represented the latest efforts to advance therapies and technologies for healthy aging. Attendees praised this year’s showcase as “the strongest they’ve seen so far,” with the selected startups captivating investors and sparking discussions on emerging, potentially transformative approaches within the longevity space.
This year’s showcase spoke to the momentum within the industry, with investors keenly interested in identifying ventures with high potential for impact and growth. The showcase spotlighted solutions addressing varied aspects of longevity, from regenerative medicine to disease prevention. It was accompanied by additional wellness experiences – including guided hikes in the Swiss Alps, neuromovement sessions led by AniBiome’s Bruno Balen, and breathwork classes by VIZR – offering a holistic approach to longevity that extended beyond scientific presentations.
An ideal networking environment
LIC 2024 achieved its goal of fostering a dynamic yet intimate environment where attendees could build meaningful relationships with peers and industry leaders. Organizers went to great lengths to ensure a unique experience; the event featured a luxurious Gala Dinner and an interactive Longevity Lounge, where key industry partners such as L.Raphael and Avea Life showcased their latest contributions to the longevity sector.
Marc P Bernegger, cofounder of LIC, reflected on the conference’s impact: “The growing interest in longevity investments is truly exciting. Our conference offers a unique opportunity for investors to connect with leading experts, explore innovative ventures, and invest in the future of health and longevity.” This emphasis on exclusive, high-quality engagement positioned the conference as a central hub for idea exchange, blending substantive dialogue with valuable networking.
Hilary Brueck, Health Correspondent at Business Insider, praised the conference for its personal, high-touch networking. “Longevity Investors Conference is a stellar event,” she said. “I was able to efficiently connect with so many leading investors and companies from across the spectrum of longevity interventions, and the best part was being able to do it all in person, with plenty of time for discussion, expansion (and even some mountaintop views).”
2025 and beyond…
Looking forward, the Longevity Investors team has already announced several future events, including the next Longevity Investors Conference in September 2025. Before that, the organization will host the Longevity Investors Lunch on 21 January 2025, during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. This invitation-only gathering aims to bring key stakeholders together in a more intimate setting to continue discussions and developments in longevity science and investment, and registrations for LIC 2025 will open shortly thereafter.
In response to the global growth of interest in longevity, LIC is set to expand into Asia, with its first event anticipated in Q2 2025. As longevity science gains traction internationally, this move will enable LIC to engage with a wider audience and drive the sector forward on a global scale.
