LongeVC

Big money is pouring into biotech and healthcare startups in 2024. According to Crunchbase, 115 funding rounds attracted record investments, surpassing the $100 million mark so far this year. This surge is fueled by a perfect storm of factors: advancements in AI that dramatically speed up drug discovery, an aging population with rising chronic diseases demanding new treatments, and supportive regulations. LongeVC’s Sergey Jakimov shared his views on this topic with Jules ADAM in his recent article for Labiotech.eu. In his commentary, Sergey mentioned that biotech stocks are gaining momentum due to successful FDA approvals for earlier-stage companies. This success is validating the sector and making investors more willing to back promising private companies. Pharmaceutical company acquisitions also play a role in validating biotech investment. Read the full, in-depth piece here: https://lnkd.in/dSUv6kWS Thank you for mentioning our opinion and for this nice read, Jules ADAM! #Biotech #BiotechInvesting #VC #AI #DrugDiscovery #FDA

We had an incredible time yesterday at the #LongevityFoundersForum on the stage with like-minded longevity investors. Kudos to our field colleagues for sharing their opinions on various longevity topics - Oliver Colville, Michael Greve, and Nils Regge. Also our heartfelt thanks to the event organizers Longevity.Technology & Phil Newman for inviting us. Your commitment to organizing insightful events has nurtured a strong sense of open community. In other words, London never disappoints. To learn more: https://lnkd.in/d6x4fzrs

The longevity market focused on extending the human lifespan and improving health in later years, is rapidly expanding. The sector attracts significant investments from VCs, the pharmaceutical industry and tech giants, aiming to revolutionize the way we approach aging and age-related diseases. It is great to see more longevity-focused events appearing on the conference scene - meeting to discuss, share knowledge and network is crucial for all of us. In a few weeks, during London Tech Week on June 10-11, LongeVC managing partner Sergey Jakimov will attend one of the panels during the Founders Longevity Forum. The event, co-organized in partnership with Longevity.Technology, will gather some of the industry’s greatest leaders, including Insilico Medicine CEO and Head of LongeVC Advisory Board Alex Zhavoronkov, Bruno Balen, founder of Ani Biome, one of LongeVC portfolio companies, Todd White (VitaDAO), Aubrey de Grey (Longevity Escape Velocity (LEV) Foundation), Petr Sramek (LongevityTech.fund), Bhuvan Srinivasan (Ultrahuman), Christin Glorioso, MD PHD (NeuroAge Therapeutics), Joanna Bensz (Longevity Center Europe) and more. If you’d like to connect with Sergey Jakimov or Garri Zmudze during the event, drop them a message or contact us via [email protected]. https://lnkd.in/d3cDSEe6 #Longevity #BiotechInvesting #FoundersForum #London Founders Forum Group Carolyn Dawson

According to the World Health Organization, the number of people aged 60 and above is expected to double from 1 billion in 2020 to 2.1 billion by 2050. While many companies working in the longevity field are looking at how to assist people in living healthier and longer lives, there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of translating scientific advances into practical clinical interventions. Recently, LongeVC’s Sergey Jakimov and Artem A. Trotsyuk sat down with Drug Discovery’s Brian K. Buntz to discuss these topics. Sergey and Artem shared some insights into our portfolio companies and explained the focus of our fund, what we look for when investing in new startups, and how to distinguish legitimate applications from "snake oil" in the industry. You can read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/dVC9C-vh.  Thank you for this in-depth conversation and a great, research-based article, Brian! #DrugDiscovery #Biotech #BiotechInvesting #AI WTWH Media LLC

A great chance to share the stage alongside fellow like-minded longevity experts. Thanks to #Rejuvenationstartupsummit and Berlin for the opportunity and hospitality. And kudos to the longevity colleagues Patrick Burgermeister, Marc P. Bernegger, Jens Eckstein, Alex Colville, Jan Adams for the chance to engage.

Imagine being able to enhance any drug treatment by adding functional proteins or targeting specific cells without changing their genetic makeup. This opens up a world of possibilities for personalized and precise medicine. CatenaBio (courtesy of its CysTyr™ platform and Catenase™ enzyme) has developed a technology that can modify and combine proteins freely, enabling the creation of novel therapeutics in oncology, autoimmune disorders, and vaccine development. This technology removes limitations on the size, number, and type of molecules that can be attached to a single protein - game-changing for future medical therapies. Welcome, CatenaBio, to the LongeVC portfolio - we look forward to supporting you in the next stage of growth. https://lnkd.in/dm9TZyBX Marco Lobba, Ph.D., Jennifer Doudna, Matthew Francis, Saurabh Johri, Rick Kendall  #Biotech #VC #Longevity #Medtech

The longevity tech development market is expected to reach $44.9 billion by 2031. A number of companies have already made groundbreaking progress in this field, and many more are expected to emerge in the coming years. In a recent interview with DealStreetAsia, LongeVC Managing partner Garri Zmudze explained that we don't consider longevity to be a "magic pill” and why we base our investment decisions primarily on the people behind the ideas. Garri also shared the story behind his investment in Alex Zhavoronkov Insilico Medicine, how he came to establish LongeVC, and what are our plans for Fund II. You can read the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/dFCNS5g7. Thank you, Eudora Wang, for a great coverage! Garri will be travelling across Asia over the next month, seeking new connections in the fields of longevity startups and investments. He will be speaking at the Asia Summit on Global Health (ASGH) 2024 in Hong Kong next week. If you'd like to connect with him, please send him a LinkedIn message or email us at [email protected]. #Longevity #Asia #HongKong #AI #DrugDiscovery

Technology allows us to access information and receive physical products in a matter of seconds - which is exactly what mRNA technology can do in the field of biology. HelixNano, led by Hannu Rajaniemi, expands the capabilities of mRNA therapies, making them safer, more effective, and ultimately more available to all. Welcome to the LongeVC portfolio of companies, HelixNano - there are plenty of biotech founders in our network looking forward to your continued growth! #mRNA #Biotech #Biology #VC https://lnkd.in/ddfqfk7D

While many individuals with depression respond well to standard treatments such as antidepressant medications, some experience treatment-resistant depression (TRD). This presents significant challenges for patients and clinicians alike, as it often leads to prolonged suffering, impaired functioning, and increased risk of suicide. LongeVC portfolio company, Freedom Biosciences, a biotechnology firm specializing in psychedelic-powered mental health care, recently announced a significant milestone: FDA approval to proceed with a Phase 2a clinical trial for its ketamine-based therapy targeting TRD. The trial investigates the efficacy of combining ketamine with temsirolimus as an adjunctive treatment for adults with TRD. This development holds promise in addressing a substantial portion of the depression-related healthcare burden in the U.S. Congratulations to the team led by Dina Burkitbayeva and John Krystal! We are proud to back you on this very important journey. #Biotech #Biosciences #ClinicalTrials #FDA

As we grow older, our cells become less functional, accumulating errors that cause cell damage over time. As the errors accumulate, more and more of our cells become senescent, stopping proper function and increasing disarray in the surrounding cellular environment, ultimately contributing to the emergence and progress of age-associated diseases. Not for much longer. Rubedo Life Sciences, founded by Marco Quarta and Mark Gallop, is making it possible to treat these cells with newfound anti-aging therapeutics. Their platform identifies specific druggable targets and develops them into therapeutics that selectively target senescent pathologic cells, fighting the results of ageing. By addressing the cellular, fundamental cause of age-related diseases, Rubedo is a pioneer in the mission to preserve biological youth - and that’s why we joined their recent $40 million Series A round with Khosla Ventures, Ahren Innovation Capital, Hevolution Foundation, R42 Group, Modi Ventures, Shanda Group, Refactor Capital, IAG and others. https://lnkd.in/daVr8-UQ