Last Week in Longevity #17 - $218M raised
Your weekly business digest of everything that happened in longevity.
👋 Hi, I am Fabian, and welcome to my newsletter Last Week in Longevity. Every week, I track where the money, talent, and ideas are moving in the longevity business.
💸 Closed funding rounds
US$ 218M raised across 7 deals (⬇️ -57% vs. US$ 508M across 6 deals last week)
Direct Longevity Interventions (Category 1)
MitoRx Therapeutics – US$ 5.5M (Seed) | Oxford, UK
What they do: Developing small-molecule therapies that protect and repair mitochondria to treat metabolic diseases and obesity.
Why it matters: Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of aging. By improving mitochondrial efficiency and energy metabolism, MitoRx targets one of the core upstream levers of healthspan extension.
Investors: Led by Oxford Science Enterprises; participation from London Technology Club, Harrington Discovery Institute, and MEIF Proof-of-Concept & Early Stage Fund.
Valuation: unknown
General Control Biotechnologies – amount undisclosed | Copenhagen, Denmark
What they do: Develops programmable biologic “control systems” designed to modulate core aging pathways with high specificity, enabling targeted slowing or reversal of biological aging.
Why it matters: This is one of the clearest moves yet by a major pharma company (Novo Nordisk) into true mechanism-of-aging drug development. GCB’s programmable platform could unlock a new generation of precision anti-aging therapies that intervene upstream of age-related disease, rather than treating symptoms downstream.
Investors: Backed by Novo Nordisk’s Bio Innovation Hub; additional investors undisclosed.
Valuation: unknown
Longevity-Aligned Disease Modification (Category 2)
MindImmune Therapeutics – US$ 10.2M (Series A extension) | Providence, USA
What they do: Developing drugs that modulate neuroinflammation by targeting overactive immune cells in the brain to treat Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Why it matters: Neuroinflammation is a key driver of cognitive decline. Reducing it could delay neurodegenerative onset and preserve brain function well into later life.
Investors: Led by Dolby Family Ventures; joined by ElevateBio, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF), Slater Technology Fund, and other private investors.
Valuation: unknown
Circular Genomics – US$ 15M (Series A) | Albuquerque, USA
What they do: Uses circular RNA biomarkers to diagnose and monitor neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, with Alzheimer’s as lead indication.
Why it matters: Enables earlier and more precise detection of Alzheimer’s, allowing timely intervention before irreversible neuronal damage — a critical step in extending cognitive healthspan.
Investors: Led by Mountain Group Partners; joined by UNM Rainforest Innovations and other institutional investors.
Valuation: unknown
Protego Biotherapeutics – US$ 75M (Series B) | Cambridge, USA
What they do: Develops antibodies to clear misfolded light-chain proteins that cause amyloidosis and cardiac damage.
Why it matters: Protein misfolding and aggregation are fundamental aging mechanisms. Therapeutics preventing systemic amyloidosis could extend organ function and lifespan.
Investors: Led by MPM BioImpact; joined by Novo Holdings, Sofinnova Partners, F-Prime Capital, and Polaris Partners.
Valuation: unknown
Zetagen Therapeutics – US$ 52M (Series C) | Syracuse, USA
What they do: Advances bone-regenerative and anti-metastatic compounds for skeletal diseases and bone loss from cancer.
Why it matters: Bone loss and metastatic fragility are major causes of late-life morbidity. ZetaMet’s platform could help maintain skeletal integrity, mobility, and resilience during aging.
Investors: Not specified in the article; prior rounds included Accelerate NY and Excell Partners.
Valuation: unknown
Phrontline Biopharma – US$ 60M (Pre-A) | Shanghai, China
What they do: Developing bispecific and dual-payload antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for solid tumors.
Why it matters: Novel ADCs could make cancer treatment more precise and tolerable—vital for extending both lifespan and quality of life in aging populations.
Investors: Participating investors include Gaorong Capital, Hillhouse Capital, Legend Capital, and others.
Valuation: unknown
🗓 Events & meetups (Europe-only)
(ES) 4th Longevity World Forum (Feb 18-20, 2026)
(CH) SIP Longevity Retreat (Apr 20-24, 2026)
(PT) 4th Global Longevity Med Summit (May 6-7, 2026)
(DE) LIFE Summit (May 29-30, 2026)
(IE) Longevity Summit Dublin (Jun 24-26, 2026)
(NL) HLTH Europe (Jun 15-18, 2026)
(CZ) 8th World Aging & Rejuvenation Conference (Jun 18-19, 2026)
(UK) The Longevity Show (Jun 26-27, 2026)
(AT) 2nd World Congress on Future of Aging & Rejuvenation Science (Jul 20-21, 2026)
(DE) POLLY Longevity Festival (Aug 21-23, 2026)
💼 New Longevity jobs (Europe-only)
You have an open position? Let us know!
👉 To see the full list of all Longevity jobs, visit our Job Board.
Keep building the future of longevity - one week at a time.
Fabian
P.S. Want your open positions or events to be featured? Just send them my way by replying to this email.