Last Week in Longevity #9 - $637M raised + FDA reverses NMN decision
Your weekly business digest of everything that happened in longevity.
đ Hi, I am Fabian, and welcome to my newsletter Last Week in Longevity. Every week, I track where the money, talent, and ideas are moving in the longevity business.
đ¸ Closed funding rounds
US$ 637M raised across 4 deals (âď¸ +426% vs. US$ 121M across 4 deals last week)
Algen Biotechnologies â US$ 555M (strategic partnership) | San Francisco, USA
What they do: Combines CRISPR-based gene modulation with AI to map how gene activity causes disease, identifying targets with strong human translational relevance.
Why it matters: By distinguishing genes that drive rather than correlate with disease, Algenâs approach could reveal mechanisms behind complex, age-related disorders like neurodegeneration and chronic inflammation, accelerating therapies that slow or reverse biological aging in the future.
Investors / Partners: Strategic R&D partnership with AstraZeneca valued at up to $555M in upfront, near-term, and milestone payments (no equity investment).
Valuation: undisclosed
Midi Health â US$ 50M (Series C) | Palo Alto, USA
What they do: Provides virtual care for perimenopause, menopause, and midlife womenâs health, combining hormonal and non-hormonal treatments with diagnostics, coaching, and supplements. Recently launched AgeWell, a preventive longevity program targeting cardiovascular, brain, and bone health.
Why it matters: Menopause accelerates aging via hormonal shifts affecting metabolism, cognition, and inflammation. Midiâs data-driven, AI-supported approach reframes midlife womenâs care as proactive longevity medicine, closing a gender gap in the field.
Investors: Led by Advance Venture Partners; earlier investors include Emerson Collective, GV (Google Ventures), and angels, including Anne Wojcicki.
Valuation: undisclosed
Aerska â US$ 21M (Seed) | Dublin, Ireland
What they do: Develops RNA interference (RNAi) medicines capable of crossing the bloodâbrain barrier to silence disease-driving genes in neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimerâs and Parkinsonâs. Uses receptor-mediated âbrain shuttleâ technology for precise, repeatable delivery to neurons.
Why it matters: Neurodegeneration is a key limiter of healthspan. Aerskaâs ability to deliver gene-silencing RNAi to the brain could enable preventive interventions that delay or stop cognitive decline in genetically at-risk populations.
Investors: Co-led by Age1, Backed VC, and Speedinvest; joined by Blueyard, Lingotto, Norrsken VC, Kerna, PsyMed, and Ada Ventures.
Valuation: undisclosed
Cirrus Therapeutics â US$ 11M (Seed) | Cambridge, USA
What they do: Develops gene therapies to rejuvenate the retina by restoring levels of IRAK-M, a protein that declines with age and regulates immune balance in the eye.
Why it matters: Cirrus directly targets two of agingâs core mechanisms, immune dysregulation and mitochondrial decline, in order to reverse biological aging in retinal cells. Its approach could preserve vision and independence deep into old age, extending functional healthspan.
Investors: Led by ClavystBio, with participation from Polaris Partners and SEEDS.
Valuation: undisclosed
đ° Top longevity business news
FDA reverses NMN decision
What happened: After years of regulatory back-and-forth, the FDA reversed its prior position and ruled that NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) is not excluded from being sold as a dietary supplement. Read more here.
Why it matters: This regulatory pivot reopens a major consumer supplement market for NMN, easing pressures on firms to push it through drug channels. It might also set a precedent for how other compounds straddling the supplement/drug line could be handled, and it is a reminder that we need clear regulatory guidelines for substances with both supplement and pharmaceutical potential.
Investing in the future of longevity
What happened: At the Longevity Investors Conference (LIC) 2025 in Gstaad, investors, scientists, and founders convened to debate how AI, equity, and collaboration can push longevity innovation toward translation and scale. The tone shifted: less hype, more âwhat can we build now,â with special emphasis on inclusion and womenâs healthspan. Read more here.
Why it matters: The shift toward pragmatic investment and equitable access signals maturation in the longevity ecosystem. Those who can deliver near-term utility rather than speculative bets will gain trust and capital.
đ Events & meetups (Europe-only)
(CH) Biostasis 2025 (Oct 10-12, 2025)
(LU) Longevity & Biohacking Retreat (Oct-Nov 24-04, 2025)
(CH) Global Longevity Summit (Oct 28-30, 2025)
(FR) Tech for Longevity 2025 (Nov 25-26, 2025)
(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)
(AT) 2nd World Congress on Future of Aging & Rejuvenation Science (Jul 20-21, 2026)
(DE) POLLY Longevity Festival (Aug 21-23, 2026)
đź New Longevity jobs (Europe-only)
(Berlin) Co-Founder @ Longevity Food Startup
(London/remote) Editorial Lead @ Healf
đ 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.