Why is human longevity a billionaire blind spot?

3 days ago 3

NFX General Partner Omri Drory wonders why more billionaires aren’t backing the biggest health breakthrough of our time.

Imagine if the world’s billionaires redirected just one percent of their collective wealth into solving aging. Not treating symptoms. Not donating to hospitals. But actually tackling aging at the biological level – investing in technologies that could delay, halt, or even reverse it. That investment would be more than symbolic; it could spark the biggest transformation in human health since antibiotics. It could extend vitality for billions of people and prevent the suffering that comes with frailty, dementia, cancer, and degenerative disease. It’s not a fantasy. It’s within reach. Yet it remains mostly ignored.

The science of human longevity has reached an inflection point. Over the past two decades, breakthroughs have shifted the conversation from theory to application. A small but growing group of scientists and biotech founders are advancing tools that directly target the root causes of aging. These are not fringe ideas or far-off futures – they’re based on real progress in genetics, cellular biology, AI-enabled diagnostics, and regenerative medicine. Some of these innovations are already in preclinical or early human trials. Others are being quietly spun into startups. Collectively, they offer the potential to add not just years to life, but healthy, productive years – what researchers call “healthspan.”

So why aren’t the world’s wealthiest people paying more attention?

We’ve seen this story before. In the early days of the internet, only a few visionaries recognized that a military-grade research network could become the backbone of modern life. In the early 2000s, most investors ignored artificial intelligence, thinking it was too speculative, too long-term, too risky. And yet, those who moved early – backing companies like Google, Amazon, or OpenAI – ended up shaping the future and capturing a disproportionate share of the upside.

The longevity space is now at a similar moment. A new tech tree is opening up. The first branches are climbing fast. And the next decade will determine who reaps the rewards.

Mapping the tech tree for human longevity

To visualize the opportunity, think of progress as a branching structure. The concept of a “tech tree,” borrowed from strategy games and systems theory, helps explain how each discovery leads to more powerful capabilities. In longevity, that branching structure is becoming increasingly clear. One of the most comprehensive maps of this ecosystem has been developed by the Foresight Institute, a nonprofit think tank focused on emerging technologies. Their longevity tech tree lays out how core innovations – like stem cell biology, gene editing, and omics profiling – enable a cascade of downstream interventions, from organ regeneration to whole-body rejuvenation. Each branch depends on the progress of those below it. But once the trunk is solid, things scale fast.

At the base of the tree is replacement biology. Traditional medicine tries to manage organ failure. But what if you could just swap out the part entirely? Thanks to breakthroughs in synthetic biology, stem cell engineering, and tissue scaffolding, scientists are developing the ability to grow organs in labs. These aren’t one-off science projects. Researchers have successfully created liver tissue, bladders, and even primitive heart structures from patients’ own cells. In parallel, work on “stembroids” – synthetic embryos capable of generating patient-matched tissues – suggests that bespoke, rejection-proof replacement parts could become routine within the next 10 to 15 years. For aging individuals with failing kidneys or a worn-out pancreas, that could be life-extending. For the healthcare system, it could mean eliminating long transplant waitlists and dramatically reducing the cost of chronic care.

Another key branch of the tree is cellular reprogramming. At the frontier of regenerative medicine, this approach aims to reset cells to a more youthful state. By turning back the clock at the epigenetic level, researchers can restore cellular function and potentially reverse age-related decline. Studies in mice have already shown partial reprogramming can regenerate optic nerves and extend lifespan. Some early-stage human trials are now underway, and biotech companies are racing to develop safe, controllable ways to apply these discoveries across different tissues. If successful, reprogramming could eventually treat multiple aging-related diseases with a single intervention – something no current drug can do.

But even the most powerful therapies are only as good as the systems that deliver them. That’s why a third cluster of technologies is focused on advanced delivery. Getting treatments to the right cells, in the right tissue, at the right time is a major challenge. Advances in lipid nanoparticles, tissue-specific viral vectors, and engineered immune cells are allowing for unprecedented precision. Gene therapies, mRNA drugs, and CRISPR-based interventions all depend on reliable delivery systems. As these platforms improve, so does the likelihood that cutting-edge treatments can be deployed safely in humans. This is what transforms scientific breakthroughs into real-world clinical options.

Digital tools are accelerating discovery

Overlaying all of this is the rise of AI and big data. Today’s most powerful algorithms are being trained on vast biomedical datasets – everything from gene expression profiles to clinical trial results to longitudinal health records. Machine learning models are identifying new drug targets, predicting toxicity, and modeling biological age more accurately than ever. AI is also enabling faster iteration in the lab, from protein folding to compound synthesis. The result: faster discovery, better predictions, and a shorter path from bench to bedside. This isn’t abstract – companies like Insilico Medicine and BioAge are already using these tools to develop real therapies targeting aging mechanisms.

Equally important is the systems-level view emerging from personalized medicine. We now know that aging isn’t caused by a single process – it’s a complex interplay of genetic, metabolic, and environmental factors. That’s why interventions tailored to an individual’s biology tend to work better. The convergence of genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics is enabling increasingly precise insights into how and when aging accelerates in different people. With this data, doctors can anticipate which pathways are breaking down first – and intervene accordingly. This level of personalization turns the fight against aging from a one-size-fits-all problem into a dynamic, patient-specific opportunity.

Diagnostics are also evolving rapidly. We’re moving beyond snapshots into real-time biological monitoring. Liquid biopsies can detect early signs of cancer or inflammation from a single blood draw. Wearable sensors track biomarkers continuously, offering insight into sleep quality, metabolic rate, and cardiovascular health. Imaging technology enhanced by AI can flag microvascular damage or early cognitive decline years before traditional tools would catch it. These capabilities don’t just enable earlier intervention – they make preventive longevity medicine possible.

So if the science is advancing across all these domains, why isn’t the money following?

The reality is that most ultra-wealthy individuals remain hesitant to fund longevity efforts. Some have been burned in the past – enticed by pseudo-scientific supplements or flashy but empty anti-aging clinics. That history has left a stigma, making legitimate science harder to champion. Others simply don’t believe aging can be solved. They see it as nature’s default, not a modifiable variable.

There’s also the belief that wealth alone will provide access to life-saving therapies once they exist – ignoring the fact that innovation requires time, risk, and upfront capital to succeed. In other cases, status-seeking, legacy building, or public relations concerns may steer donors toward safer, more traditional causes. There’s even the perception – often unspoken – that investing in longevity is selfish, or vain, rather than humanitarian.

But perhaps the biggest factor is lack of awareness. Many of the people best positioned to fund this work have simply not been exposed to the latest science. They don’t realize how close we are to changing the trajectory of aging. They don’t see the opportunity in a mapped-out tech tree that can guide investment, prioritize breakthroughs, and show how each step builds toward a larger vision. That’s starting to change. But not fast enough.

Aging isn’t just costly – it’s preventable

The market case for longevity is overwhelming. As populations age, healthcare costs are exploding. Age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, and heart failure are consuming national budgets and straining families. Even a modest delay in the onset of chronic disease could save trillions in care costs and add tens of millions of healthy life-years to the global population. The productivity gains, social value, and intergenerational stability this would create are hard to overstate.

But beyond the economics, the ethical case is equally strong. Aging is the single greatest cause of suffering in the developed world. It is the leading risk factor for the conditions that diminish quality of life and shorten lifespans. If we have the tools to slow that process – to reduce suffering and extend functional health – how can we justify not using them? Longevity isn’t about chasing immortality. It’s about making sure people stay healthy and active for longer. It’s about letting grandparents remember their grandchildren. About giving people time to contribute more, love more, and live more.

We are now in a position where progress depends not on imagination, but on action. The road is mapped. The longevity tech tree provides a strategic vision for what needs to happen – and in what order. The science has momentum. The startups are emerging. The regulatory landscape is slowly adapting. But the final lever – the one that can pull all this together at scale – is investment.

Those who step forward now will be remembered not just for spotting an opportunity, but for helping reframe what it means to grow old in the 21st century. They will be the ones who funded the tools that kept people out of wheelchairs, out of chemo wards, and out of memory care. They will have backed the most transformative health movement of our time – not when it was safe or proven, but when it mattered most.

About Omri Amirav-Drory

Omri Amirav-Drory, PhD is the General Partner at NFX Bio. He is a scientist and an operator who has founded, scaled, and invested in some of today’s most important techbio companies.

Before becoming an investor, Omri was the Founding CEO of Genome Compiler, which developed software for genetic engineers and molecular and synthetic biologists. He led the company to a successful acquisition by Twist Bioscience, a next-generation DNA synthesis company currently valued at ~$2.5 Billion. Omri stayed at Twist for almost three years after the acquisition as the Head of Corporate Development.

After leaving Twist, Omri became the Founding Partner at Tech.Bio where he invested and advised in companies like Mammoth Biosciences, immunai, C2i Genomics, and more. Now as an investor, Omri understands what it means to be a Scientist-CEO and is committed to a future where this is the norm, not the exception.