Longevity: Tech, Investments & What’s Next? | DHI Roundtable

by Florencia Pieroni

Together with  "Digital Health Insider", we hosted the 6th edition of our classic roundtable with top industry leaders that shared their views regarding longevity in health technology. 

This event featured notable speakers including

Did you miss it? Don't worry! Here we share our main takeaways from it! Lets dive in!

Building for Longevity

The conversation began with a critical look at what longevity truly means in today’s world. Hillary emphasized that longevity should be viewed as more than just a measure of lifespan; it is fundamentally a philosophy centered on health optimization. “It’s not just about living longer, but also living better,” she stated, highlighting the need for a shift in how the medical community approaches health and wellness.

“Despite $4.5 trillion spent annually on healthcare, 90% goes towards chronic conditions that could be prevented.”

She emphasized the importance of changing the incentive structures in healthcare to prioritize long-term health outcomes over short-term fixes.

Building for longevity then does not only involve adopting new technologies, but also rethinking existing healthcare practices and regulations. As Nathan put it: "You can build amazing technology and build a distribution channel to get care to people. That stuff's relatively easy to do. It's hard to do it well, but you know you can do that. It's very challenging to navigate the state statutes and the federal statutes and do it completely above board everywhere."

The Business of Longevity - From Idea to Scale

When discussing the business potential within the longevity sector the panelists agreed on the difference between pre and post pandemic market. 

“We are seeing a huge consumer shift towards longevity products, especially after the pandemic heightened awareness of health vulnerabilities.” Nate stated.

This shift indicates a growing desire among consumers to take proactive measures in their health, moving away from a reactive healthcare model. Nate further elaborated that successful businesses in this space must focus on specific areas. “Being very narrow with your focus area is key. If you try to do everything, you end up doing nothing well,” he cautioned. This advice resonated with the panelists, who highlighted the importance of understanding consumer needs and building solutions that address those needs effectively.

How AI & Digital Health are Transforming Longevity

Artificial intelligence was a focal point of the discussion, with panelists considering its implications for the topic. Lin noted that while AI has the potential to enhance medical care, many current solutions are not tailored to fit the reality of how providers work. “A lot of AI solutions were not built with the physician workflow in mind,” she explained, underscoring the challenges of integrating these technologies into existing practices.

Graville added that AI is already being utilized to detect patterns in medical imaging that would typically be missed by human clinicians. He stated, “This sort of technology allows you to potentially identify diseases years earlier,” which could significantly change the landscape of preventive healthcare.

A concept worth mentioning is Precision Longevity, referring to a highly individualized, data-driven approach to health care that focuses on optimizing both lifespan and healthspan. It emphasizes creating customized care plans based on unique data. AI can play a big role in bringing solutions within the precision longevity landscape.

Max Marchione echoed this sentiment, stressing the necessity of AI in the future of healthcare. “Every person will have a healthcare super app on their phone,” he predicted, emphasizing that the future will see a universal adoption of AI in health management.

Investing in Longevity – Risks & Opportunities

The roundtable addressed the investment landscape in longevity, focusing on the risks and opportunities available to potential investors. Lin observed that while the field is promising, there are significant hurdles, especially related to regulatory frameworks and traditional healthcare practices. 

Max pointed out that the healthcare industry has yet to see truly successful companies emerge in the past two decades. “There are no great healthcare companies that have started in this time frame,” he remarked citing the need for innovative approaches to attract investors.

He also noted that the uniqueness of a founder’s vision often outweighs traditional credentials in securing funding.

“Great teams and non-obvious insights on execution are what investors are looking for,” he emphasized.

The panelists agreed that having a clear strategy and a dedicated team is essential for success in this emerging field. Marchione explained, “What separates the winners from the rest is not just the idea, but the team behind it. You need a clear strategy and a strong foundation to build upon” 

Final Thoughts.

The DHI roundtable on longevity technology provided a clear view of where the field stands and where it's headed. The conversation highlighted how precision medicine, AI-driven insights, and a deeper understanding of the business landscape are shaping the next phase of health innovation. As momentum builds, it's clear that the fusion of technology and healthcare has the potential to radically shift how we approach aging, wellness, and long-term health outcomes.

Curious to dive deeper? The full roundtable, along with previous sessions, is available on our YouTube channel. And stay tuned, our next roundtable is just around the corner.