Investing in Longevity
I recently went one on one with Sergey Young. Sergey the $100 million Longevity Vision Fund, his personal passion project, to accelerate life extension breakthroughs and to make them affordable and accessible to all, positioning him as one of a few investors in the category globally. His longevity fund invests in companies that develop technologies, products, and services that extend healthy human lifespans and overcome the negative effects of aging. Sergey has over 20 years of experience managing funds, and while not working on his passion project, he oversees $2 billion in private equity funds and heads Peak State Ventures, a U.S. based fund with a focus on new technologies in real estate, digital healthcare and the future of workplace environments. Prior to becoming a fund manager and investor, Sergey made a career as a business consultant, working at McKinsey & Co., serving global corporations worldwide.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts and advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Sergey: Having been an investor for 20 years, including successfully managing a $1 billion private equity fund, I did not expect the creation of Longevity Vision Fund (the most recent fund I set up to accelerate life extension breakthroughs) to be inspired by a health scare – rather than through some kind of long-term plan.
A routine visit to a doctor, which I neglected for several years, uncovered dangerously high cholesterol levels, putting me at high risk of heart disease. While this might seem unimpressive by itself, bear in mind that cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality internationally – a risk that 102 million American adults with high cholesterol levels are also exposed to.
My doctor’s prescription aimed to mask, but not resolve the problem. She prescribed statins (cholesterol-lowering medication) that I would have to take for the rest of my life – despite being just 42 years old at the time.
As someone with a degree in Chemical Engineering, I imagined that taking potentially toxic pills for the rest of my life is probably not the best road to health – so I pressed for alternatives until the doctor suggested that another solution is to adopt a Mediterranean-style diet, and make certain lifestyle changes – which she seldom mentions, as hardly anyone does it. However, I followed these recommendations and in six months my blood tests indeed returned to normal!
Since then, I became passionate about helping people cure ‘lifestyle diseases’ – first through encouraging and educating my family, friends, clients, and even my wonderful housekeeping lady about the importance of a healthy lifestyle, adequate nutrition, as well as early diagnostics and a prevention-based approach.
Adam: You founded the Longevity Vision Fund, one of the world’s top funds specializing exclusively in health and longevity. Can you talk about what you look for when deciding what companies to invest in? What are the key metrics you consider? What should entrepreneurs understand?
Sergey: At Longevity Vision Fund, we use our own “3 Horizons of Longevity Innovation” framework, which gives a great overview of the longevity space
Horizon 1 – today
Technology currently available that has the potential to expand our lifespan to 100 years, such as DIY diagnostics, wearables, digital healthcare delivery, medical software & apps
Horizon 2 – tomorrow
Technology emerging over the next 5-10 years that has the potential to expand our lifespan to 150 years, such as genome therapy & editing, stem cell therapy, nanorobots, AI-based diagnostics & drug discovery, smart hospitals
Horizon 3 – the future
Technology that will come about in the next 10-20 years that has the potential to expand our lifespan to 200 years - including age reversal therapies, brain-computer integration, avatars, and Internet of the Bodies
Naturally, it is safer to focus on technologies in Horizon 1 – although at Longevity Vision Fund we invest mostly in Horizon 2 technologies. Early stage investments are risky, so before you invest make sure your due diligence is incredibly thorough – at Longevity Vision Fund we manage this risk by attract the best talent in longevity for our Scientific Advisory Board, including Aubrey De Gray, the “grandfather of gerontology”
Adam: What should everyone learn about longevity and how to attain it?
Sergey: Living to 100 is easier than you think! People don’t believe this is attainable, but the fact is that becoming a centenarian will soon be the new norm.
In terms of attaining longevity, there is no magic potion – it is a complex of several things. The following steps will help you live long and well:
Get regular annual checkups. Getting diagnosed early can extend your life by 10 years or more. Even the most serious and fatal diseases are treatable if diagnosed early
Quit smoking now. Everyone already knows the health dangers of smoking, so I won’t go into it here, but keep in mind that life expectancy for smokers is 5-10 years less than for nonsmokers. Quitting smoking before turning 40 reduces the risk of dying from a smoking-related disease by 90%
Drive responsibly. Fastening your seat belt and adopting a zero-alcohol policy before driving regardless of the legal alcohol limit might sound boring but you’ll reduce your risk of death in a car crash by 45%
Adam: You write a lot about longevity in the workplace. What are three best tips for business leaders on the topic?
Sergey: Invest in your employees from a health development – not just career development – perspective
Diversify your workforce to benefit from the experience and versatility of cross-generational teams
Choose a longevity-friendly health insurance provider such as Vitality (UK) to improve healthy lifespans of your employees, which will ensure better business returns and improved employee loyalty and satisfaction
Adam: More broadly speaking, what are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?
Sergey: Have a mission that inspires you to do what you do. For example, my mission is to extend healthy lifespans of one billion people – it is what keeps me going from strength to strength in my longevity-related endeavors
Quantify your goal – set quantifiable targets. This will help you and your team to stay focused, track your progress and know once you’ve reached your goal
Follow your passion! Having caught the “longevity virus”, I get a tremendous sense of meaning and purpose working in the longevity space
Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Sergey: Empower others, lead by example, and – if possible – have a mentor that inspires you and can teach you valuable lessons in leadership
Adam: Who are the greatest leaders you have been around and what did you learn from them?
Sergey: One of the greatest leaders I know personally is Peter Diamandis – Founder and Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation. He was one of the people who was instrumental in shaping my mission to extend healthy lifespan of one billion people and becoming the Development Sponsor of Age Reversal XPRIZE – a global technological competition designed to find a cure for aging
Adam: What are your best investment tips?
Sergey: In the longevity field, focus on Horizon 1 technologies – especially those that have the potential to be easily scaled and democratized. And make sure you do your due diligence!
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Sergey: “It is never too late to start” – and here I am, having discovered my passion and launched Longevity Vision Fund just over a year ago. We are now one of the biggest longevity-focused funds in the world
Adam: What is one thing everyone should be doing to pay it forward?
Sergey: It doesn’t matter exactly what you do – as long as you do it with a good heart. Random acts of kindness are great, regardless of what they are!
Adam: What are your hobbies and how have they shaped you?
Sergey: I love traveling and have been to both the South Pole and the North Pole, which really speaks to my curiosity and passion for discovery. And Japan is my favorite “longevity” destination!
Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?
Sergey: I would like to end this interview by thanking you, Adam, for creating such a great, inspiring blog – and wishing all the readers to live long and stay healthy and happy, especially at times like these.