Longevity Investing: How to Capture the $600 Billion Opportunity
Longer lives mean more than just extra years — they create a booming new investment universe. Longevity Investors, founded by Swiss serial entrepreneurs Tobias Reichmuth and Marc P. Bernegger, is at the heart of this trend. In this conversation with finews.com, CEO Lucia Kupcova explains why the longevity sector is becoming a $600 billion market and why no serious investor can afford to ignore it. From exclusive Swiss conferences to global moonshot projects, she shares how finance and science are converging.
Ms. Kupcova, the Longevity Investors Conference will take place for the sixth time this year. How did it all begin? What was the idea behind it?
The Longevity Investors Conference was born out of a simple but very powerful insight back in 2020. Scientific breakthroughs in longevity were gaining momentum — but the investment community wasn’t yet aligned with this opportunity. There was no global platform focused exclusively on connecting serious investors with science, startups, and strategies in longevity. We were the first movers. And the whole concept came together thanks to a unique collaboration with our trusted long-term partner, Le Grand Bellevue in Gstaad. From the very beginning, the owner, Daniel Koetser, shared our vision and offered us the venue. Over time, it became much more than just a venue — it’s really a home for the conference now.
Why Switzerland and Gstaad specifically?
Switzerland was a natural choice: it has world-renowned research institutions, a strong MedTech and biotech ecosystem, and a supportive regulatory framework. Combined with the country’s long tradition in private wealth and asset management, it made perfect sense. And then there’s Gstaad and its unique atmosphere – the clear mountain air, the calm of the Alps, which provides a perfect level of privacy, focus and luxury.
«At Longevity Investors, we focus on the private side of the market.»
If you compare the pioneering early days to today, how has the conference evolved?
The core focus has stayed the same: educating investors in the field of longevity, speaking their language, and bringing them the most relevant topics. But today, the quality of the audience is much higher. In the beginning, people were still exploring the concept. Now, they really understand what we offer: we’re the only investor-only focused longevity event globally. We now attract top-tier investors and leading experts. The best minds in the field come to Gstaad, and that creates an exceptional dynamic.
Lucia Kupcova, CEO of Longevity Investors, with founders Marc P. Bernegger (l) and Tobias Reichmuth (r). (Image: Courtesy)
So, it’s not about getting bigger, but about staying exclusive?
Exactly. We intentionally keep it intimate — always around 120 participants. We focus on quality over quantity and have to reject many of the applicants as we only allow relevant investors as guests. Our audience is mostly international: family offices, institutional investors, venture capital fund managers, leading scientists, key opinion leaders, and a few carefully selected startup founders. We’re highly selective, whether it’s speakers, investors, partners or startups. Everyone in the room is there to meaningfully shape the future of longevity from both an investment and innovation perspective.
And your speakers — they all attend in person?
Yes, that’s very important for us. We maintain a ratio of one speaker for every three to four attendees, which guarantees real access and interaction. This is quite rare and one of our strongest USPs.
«The role of psychedelics will also be on the agenda.»
What are this year’s program highlights?
We’ll open with roundtable discussions led by our speakers, encouraging more intimate, conversational exchanges. Then we’ll have focused investor roundtables where participants can connect based on geography, investment stage, or thesis — supporting deal flow and concrete collaborations. This year, we’re also introducing bolder and even more controversial topics. For example, we’re highlighting female longevity, which remains an underfunded and under-discussed area. A key highlight is a special session in collaboration with the XPRIZE Foundation, founded and led by Peter Diamandis, where a new prize focused on extending female health span will be announced — a huge milestone for the field.
What other «bold» topics are coming up?
We’ll also discuss debunking longevity myths and separating science from wishful thinking, exploring the ethical and practical limits of human enhancement, and looking at the boldest longevity «moonshots» — and how to finance them. Mental health and the role of psychedelics will also be on the agenda. And beyond the formal program, the real magic often happens during informal activities and wellness experiences in Gstaad — that’s where true connections and partnerships are born.
The real magic often happens during informal activities. (Image: Courtesy)
Can you share some names of speakers?
We’ll have Sergey Young, one of the biggest investors in the space; Alex Aliper, President and Co-Founder of Insilico Medicine; Garri Zmudze, Managing Partner of LongeVC; and representatives from Maximon, which embodies the Swiss longevity ecosystem. The speakers lineup also includes leading longevity scientists and researchers such as Aubrey de Grey, Anna Erat, Matt Kaeberlein or João Pedro de Magalhães. David Gobel from the Methuselah Foundation will also be on stage, and Joe Betts-Lacroix from Retro Biosciences, a company backed by Sam Altman. We’ll also feature speakers like Maddy Dychtwald that are specially focused on female longevity. And there are a few special guests in the works that I can’t reveal just yet.
How did you personally become interested in longevity?
It happened quite naturally. I’ve always been driven by a vision for a better future for everyone, and longevity affects every single person on this planet. We’re all living longer — the question isn’t whether we’ll reach 80, 90, or even 100, but how we ensure those extra years are healthy and purposeful.
So it’s about quality of life, not just length?
Exactly. Through the longevity movement, we can help shift the focus from just living longer to living better. That fascinates me deeply. Longevity is no longer just an idea — it’s becoming one of the most transformational and investable sectors of our time. We’re seeing breakthroughs with the potential to add not just years to life, but quality, vitality, and purpose to those years.
«Investment in longevity has shown strong growth, reaching $8.5 billion in 2024, and we anticipate it will grow to about $10 billion in 2025. That’s roughly a 115 percent year-on-year increase.»
Why is longevity so appealing to investors today?
Longevity isn’t merely an emerging trend — it’s a boom. I see it as a foundational shift, comparable to the rise of AI. By 2050, the number of people aged 60 and over is projected to more than double, surpassing 2.1 billion globally. It’s not just about healthcare; it’s about solutions for healthy aging, financial security, and meaningful living. Investment in longevity has shown strong growth, reaching $8.5 billion in 2024, and we anticipate it will grow to about $10 billion in 2025. That’s roughly a 115 percent year-on-year increase.
Clear mountain air and the calm of the Alps: Participants in Gstaad. (Image: Courtesy)
And the range of opportunities goes far beyond biotech?
Absolutely. We’re talking about preventative medicine, advanced diagnostics, age-friendly technology, specialized financial products, and even real estate designed for active, longer lives. The so-called «longevity economy» is projected to exceed $600 billion by the end of 2025 according to organisations such as the Deep Knowledge Group and Rotary International.
Is longevity investment mainly about public market instruments like funds and ETFs, or private investments?
Longevity investing today is still predominantly focused on private investments. Most of the innovation in this space is happening at the early and growth stages. That’s where the most exciting breakthroughs are happening, and where investors can have a tangible impact in shaping the future of this field. While we’ve seen a few longevity-related ETFs and public companies emerge in recent years, the public markets are still catching up in terms of exposure and thematic maturity. There is definitely growing interest – especially from institutional players – but the investment opportunities in public markets remain limited and not yet diversified. At Longevity Investors, we focus on the private side of the market because that’s where most of the breakthrough science and disruptive business models are currently being developed. But we expect public markets to follow as the space matures and as demand from investors continues to rise. We recently shared some insights about the most active investors in the longevity space and the numbers of deals and invested capital is growing.
«We’re highly selective, whether it’s speakers, investors, partners or startups.»
How do you see the relationship between the financial industry and the longevity community, especially among Swiss private banks and family offices?
It’s very exciting to see traditional finance — often considered conservative — becoming proactive in embracing longevity. Initially, longevity was seen as a niche, almost moonshot area, and there was skepticism. But that has changed completely. Major financial institutions, in Switzerland and globally, are now actively launching initiatives and research forums on longevity. No serious, forward-thinking financial institution can afford to ignore it today. We’ve partnered with leading Swiss private and public banks — UBS and CS were our partners in the previous years, Maerki Baumann has been our long-term partner for several years now. These institutions use our conference to explore the space, create connections, and share insights. It’s a strong, positive shift.
«Unique collaboration»: Le Grand Bellevue Gstaad. (Image: Courtesy)
Besides the conference, what else does Longevity Investors do?
We’re evolving into a year-round platform focused on longevity investment and investors. Beyond the conference, we host events like the Longevity Investors Lunch during the World Economic Forum in Davos — next year will already be our fifth edition. We also collaborate globally, for example partnering with the XPRIZE Foundation for an Investors Summit in New York. We launched Longevity Investors News to track key investment trends and stories, and we’re working on more partnerships to bring our investment-focused format to other regions, including in Asia and the Middle East, where interest in health span and longevity is growing rapidly.
So you’re building a global community?
Exactly. Our goal is to build a global community that connects capital with innovation, shaping the future of the longevity sector.
Lucia Kupcova is CEO of Longevity Investors, where she leads strategy and curates high-profile investor and science gatherings in the longevity space. With a strong background in event strategy, hospitality, and marketing, Lucia previously held senior roles at BONARD and brings over a decade of experience in delivering high-impact, international projects. She is passionate about shaping the future of healthy aging through meaningful partnerships and investor engagement. Longevity Investors was founded in 2020 by the two Swiss serial entrepreneurs Marc P. Bernegger and Tobias Reichmuth.
