Human Longevity, Inc. to Go Public via SPAC Merger with Freedom Acquisition I, Targeting $1 Billion Valuation

Recently, Human Longevity Inc. (“HLI”) and the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Freedom Acquisition I (NYSE: FACT, “Freedom”) jointly announced that they have signed a letter of intent to take HLI public through a SPAC merger, with the post-merger company valued at approximately $1 billion.

As agreed in the letter of intent, if no Freedom shareholders exercise their redemption rights, the newly listed company will receive $345 million from Freedom’s trust account. This merger will accelerate HLI’s expansion in the United States and other key international markets, delivering precise longevity technology and medical services to clients worldwide.

Human Longevity, Inc. (HLI) was founded in 2013, with one of its co-founders being Dr. J. Craig Venter, known as the “Father of the Human Genome,” a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and a recipient of the U.S. National Medal of Science. Dr. Venter was named to TIME magazine’s “TIME 100” list of the world’s most influential people in both 2007 and 2008. His work has significantly advanced the progress of human genome sequencing. In 2000, Dr. Venter and Francis Collins, then director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, jointly announced the completion of the human genome map. Thanks to their efforts, the Human Genome Project was completed a full three years ahead of schedule. In 2010, Dr. Venter and his team synthesized the first self-replicating artificial cell, marking the first synthetic life form in human history.

▲ Figure | Dr. Craig Venter (left) (Source: TIME)

HLI is currently led by Executive Chairman Dr. Wei-Wu He and President Dr. David S. Karow. Its major investors include the sequencing company Illumina, the biopharmaceutical company Celgene, General Electric (GE), Genting Group, and Emerging Technology Partners (ETP Fund), among others.

As a global leader in longevity medical technology, HLI has invested over $500 million in research and development since 2013. HLI is committed to reducing age-related diseases through data-driven health management platforms, thereby further extending human life expectancy. HLI is a precision medicine service provider grounded in genomics, medical imaging technology, and biomedical testing techniques. By integrating big data with artificial intelligence and deep learning for comprehensive analysis, it accurately identifies early-stage diseases and predicts and manages future disease risks. Once widely adopted, this approach is projected to save trillions of dollars in healthcare expenditures annually. From 2015 to 2018, HLI was ranked 27th globally among life science industry institutions in the Nature Index Annual Tables by Nature magazine, placing it ahead of renowned pharmaceutical companies such as Merck & Co. and Gilead Sciences.

HLI provides clients with comprehensive, in-depth health management services, including over 100 medical tests for health assessment—such as whole-genome sequencing, whole-body quantitative MRI, and blood biomarker analysis—to detect early signs of conditions like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease, thereby helping individuals manage and reduce their risk of age-related diseases at an earlier stage.

In 2019, HLI entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with the renowned Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in the United States, enabling it to provide customers with remote international medical consultation services by MGH experts. MGH is the number one ranked research hospital in the United States and the earliest and largest teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. This strategic partnership helps HLI’s customers access the world’s most advanced disease intervention methods.

HLI assembles a global team of top-tier physicians to serve as clients’ “Personal Longevity Leaders,” helping them develop and adhere to personalized longevity management plans based on their unique genomics, biology, lifestyle, and longevity vision.

Freedom Acquisition I Corporation is a SPAC led by Executive Chairman Tidjane Thiam, CEO Adam Gishen, and Vice Chairman Edward Zeng. Following the successful merger between HLI and Freedom, Tidjane will join the HLI Board of Directors, leveraging the extensive resources and proven expertise of all parties in the healthcare and financial sectors to form a powerful alliance that accelerates the scaling and widespread adoption of precision longevity technologies.

Tidjane has served as Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse and Prudential plc. He has also held positions including Chairman of the Board of the Association of British Insurers and Minister in the Cabinet of Côte d’Ivoire. Since 2020, Tidjane has served as a Director of Kering, the French luxury goods group. In 2019, he became a member of the International Olympic Committee. In 2011, Tidjane was awarded the rank of Knight in the French Legion of Honour. In 2010, he was named to Time magazine’s “Time 100” list of the world’s most influential people.

Dr. Craig Venter, the “Father of the Human Genome,” a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, recipient of the U.S. National Medal of Science, and co-founder of HLIstated, “This merger represents an exciting development for HLI, enabling the company to expand its reach in precision health management technology. By leveraging advanced MRI imaging, genomics, and other cutting-edge omics testing technologies, HLI proactively prevents disease before it occurs. Up to 50% of HLI’s clients have benefited from its early diagnostic technologies, with many having their health risks mitigated or even their lives saved. I am proud of the achievements HLI has made to date, and its future looks promising.”

▲ Figure | Dr. Craig Venter Receives the National Medal of Science (Source: Getty Images North America)

Dr. He Wei-wu, Executive Chairman of HLIstated: “At HLI, we firmly believe that data-driven technologies such as genomic sequencing, artificial intelligence, and whole-body MRI will fundamentally revolutionize the model of human healthcare management. HLI has been operating for nearly a decade, with investments exceeding $500 million and a highly dedicated team. We integrate these technologies to enable individuals to delay age-related chronic diseases. We are confident that this platform will save millions of lives and significantly reduce healthcare costs in the future. We are delighted to have found like-minded partners in the Freedom team.”

Tidjane Thiam, Executive Chairman of Freedom Acquisitionstated: “We believe this is a significant opportunity. The model of precision and preventive healthcare management is exciting; its universal adoption and global promotion can not only extend healthy human lifespan but also substantially reduce healthcare costs in many countries. HLI is led by an exceptional management team that has established a leading AI-driven health management platform in the United States and now has the opportunity to expand it internationally, thereby extending human lifespan and improving quality of life. HLI’s technology is highly attractive to individuals concerned with health management, insurance companies, and numerous stakeholders in the healthcare management industry, providing substantial opportunities for HLI’s sustained, long-term business growth. We are delighted to collaborate with Dr. He Wei Wu and the HLI team, and we will work together to continue expanding HLI’s business globally.”