Human Longevity Inc. Files for IPO: Pioneering Genomic-Based Aging Biomarker Detection to Unlock a Trillion-Dollar Longevity Market

In 2013, Human Longevity, Inc., a precision medicine company offering aging and health assessments through advanced technologies such as genomics, medical imaging, biomedical testing, and AI, was founded in San Diego, USA. Within just three years of its establishment, the company completed Series A and B financing rounds, raising a total of $300 million.

The list of investors includes leading figures from various industries, such as the sequencing company Illumina, the biopharmaceutical company Celgene, General Electric (GE), Genting Group, and Emerging Technology Partners (ETP Fund). The name of this invested enterprise is Human Longevity, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as “HLI”).

In addition to the two rounds of financing involving substantial amounts, HLI has drawn significant attention for its co-founder, J. Craig Venter.

“Father of the Human Genome,” member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, recipient of the U.S. National Medal of Science, and listed among TIME’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” in both 2007 and 2008—Craig Venter boasts countless accolades. In recent years, two major achievements have brought him widespread public recognition: first, in 2000, Craig Venter and Francis Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, jointly announced the completion of the human genome map, advancing the finish date of the Human Genome Project by three years; second, in 2010, Craig Venter and his team successfully synthesized the first self-replicating artificial cell, marking the first synthetically created life form in human history.

Under the leadership of such a formidable founder, HLI has naturally achieved remarkable success. In addition to its aforementioned performance in the capital markets, HLI was ranked 27th globally among life science industry institutions in the Nature Index Annual Tables by Nature magazine from 2015 to 2018, surpassing renowned pharmaceutical companies such as Merck & Co. and Gilead Sciences on this list.

Admittedly, a company’s outstanding performance is indeed closely tied to the founder’s capabilities, background, and even resources, but it is by no means solely attributable to the founder’s halo effect. Therefore, this article aims to analyze the reasons behind HLI’s significant attention from the perspectives of technology, products, and other factors.

In 2014, Illumina launched the HiSeq X Ten sequencing platform. The HiSeq X Ten comprises ten ultra-high-throughput sequencers capable of parallel sequencing, making it suitable for large-scale population analysis. It is recognized as the first sequencing platform to reduce the cost of human whole-genome sequencing to $1,000 or less. Human Longevity, Inc. (HLI) purchased 24 HiSeq X Ten instruments from Illumina and established a HiSeq X Ten laboratory, which can analyze 650–700 genomes per week and generate approximately 60 TB of genomic sequence data.

At this laboratory, HLI analyzed the genomic sequences of more than 20,000 individuals and began creating a comprehensive human genome database. HLI planned to complete genomic sequencing for 40,000 individuals annually, with the ultimate goal of scaling up to 100,000 per year and reaching one million genome records by 2020.

Building on its genomic research, HLI has simultaneously launched three additional research programs focusing on the microbiome, metabolome, and stem cell genomics. While collecting human genomic data, HLI also gathers microbiome and metabolome data from the same cohort to identify associations between these factors and disease. Furthermore, by monitoring stem cell differentiation and genomic changes during normal aging, HLI aims to uncover links to therapeutic interventions for human diseases and the extension of healthspan.

Leveraging data collected from genomics, microbiomics, metabolomics, and stem cell omics, HLI is progressively building the world’s most comprehensive database of human genotypes and phenotypes associated with age-related degenerative diseases. This database aims to “digitize” life. On this foundation, HLI has also established a high-throughput AI analytics platform capable of linking data with biological insights, enabling the analysis of human aging and exploration of its underlying causes, with the ultimate goal of extending human lifespan.

Simply put, HLI’s core business model is to provide clients with comprehensive, in-depth health management services that integrate testing and intervention, thereby achieving the goal of reducing age-related diseases and extending human healthspan.

Specifically, during the detection phase, HLI offers clients over 100 medical tests for health assessment, covering multiple categories such as whole-genome sequencing, whole-body quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and blood biomarker analysis. While collecting client health data, HLI also provides in-depth interpretation of test results, including genomic sequencing, whole-body quantitative MRI data, and whole-body metabolomics. By leveraging an AI platform to compare and analyze the acquired data against its proprietary database, HLI ultimately generates a comprehensive and detailed personalized health report.

Notably, HLI integrates the aforementioned services and medical tests into a comprehensive health management service product—Health Nucleus, a premium health screening and health management program based on clinical diagnostic technologies such as genomic sequencing.

Priced at $25,000, Health Nucleus includes 11 diagnostic tests, 40 blood biomarkers, a 3.2-billion-base-pair genomic test, and whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). All tests are non-invasive, and the entire screening process takes up to five hours. It comprehensively assesses an individual’s overall aging-related health status and accurately evaluates early signs of diseases in four key areas: cancer, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and neurological conditions, thereby helping individuals detect and prevent age-related diseases at an early stage.

Upon completion of customer testing, Human Longevity, Inc. (HLI) will leverage AI and a multidisciplinary team of medical experts—including specialists in genetics, bioinformatics, genomics, and internal medicine and surgery—to analyze the test results and generate a comprehensive, personalized health report. This exclusive report, totaling 150 GB and spanning over 500 pages, is structured into three main sections: “What Are My Health Risks?”, “How Can I Reduce These Risks?”, and “What Factors Determine My Risk?” It provides a holistic assessment of an individual’s health status and offers corresponding interventions and therapeutic measures to improve health outcomes.

Notably, HLI’s team of medical expert analysts hails from Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, and other leading U.S. academic and clinical research institutions, enabling timely consultation for users across both routine and complex cases.

To date, HLI has served more than 5,000 users. Building on this foundation, HLI conducted a study¹ that combined whole-genome sequencing with deep phenotyping, integrating metabolomics, advanced imaging, clinical laboratory data, and family/medical history to comprehensively analyze volunteers’ overall health status and disease risk. The study included 1,190 participants who considered themselves “completely healthy” prior to enrollment.

The study results showed that after evaluation by Health Nucleus, some of the 1,190 participants were found to have health risks associated with early-stage age-related diseases and pre-chronic disease conditions, with some conditions being newly identified. For instance, 34.2% had insulin resistance or impaired glucose tolerance, 16.2% exhibited cardiac structural or functional abnormalities such as valvular lesions, and 1.7% were detected with early-stage tumors, which carried the highest degree of malignancy.

Furthermore, the research team integrated genomic data with clinical laboratory data to analyze the presence and probability of disease occurrence. The data revealed that approximately 17.3% of individuals carried at least one pathogenic genetic variant. When combined with findings from imaging and blood tests, 11.9% of individuals exhibited both the genotypic markers and phenotypic manifestations of disease.

In 2022, HLI and the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Freedom Acquisition Corp (“Freedom”) jointly announced that they had signed a letter of intent to take HLI public through a SPAC merger, with the post-merger entity valued at approximately $1 billion. However, three months later, Freedom abruptly announced it was abandoning the merger plan with HLI and instead merging with the solar energy services company Solaria. HLI’s IPO pathway was consequently halted, and as of now, it has still not listed on the Nasdaq.

Nevertheless, this trend appears to follow a discernible pattern. According to The Wall Street Journal, by late 2018, revelations involving the company’s CEO in trade secret theft and his subsequent departure, coupled with extensive layoffs and a flawed business model, led to Human Longevity, Inc. (HLI) being valued at only $310 million in its latest funding round—an 80% plunge from the $1.6 billion valuation in the previous round. Ultimately, HLI raised just $30 million in its Series C financing in 2019.

In the face of a series of crises, HLI has also implemented a range of self-rescue measures.

First, the company launched a longevity membership program with over 100 options to attract new users. Members enrolled in this program can complete all tests included in the Health Nucleus project during their initial visit, receive corresponding health reports, and obtain precise improvement recommendations. Additionally, to expand its global business, Human Longevity, Inc. (HLI) has established service centers in San Francisco, San Diego, and Beijing.

Second, optimize the Health Nucleus service to lower its price. As a $25,000 product is “out of reach” for most people, HLI has launched the standard version of Health Nucleus—HN Core—priced at $5,500, with payment available through U.S. Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).

Furthermore, in 2022, HLI partnered with MediCardia Health Inc., a digital health platform developer, to launch the first precision medicine remote monitoring platform in North America—MediCardia HeartChart, a data integration and automation platform for cardiovascular disease management. The platform extracts data from electronic health records and synthesizes patient profiles to track the progression of vital signs such as blood pressure, weight, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation, thereby better improving patients’ health outcomes.

Currently, anti-aging has become the focal point of market and capital attention, with numerous tech leaders and corporate giants entering the fray in a bid to secure a competitive edge. As an early mover in the niche of aging biomarkers within the anti-aging sector, HLI has leveraged its advanced technological platform and expert team to develop aging-related diagnostic products, granting it a distinct first-mover advantage. What now lies before HLI is a “gold mine” in the anti-aging market valued at hundreds of billions of dollars.

With the growing global elderly population, there is an increasing demand for delaying aging and extending healthspan. According to the “Research Report on the Development of the Global and Chinese Anti-Aging Industry and Consumer Demand (2022–2023)” by iiMedia Research, the global anti-aging market size grew from $139.5 billion in 2015 to $216 billion in 2021, and is projected to exceed $300 billion by 2025.

Therefore, whether HLI can seize the “tailwind” of the current anti-aging boom, leverage its technological and product advantages to secure a foothold in the anti-aging market, and successfully list on the Nasdaq, remains to be seen!

References:

1. Ying-Chen Claire Hou, Hung-Chun Yu, Rick Martin, +23, and C. Thomas Caskey tcaskey@bcm.eduAuthors Info & Affiliations.Precision medicine integrating whole-genome sequencing, comprehensive metabolomics, and advanced imaging.January 24, 2020 117 (6) 3053-3062 .