Youthful Uda Files IPO Prospectus: Advancing Anti-Aging Through NAD+ Enhancement
Young people are enjoying the temporal freedom afforded by staying up late at the expense of their physical health, while simultaneously flocking to “wellness” practices in an attempt to compensate through various supplements. This trend is converging with the growing elderly population and those suffering from chronic diseases. The heightened emphasis on “wellness” and the shift in consumer mindsets among these groups have further propelled the development of the entire nutritional and health food market, including health supplements, functional nutritional foods, special dietary foods, and nutrient-fortified foods.
A report from Huatong Securities International pointed out that in 2022, the per capita consumption of nutritional health foods in the United States, Australia, and South Korea was $169, $117, and $116, respectively.Due to its late start and low penetration rate, China’s per capita consumption of nutritional and health foods stood at $25 in 2022. However, data from 2022 shows that the market size of China’s nutritional and health food industry reached as high as $35.8 billion, and the Chinese market continues to grow.
Among them, a host of companies have emerged with a focus on aging intervention. At the 4th TimePie Aging Intervention Forum, we also interviewed Jianling UDA—a company dedicated to enabling the general public to experience anti-aging benefits through its own products.
Zhu Xiaomu, the lead of UDA Age Reversal; founder Kevin Yang (Yang Xiangji); co-founder and Head of R&D Avi Roy; and Scientific Advisor Elizabeth Parrish all participated in the interviews. VCBeat has made appropriate adjustments to the interview content without altering its original meaning. The summarized content is as follows:
From left to right: Zhu Xiaomu, Principal of Age-Reduction UDA; Founder Kevin Yang; Co-founder and Head of R&D Avi Roy; Scientific Advisor Elizabeth Parrish; Brian Kennedy, Co-Director of the Centre for Healthy Longevity at the National University Health System, National University of Singapore; and Marek Piotrowski, Producer of the anti-aging documentary *Beyond Time*.
Q: Kevin, given your background in computer engineering, which is not closely related to the anti-aging field, why did you choose to establish the age-reduction brand UDA overseas as its founder?
Founder: Kevin YangWith a background in computer science, I previously founded startups in the gaming industry and established Tap4fun, a leading game company in China. Between 2014 and 2015, I experienced significant physical decline, including back pain and neuralgia, which culminated in a severe health crisis that proved unresponsive to conventional medical treatment. Later, upon learning that anti-aging interventions might be effective, I began experimenting with them and achieved notable results. This prompted me to seek out top-tier scientists specializing in anti-aging research, ultimately leading me to collaborate with Avi Roy.I have also been seeking a better business model, aiming to create a product that delivers benefits without the need for injections, medication, exercise, or any additional effort.Ultimately, we founded Age-Defying UDA.
Q: Mr. Zhu, why did you choose to become the head of the age-reduction UDA?
Host: Zhu XiaomuKevin is both our partner and my investor. We had been seeking opportunities for collaboration but had not yet identified a suitable project. At that time, I was approaching 40 and experiencing age-related anxiety; I desired anti-aging interventions but struggled to find appropriate options. Meanwhile, Kevin had discovered scientifically backed anti-aging approaches by investing in top international scientists. He began his own anti-aging regimen, taking various supplements, and encouraged his mother to do the same. However, taking pills proved highly inconvenient. When he noticed his mother’s fondness for coffee, he started crushing the tablets into her coffee, as the beverage effectively masked the bitterness of the medication.This is also the reason why Age-Defying UDA chose coffee as its breakthrough point.We have addressed the common dilemmas of what to eat, how much to eat, and how to eat it. Our competitive advantage lies in delivering essential nutrients while you enjoy your coffee, all at a price point comparable to other coffee brands.
After experiencing previous failures with mobile phone products, I am now engaged in live-streaming e-commerce. I have seen many products, but this one resonates with me the most. One reason is “self-interested”: given the product form of coffee, I am confident it will sell well. The other reason is “public-spirited.”It is beneficial to the general public. When the price is sufficiently low, it can reach a broader population.It is undoubtedly a market with immense growth potential and continuous expansion. Furthermore, the product is backed by a top-tier team in the life sciences sector. Therefore, I have become the head of Age-Back UDA in the Chinese market.
Q: What is the principle behind the product, and what is the active component?
Co-FounderHumanand Avi Roy, Head of R&D(Note: The original response was in English and has been adjusted): What we attempted to do,It is about finding the optimal combination to intervene in aging at the cellular level. We are screening tens of thousands of supplements to identify those effective for humans.Our first-generation product line featured seven supplements. Today, our supplement portfolio has expanded to 17 varieties. This achievement is the result of three years of dedicated work.
Our brand name, uda, is derived from “United Defeat Aging,” signifying a united front against aging. We collaborate with the University of Oxford and have advisors from Harvard University, leveraging scientific research from around the world to develop superior formulations that deliver enhanced results. As the body of scientific evidence grows, we are confident in our ability to bring even better products to market in the future. We aim to convey a message to the world that age is “modifiable.” We have already begun efforts to slow down the aging process and even “reverse” it.
Q: You previously mentioned that continuous consumption for six months resulted in an average age reduction of 6.1 years. Does this imply that continuous consumption for one year could reduce biological age by 12 years? How should this be interpreted?
Co-founder and Head of R&D, Avi Roy: This does not align with biological principles. If you start from a state of being overweight or unhealthy, you will experience greater benefits; however, if you are already healthy, the benefits will not be as pronounced. Nevertheless, by maintaining these habits, you will observe stable results. Using our products in conjunction with exercise and a healthy lifestyle will yield additional advantages. However, you will obviously not revert to infancy, nor will you continue to grow younger indefinitely. You will eventually reach a plateau, stabilizing at this level and maintaining it.
Currently, we do not know what this upper limit is. The current data are solely from a case study involving seven healthy individuals over a six-month period. We will also continue to conduct clinical trials.We are also receiving feedback from European users who have been consuming our product for one year. In the future, we will consider conducting biological testing on them. Overall, you will experience a rejuvenation effect and eventually reach a plateau. The aforementioned data reflects only the reduction in biological age; our website also provides calculations for aging rate. This means our product not only makes you biologically younger but also slows down your rate of aging.
Founder: Kevin Yang: Elizabeth Parrish, sitting beside me, is already 52 years old. Her condition today is markedly different from that of the average person. She has undergone gene therapy costing millions of dollars. With technological advancements, the cost will inevitably decrease to a level affordable for the general public in the future. Our mission is to ensure that ordinary people can also benefit from the anti-aging achievements brought about by technology.
Q: Eliza, what are your thoughts on what Ageless UDA is doing?
Scientific Advisor Elizabeth Parrish(Note: The original response was in English and has been adjusted): I have worked in the field of gene therapy for many years, and I hope to help people live better lives.However, gene therapy is undoubtedly a very expensive technology.At a time when human lifestyles are becoming increasingly unhealthy, I am pleased to see the efforts made by Age-Defying UDA to improve the health of ordinary people. Both China and the world at large are currently facing the challenge of population aging, with an insufficient number of young people to care for the elderly. It has become crucial for individuals to maintain their health as much as possible. This undoubtedly represents a market with tremendous growth potential.
Q: A six-month study involving seven healthy adults was just mentioned. Is this sample size too small, and does the resulting evidence need to be further strengthened? Are there plans to conduct large-scale clinical trials in the future?
Founder: Kevin Yang: This study was a test conducted at a very early stage of our product. WeWe will soon collaborate with the U.S. FDA and Chinese research institutions to launch research projects involving thousands of participants.We will gradually expand coverage to a broader subject population. In fact, thousands of people are already using our products each month. While ensuring safety, we are also tracking changes in their biomarker data related to aging.
Q: The launch of clinical trials leads to a sharp increase in costs. How should this be viewed?
Co-founder and Head of R&D, Avi Roy: In fact, supplement companies have little incentive to conduct clinical trials. If a trial is successful, competitors will imitate the results; if it fails, the company bears the losses alone. Therefore, few enterprises are motivated to undertake such efforts.My purpose in doing this is to demonstrate that our product is genuine and effective.To reduce clinical trial costs, strategic considerations can be employed. For instance, selecting FDA-approved clinical trials and adding supplements on this basis can significantly lower trial expenses while accelerating the acquisition of results. In the future, we will conduct more integrated testing, including comprehensive coverage of all biomarkers and methylation clocks. We aim to pursue the highest quality scientific research while ensuring cost-effectiveness to the greatest extent possible.
Q: Young people in China are increasingly prioritizing health and wellness, driving market growth. However, some critics argue that many products on the market are merely “intelligence taxes” (i.e., overpriced items with little real value). How should we interpret these differing viewpoints? What steps can be taken to alleviate consumer concerns moving forward?
Founder: Kevin Yang: Our product is definitely not a gimmick. Because our product price is the same as regular coffee, andA small bottle of health supplements is typically priced at 50 to 100 times our cost.Whether it is a scam is for consumers to judge. Even in the worst-case scenario, the most that could happen is that consumers would have simply drunk a cup of coffee. We regularly release our scientific research data to the public, which distinguishes a mission-driven company from one solely focused on profit. As we achieve profitability, we will further invest in scientific research to help more people reverse aging.
Host: Zhu Xiaomu: The most effective way to alleviate consumer concerns is to encourage long-term engagement with our brand. Most product brands do not regularly publish scientific research reports or disclose clinical trial progress, as they are not obligated to do so. We, however, take a different approach. We believe that the ongoing disclosure of our relevant data will further alleviate consumer concerns.
Q: The international version of Jianling UDA currently covers more than 26 countries and regions. However, Jianling UDA is a brand that was only established at the end of 2022. What are the reasons behind its rapid expansion?
Founder: Kevin Yang: Ageless UDA is headquartered in Oxford, UK. Our co-founder, Avi, holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Oxford. We also have more than ten scientific advisors who are professors and scientists from Oxford, Harvard, and Cambridge. London is an international city where frequent exchanges among European professors help promote our products to some extent. Currently, we have acquired a base of highly engaged users, and with further improvements to the formulation, efficacy, and taste of our second-generation product, we are confident that our user base will see significant growth.
Host: Zhu Xiaomu: This is also one of the reasons why I believe this initiative is likely to succeed. Before I joined Ageless UDA, many users in overseas markets had already shown strong interest in Ageless UDA. In fact, they employed almost no marketing tactics, relying entirely on word-of-mouth and leveraging the credibility endorsement of scientists. They did not even launch on Amazon in overseas markets. Many users in various regions chose to recommend it to their friends after using it, which also meansThe product itself demonstrates strong repurchase rates and high customer stickiness.. It also signifies that the small-scale product promotion validation has been completed.
Q: What are the next steps for market expansion?
Host: Zhu Xiaomu: Our first-generation products were manufactured overseas and sold online in international markets. In China, they entered the market through JD.com’s cross-border e-commerce platform. Currently, we have also established a company in Beijing. The next generation of products will be manufactured in China and sold both domestically and internationally. Starting next month, we will launch online sales and gradually expand into offline channels. We aim to prioritize brand building to increase awareness of Age-Defying UDA."Initially implement lightweight operations based on strategies such as live streaming and private domain traffic, then enter offline distribution channels through a distributor model.". In addition to coffee products, we are also planning a wider range of offerings and look forward to bringing them to consumers even sooner.