AGE1 | Investment Thesis & Preferences

01Investment Thesis

Funding the next generation of contrarian founders building breakthrough longevity biotech companies. We invest in the transition from sickcare to healthcare by extending healthy lifespan and preventing age-related disease.

Exclusion Criteria

Not interested in traditional healthcare IT, wellness apps, or companies not directly addressing aging biology

02Founder Preferences

Exceptional founders with bold visions for extending healthy lifespan, founders with deep biotech expertise, contrarian thinkers approaching aging as a fundamental biology problem

03Investment Team

AC

Alex Colville

04F4 Research Brief

AGE1 Ventures Research

Investment Thesis and Philosophy

age1 is a venture capital firm dedicated to funding the next generation of contrarian founders building breakthrough longevity biotech companies. The firm's core thesis centers on the transformative shift from "sickcare" to healthcare—moving from treating individual age-related diseases as they occur to actively extending healthy lifespan and preventing the onset of age-related disease altogether.

Founded by Laura Deming, who created the pioneering Longevity Fund at age 16, age1 represents the evolution of longevity venture capital. The Longevity Fund established the field of longevity biotech venture investing, achieving 5 IPOs and attracting over $1B in follow-on capital for its portfolio companies. age1 builds on this foundation as a next-generation fund custom-built to invest in and support contrarian founders extending healthy lifespan.

The fund's philosophy recognizes that some of the best longevity companies initially don't appear as such, requiring deep expertise to identify breakthrough opportunities early. age1 focuses on the absolute earliest stage—angel round, pre-seed, seed, and Series A—where founder resources and capital guidance have maximum impact.

Investment Focus and Sectors

age1 invests exclusively in the longevity and healthy aging space, targeting:

Therapeutics for age-related disease and aging biology
Tools and technologies targeting aging mechanisms
Technologies extending healthy lifespan
Breakthrough biotech addressing aging at fundamental levels
Companies working on neurodegeneration, cellular senescence, and other aging-related challenges

The fund recognizes that exceptional founders in this space are building generational biotech companies that could fundamentally reshape human medicine.

Investment Stage and Ticket Size

age1 operates at the earliest stage of company development:

Primary focus: Pre-seed, seed, Series A
Secondary focus: Angel round and even pre-idea stage
Ticket size: $500,000 to $4,000,000
Check size varies based on round dynamics
Investment approach: Prefers to lead rounds to ensure founder-friendly terms
Also open to following in strong rounds
Well-capitalized to support portfolio through later rounds

The fund specializes in earliest-stage biotech, often investing before traditional biotech VCs enter, allowing for optimal founder terms.

Fund Status and Capital

age1's initial closing achieved $35 million, significantly validating the longevity biotech investment thesis. The fund is actively deploying capital and supporting portfolio companies through multiple rounds, demonstrating both financial capacity and long-term commitment to longevity entrepreneurs.

Team and Leadership

Founders:

Laura Deming - Founder/Co-founder, Former Longevity Fund founder at age 16, studied physics at MIT before becoming a Thiel Fellow at 17

Team Members:

Alex Colville - Partner/Investor
Additional investment and operational team members supporting portfolio

The team brings deep expertise in early-stage biotech, longevity science, and founder support, with Laura Deming's track record of identifying breakthrough longevity founders and companies.

Recent Activity and Market Position

age1 maintains active engagement with the longevity biotech space:

Portfolio: 23 companies across longevity therapeutics and tools
2025 Activity: Published 1st Annual Pharma Aging Report Card (Jul 2025) analyzing pharma company longevity investments
Market positioning: Recognized as leading longevity-focused early-stage VC
Thought leadership: Active in longevity discourse and industry development

The fund's annual report card demonstrates deep engagement with the broader longevity ecosystem and commitment to advancing the field.