Capital For Longevity: Investing In The Science Of Living Longer
Scientific breakthroughs need sustained funding, and longevity research is no exception. Prashanth Prakash, Founding Partner of Accel India, has backed some of India's most successful startups, including Flipkart, Ola, Freshworks, BookMyShow and Swiggy. He is now supporting research into healthy ageing as the Founding Patron of the Longevity India Initiative at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, providing initial grant funding to study ageing in the Indian context. Prakash sees longevity as one of the defining investment opportunities of the next two decades. In conversation with Namrata Kohli, he discusses the role of capital in advancing longevity science, emerging business opportunities, the need to distinguish scientific evidence from hype and his vision of a Family Health Officer who could transform the way families manage their health.
Is longevity the next big frontier after AI or is the industry still ahead of its science?
Longevity could be one of the defining investment opportunities of the next two decades. But I would not call it the frontier “after” AI – the two are moving together. AI is the enabler: it helps us interpret biology at a scale no single doctor can, and personalise care to each person. But, candidly, parts of the industry have moved ahead of the science. Investors and consumers must distinguish the promise of healthier ageing from claims that still need rigorous human evidence.
The idea I keep returning to is the Family Health Officer. Wealthy families have long had their own family office to manage their wealth: someone who sees the full picture, plans in decades rather than quarters, and coordinates specialists. I believe families and individuals will increasingly have a Family Health Officer to manage their health in the same way - one accountable owner of the household’s health plan, who tracks it over years, acts when results change and brings in the right specialist at the right time.
What are the key business opportunities emerging in India's longevity economy, and which segments do you see attracting investment?
In India, I see four kinds of longevity businesses taking shape:
Longevity spas. Wellness centres with a clear longevity proposition and a curated set of treatments: structured exercise, sleep and nutrition programmes, alongside newer therapies such as red-light therapy, cold therapy, infrared saunas and hyperbaric oxygen. The evidence for the newer therapies is early and uneven, and the best operators will be candid about which is which. This could also take the form of longevity retreats with programs running for several days or even weeks.
Diagnostic centres. A defined set of tests designed around prevention rather than cure: blood biomarkers, body-composition scans, fitness measures such as VO₂ max, and imaging where it is clinically justified. More tests are not automatically better, every result should lead to a decision.
AI-led concierge clinics. Clinics that combine AI, which brings a person’s data together and spots patterns, with the clinical muscle of a multi-disciplinary team of doctors, coaches, nutritionists and care coordinators who act on it, with check-ins at a pre-defined cadence. This is the natural home of the Family Health Officer.
Allied businesses. Supplements, wearables and home-monitoring devices, diagnostic and therapy equipment, and software – sold directly to consumers, or to the spas, diagnostic centres and clinics above.
India can help build this category. Much of the world’s reference data on ageing comes from Western populations, and our genetics, diets and environments make locally validated evidence essential. Pair that with India’s ability to deliver care affordably, and we can create solutions with global relevance.
What makes a longevity startup genuinely investible?
For me, an investible longevity company needs four things:
Scientific credibility. Founders who combine research depth with clinical judgement, and evidence that matches the claims they make and their stage of development.
Measurable benefit. Better diagnostics must lead to better decisions, and to demonstrable improvements in health and function – how people move, sleep, think and recover.
Defensibility. Through intellectual property, clinical capability, or data that becomes more useful as outcomes are tracked over time.
A business model that works repeatedly. A clear payer, sustained engagement and sound unit economics - the economics of serving each customer must work over years, not just on the first visit. One question I would ask every founder: who is responsible for this member’s health plan in month eight, and what are they actually doing? Founders should also explain how quality holds up as access expands beyond premium clinics.
What kind of investment and ecosystem support does India need to build a sustainable and globally competitive longevity industry?
We also need capital that understands the journey. A company developing new medicines needs patient funding tied to scientific milestones; a care platform needs to show consistent delivery and commercial discipline.
India’s opportunity is to build an ecosystem where researchers, clinicians, entrepreneurs and investors work together. More healthy years mean greater independence, longer participation in the economy and less pressure on families. The companies that make those gains measurable and accessible will create lasting value.
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