tech billionaires have been injecting the blood of teenagers<\/a> to try to rejuvenate their ageing bodies.<\/p>\nIn 2025, a new generation of health products is continuing the illustrious promise of living longer. Their websites are compelling: \u201cPeak health starts now\u201d. \u201cWe\u2019re your super app for health.\u201d \u201cFuture-proof your body.\u201d<\/p>\n
The difference between now and 100 years ago? These fountains of youth are predominantly delivered via a smartphone \u2013 do not involve monkeys or young people \u2013 and are more anchored in actual science. Some of them are, at least. There are potentially billions of dollars on offer for the companies that can get there first.<\/p>\n
Biohackers, tech bros and the \u201cHuberman crowd\u201d \u2013 followers of American neuroscientist and wellness podcaster Andrew Huberman \u2013 are early adopters of these new preventative care apps in pursuit of better sleep, healthier bodies and ultimately a desire to extend their lifespan.<\/p>\n
Proponents say that while many people already track their 10,000 steps and heart rates, most lack access to the deeper health data that could identify potential concerns before they develop into serious conditions.<\/p>\n
In the US, flashy apps such as Superpower are leading the charge. That app, co-founded by Australian expat Max Marchione, is already worth more than $US300 million ($453 million) and has more than 150,000 people on its waiting list.<\/p>\n
In Australia, a similar race is heating up, and some of its players are confident they can conquer the US, too.<\/p>\n
The apps are ballooning in valuation and hype but are facing their biggest test: can they broaden their customer base beyond early adopters and tech geeks to everyday users? Can they get mums and dads excited about biomarkers, gut microbiomes and toxins?<\/p>\n
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Max Marchione, co-founder and CEO at start-up Superpower, in\u00a0San Francisco.Credit: Clara Rice<\/p>\n
An AI doctor in your pocket<\/p>\n
One of Australia\u2019s leading contenders is Everlab, which describes itself as the nation\u2019s leading personal longevity clinic.<\/p>\n
The start-up combines diagnostics, digital doctor consultations and AI to tackle chronic disease, and tens of thousands of Australians are on its waiting list.<\/p>\n
Everlab is led by chief executive Marc Hermann, who says the COVID pandemic prompted a new generation of people to become fanatical about healthcare and taking better care of themselves.<\/p>\n
His start-up charges $2999 annually for its longevity program, in which customers are screened for more than 1000 diseases, offered year-round diagnostics and provided a \u201c50-year personalised health road map\u201d.<\/p>\n
A cheaper tier for $1199 a year includes blood tests, doctor consultations and personalised intervention plans.<\/p>\n
If Everlab has its way, it might eventually replace GPs, according to Hermann. \u201cI really do believe that we will end up in this world where everyone will have their AI doctor in their pocket,\u201d he says. \u201cThe north star we are building towards is autonomous healthcare. So building a system that has all the context surrounding you, all your data, genetics, ethnicity, family history, and then creating a super personalised roadmap for your health.<\/p>\n
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The Everlab founding team.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to build towards offering lifelong care that is deeply connected and holistic, versus just a one-off testing service.\u201d<\/p>\n
To date, Everlab has processed more than 1 million biomarkers through full-body health testing, and says one in four test results are abnormal.<\/p>\n
For 2.5 per cent of members, the findings have been life-changing, according to Hermann, uncovering serious conditions such as blocked arteries, gastrointestinal tumours, early-stage cancers and congenital brain abnormalities.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur target audience is that 40-to-60 age range, people that want to have peace of mind and a clinician that they can really trust … Just average Australians who are conscious about being on top of their health.\u201d<\/p>\n
The company has raised $15 million to expand internationally and get a leg-up in the arms race.<\/p>\n
\u201dWe are seeing a major shift,\u201d Everlab investor Laura Sillam, principal at New York-based Left Lane Capital, said. \u201cFrom concierge clinics to diagnostics memberships and longevity programs, consumers are increasingly willing to invest out-of-pocket in proactive health solutions. This trend extends far beyond early adopters, biohackers or the so-called \u2018Huberman crowd\u2019 in coastal US cities.<\/p>\n
\u201cDemand is surging globally, with consumers showing a clear willingness to pay for superior healthcare experiences that prioritise personalisation and quality. We believe this shift isn\u2019t just a trend … It\u2019s the future of healthcare.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u2018The last health app you need\u2019<\/p>\n
Everlab is far from the only local start-up attempting to corner the market. Sydney-based firm Bright is building the \u201csuper app for health\u201d and is courting US investors including venture capital giant Sequoia. Its app is far cheaper than rivals \u2013 just $20 a month, not hundreds or thousands \u2013 and is targeting 1 million users by the end of 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur vision is to be the last health app you need,\u201d the company\u2019s pitch deck to investors reads. \u201cWe are building a $20 billion business in two years. One billion people use health apps today. Bright is ready to replace them all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those are bold claims and, so far, the company has racked up 6000 paying subscribers for its app, which pulls in health data from a user\u2019s Apple Watch or Garmin fitness tracker to create a full picture of health and then offer AI-generated insights and recommendations.<\/p>\n
Chief executive Bryan Jordan says building Bright from Australia has brought challenges, particularly given the limited financial capital on offer locally.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t think the full picture of health should be reserved for the tech crowd. We\u2019re building Bright for everyone because everyone deserves to see their full picture.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The Superpower co-founder team: Kevin Unkrich, Hannah Ahn, Max Marchione, and Jacob Peters in San Francisco.Credit: AFR<\/p>\n
Then there\u2019s Superpower. Arguably the hottest app in its class globally, its founding team in San Francisco have pulled in tens of millions in funding from Silicon Valley venture capital firms as well as celebrities Vanessa Hudgens, Steve Aoki, Logan Paul and NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo.<\/p>\n
For $US499 a year, the \u201csuper app\u201d offers a 24\/7 concierge, and biannual lab testing that analyses more than 100 blood biomarkers across 21 categories, which executives say is 10 times more comprehensive than a standard physical. Tests take 10 minutes and are completed twice a year either at home or at one of 2000 partner labs across the US.<\/p>\n
Co-founder Max Marchione is a former student at St Aloysius College in Sydney\u2019s Milsons Point. A third of the app\u2019s 80 or so staff are Australians. \u201cThe current healthcare system currently leaves most people visiting primary care doctors on a reactive basis after a problem arises, not before,\u201d he says. \u201cWe are on a mission to rescue 100 million people from the limits of traditional reactive care.\u201d<\/p>\n
Others are taking a more extreme approach.<\/p>\n
Snake oil<\/p>\n
Bryan Johnson is a US-based millionaire who doesn\u2019t just want to live for 100 years, or even 150. Johnson wants to live forever.<\/p>\n
The subject of a recent Netflix documentary, Johnson has launched the Blueprint project which has a simple end goal: \u201cDon\u2019t die.\u201d Johnson has spent $US4 million to date on obtaining immortality and calls himself \u201cthe world\u2019s most measured man\u201d. At one point he transferred blood plasma from his 18-year-old son \u2013 and gave some of his own to his 70-year-old father \u2013 but stopped after it didn\u2019t produce positive results.<\/p>\n
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Tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson has a simple goal: don\u2019t die.Credit: Magdalena Wosinka<\/p>\n
As The Guardian puts it: \u201cHe rises at 4.30am, eats all his meals before 11am, and goes to bed \u2013 alone \u2013 at 8.30pm, without exception. In the intervening hours, he ingests more than 100 pills, bathes his body in LED light, and sits on a high-intensity electromagnetic device that he believes will strengthen his pelvic floor.\u201d<\/p>\n
On his Blueprint website Johnson sells a range of supplements and pills, and even a bottle of olive oil called \u201csnake oil\u201d.<\/p>\n
Closer to home, multimillionaire property developer Tim Gurner has made headlines for his radical biohacking regime. His Melbourne-based longevity club Saint Haven spruiks a $250,000 annual package offering annual full-body MRI, brain scans and monthly blood testing.<\/p>\n
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Professor Luigi Fontana is one of the world\u2019s leading longevity experts.Credit: Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything that is out there that\u2019s a biohacking or testing thing, I\u2019ve done it,\u201d he told Forbes Australia. \u201cFrom micro-dosing mushrooms to infrared saunas to steam to [smart ring] Oura, lymphatic drainage. Everything. I want to try everything and see what works for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Millionaires can afford to try anything. But can everyday Australians benefit from these contentious innovations?<\/p>\n
Professor Luigi Fontana from the University of Sydney, a world expert in longevity, says there\u2019s legitimacy in apps such as Everlab and Superpower. But he\u2019s also concerned the hype may be getting ahead of the science.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese platforms have real potential to empower users with insights that complement \u2013 not replace \u2013 traditional healthcare, especially when integrated with regular check-ups and foundational habits like structured exercise programs, sleep and healthy nutrition,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Loading<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the promise only holds if the science is sound and the interventions are grounded in the best clinical evidence, not hype.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hermann, chief executive of Everlab, says he thinks most Australians should want to sign up to his app. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to build a luxury for service for the top 1 per cent,\u201d he says. \u201cWe think this is something that can help most people. Being data-driven is the solution to better care.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t think it makes sense to run an MRI scan on every 18-year-old. We just believe that, if you have a certain set of risks, the potential upsides are way bigger than the downsides.\u201d<\/p>\n
Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Normal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text size Would you want to live to 100? Maybe even 150?…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22148,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[64,63,203,105],"class_list":["post-22147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mobile","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-mobile","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22147"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22147\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}