New award seeks to shift perception of the field and drive financial backing to enable its transformative potential.
A new prize is seeking to spark and reward innovative techniques that can draw significant funding into the longevity sector, with a strong emphasis on practical, imminent implementation.
Longevity.Technology: The $20,000 prize will be awarded to those who can devise effective strategies to substantially increase financial backing in the longevity sector. The focus is on actionable strategies and tangible solutions that can see the light of day in the near future.
The prize is being facilitated by VitaDAO on its Longevity Prize platform; the platform was co-developed by VitaDAO, the Methuselah foundation and the Foresight institute.
Submissions are welcome from individuals, teams, business entities, non-profit organizations, academic institutions and government bodies. In fact, the submission net is being cast as widely as possible, with the only real qualifier being that applications share the organizers’ passion for the longevity industry and can bring forth novel funding mechanisms.
The jury evaluating submissions comprises:
- Professor Andrea Maier (National University of Singapore)
- Sergio Ruiz (Turn Bio, Methuselah Foundation)
- Nathan Cheng (LBF, Healthspan Capital)
- Keith Comito (Lifespan.io)
- Adam Gries (Authentic)
- Ivan Morgunov (Longaevus Technologies)
The prize will be judged on:
- Originality and novelty of the funding approach.
- Practicality and near-future realization.
- Expected impact and scale of funds drawn.
- Long-term viability of the funding source.
- Proactive risk management.
The Longevity Funding Innovation Prize has been initiated and funded by Marat Karpeko, cofounder of data science company InData Labs and COO and Business Development leader at Wargaming.net, one of the world’s leading game developers and publishers. The new prize reflects Karpeko’s desire to champion innovation in the longevity space, and his commitment to advancing the industry.
Karpeko told Longevity.Technology he is hoping for transformative entries that will accelerate funding into the longevity space.
“Humanity’s greatest challenge isn’t just to live, but to live with purpose,” he said. “As we journey through the stars of innovation towards the horizon of longevity, we may not conquer death, but we shall transform it into a new beginning.”
Maria Marinova PhD, a member of VitaDao’s core team, told us VitaDAO is deeply committed to advancing the science of longevity, understanding its transformative potential for society.
“The Longevity Funding Innovation Prize aligns perfectly with our ethos of catalyzing innovation and ensuring that visionary ideas translate to near-future realizations,” she said. “By facilitating this prize, we aim to bridge the gap between ambition and action, empowering those with actionable strategies to secure the necessary funding and support. We see this as an essential step towards a future where longevity science is both celebrated and adequately funded.”
Proposals for the prize close on 20th December, with the Longevity Funding Innovation Prize champion unveiled on 29th February 2024.
