Zug – We all have two ages,» Daniel Koetser, owner of Le Grand Bellevue, told guests as he opened the seventh Longevity Investors Conference (LIC). «The age on your passport, and the age you share at dinner parties.»
LIC is built for investors. It is not a startup expo or a product showcase, and participation is by application only, which keeps the room to a small group of private and institutional investors, family offices and fund managers who are actively deploying capital. Over four days in the Swiss Alps, from 14 to 17 September 2026, they gathered from across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Asia and Australia, alongside the scientists and founders they back, to work out how much of that second number science can really change.
A field moving into humans
Dr. Tobias Reichmuth, who co-founded LIC with Marc P. Bernegger in 2020, opened with his annual review of the field. His headline: longevity research has moved from animal models to human trials, with first-in-human cell reprogramming and aging-biology interventions now underway. He was equally clear about the limits. «So far, we haven’t seen human life extension happening,» he said, warning that commerce sometimes runs ahead of science.
That tension ran through the program. Prof. Steve Horvath, a pioneer of epigenetic aging clocks, gave investors a simple filter for pitch decks claiming to reverse biological age: «I look at the three Cs. Control group, context and clock.» Prof. Collin Ewald of Novartis added his own advice: repeat the experiment before you believe it.
Dr. Nir Barzilai of the Longevity Biotech Association reframed the goal itself. «It’s not that you get sick and then you age,» he said. «You age, and you get the disease.» Treating aging, he argued, means treating many diseases at once, and some existing drugs may already do part of that work.
From moonshots to money
Sessions ranged from polygenic embryo screening, bioelectricity and drugs developed in orbit to lab-grown organs, biostasis, the biology of supercentenarians and Asia’s centuries-old traditions of healthy aging. On stage, speakers debated what parents can and cannot learn from an embryo’s genome, and why the first real market for lab-grown organs may be replacing animal testing rather than transplantation.
Other panels asked more practical questions: what it takes to build a leading longevity company, which consumer products keep customers once the hype fades, how clinics can turn experimental care into real-world evidence, and how longer lives are reshaping the way wealth is managed across generations.
«When we looked into the longevity space in 2020, we saw interesting events, but were mainly for scientists,» said Marc P. Bernegger. «We wanted a platform fully focused on investors, with the goal of bringing more capital to longevity research, startups, scientists and founders.»
Longevity in practice
Between sessions, guests put the science into practice with THE UNIT’s wellness program: guided mountain walks, a cold plunge in the Saane river, breathwork and movement sessions. Lunch on the Wasserngrat included a moonshot table for the field’s boldest ideas, and the gala dinner and its tombola brought the community together in the evening.
Partners
LIC 2026 was made possible by its partners:
This year, HSBC Private Bank joined as a new strategic partner, an important milestone not only for the conference but for the continued growth of the Longevity Investors community and its future initiatives. The collaboration reflects a shared ambition to foster dialogue between institutional capital, entrepreneurs and scientific leaders shaping the future of healthy longevity.
LIC 2026 was also made possible by its exclusive partners Maximon and Le Grand Bellevue, and by its partners Tomorrow.Bio, Maxwell Biosciences, Niagen Bioscience, Abe Yoando Pharma, Exceptional Ventures, Maerki Baumann & Co., AVEA, Sedona Wellness, Future Investments, Bernegger Ventures and Reichmuth Global. Buri Limousine was the exclusive transfer partner, and Longevity.Technology and The Horizons Life were media partners.
Looking ahead
Longevity Investors will next convene in Davos in January 2027. Details will be announced at www.longevityinvestors.ch/davos-2027
| About Longevity Investors Longevity Investors AG, based in Zug, Switzerland, organises gatherings for investors, scientists and founders in the longevity field. Its mission is to advance understanding, collaboration and investment in longevity science. Participation in the Longevity Investors Conference is by application only. www.longevityinvestors.ch |