Life Extension Advocacy Foundation

What Life Extension Advocacy Foundation does

Lifespan Research Institute (LRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at 319 N Bernardo Ave, Mountain View, California, formed in 2024 from the merger of SENS Research Foundation (established 2009 by Aubrey de Grey and co-founders) and the Lifespan Extension Advocacy Foundation (established 2014 by Keith Comito, Oliver Medvedik, Apneet Jolly, and Richard Kaufman). LRI operates as an integrated longevity research, advocacy, and ecosystem organization. Its core mission is to fund and accelerate the development of biotechnologies targeting the root causes of aging rather than treating individual age-related diseases in isolation, organized around the SENS framework's seven categories of aging damage — MitoSENS, ApoptoSENS, LysoSENS, GlycoSENS, RepleniSENS, and others.

The organization's functional activities span four connected areas: (1) direct research funding to academic labs at Stanford, Yale, University of Sydney, Einstein College of Medicine, the German Institute of Human Nutrition, the Babraham Institute, Roswell Park, the Buck Institute, UAMS, and Arizona State University — covering mitochondrial gene allotopic expression (MitoREPAIR), senescent cell elimination via LAMP1 biomarkers and PIKfyve inhibition, gamma-delta T cell senolytics, peptoid antimicrobials for Alzheimer's, glucosepane crosslink cleavage, lipofuscin degradation, and elastin repair; (2) incubation and seed funding of six spinout biotech companies (Cyclarity Therapeutics, Repair Biotechnologies, Revel Pharmaceuticals, NOVOS, Oisín Biotechnologies, and R3 Bio); (3) the Lifespan.io news outlet reaching ~1M monthly readers, plus educational programs (Summer Scholars, Post-Baccalaureate Fellowships, Graduate Internships); and (4) the Longevity Investor Network, which curates monthly pitch sessions to channel private capital into longevity biotech startups.

LRI generates revenue through individual donations (accepted via cryptocurrency, stock transfers, wire, Venmo, and donor-advised funds), research grants, and the Lifespan Alliance corporate sponsorship program structured at Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers with 14 organizational members. The organization is governed by a board chaired by Paul A. Spiegel, with Keith Comito as President/CEO, Oliver Medvedik as Secretary/CSO, Andrew Aiello as Treasurer, and directors Kevin Dewalt and Barbara Logan, advised by a 14-member Scientific Advisory Board including Matt Kaeberlein, Valter Longo, Vera Gorbunova, and Brian Kennedy.

Name

Life Extension Advocacy Foundation

Legal name

Lifespan Research Institute

Website

https://lifespan.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lifespan Research Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds SENS-aligned longevity research at academic labs, incubates six biotech spinouts, operates the Lifespan.io news outlet reaching ~1M monthly readers, and runs the Longevity Investor Network to channel capital into aging biotech.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Longevity Research Advocacy

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Wellness & Longevity (Health Screening, Biohacking, Anti-aging Programs) (THAJAHAI)

Keywords

• Longevity research funding
• Rejuvenation biotechnology
• Aging science advocacy
• Nonprofit biotech incubation
• Longevity science education

Headquarters

HQ city

Seaford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropy: LRI operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations from individuals, institutional sponsors, and members of the Lifespan Alliance. The organization accepts donations via cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, USDC via Coinbase), stock transfers (via Schwab), wire transfers, Venmo, and donor-advised funds (DAFDirect).
2. Lifespan Alliance Membership Sponsorships: Corporate and organizational sponsors join the Lifespan Alliance at Gold, Silver, or Bronze tiers to support LRI's mission and gain visibility within the longevity biotechnology ecosystem. Sponsors include companies such as AgingBiotech.info (Gold), Rejuve.Bio, Immortal Dragons, Quadrascope, Klotho Neuro, Gero, Novos (Silver), Ora Biomedical, BetterGiving, A4LI, OpenCures, AgelessRx, LentoBio, NUS Longevity Academy, XM Therapeutics, ALSAE, AHLR, 2060 Foundation, Bioio, Thalion, RetroBio, AFAR (Bronze).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Lifespan Research Institute (LRI), formed in 2024 from the merger of SENS Research Foundation and the Life Extension Advocacy Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that funds and conducts SENS-aligned biotechnology research targeting the root causes of aging. Its offerings include the Lifespan.io news outlet reaching approximately one million people monthly, funded research programs across multiple academic institutions, education programs (Summer Scholars and Post-Baccalaureate Fellowships), and the Longevity Investor Network connecting biotech startups with investors.

Product overview

Lifespan Research Institute (LRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that resulted from the 2024 merger between the SENS Research Foundation and the Lifespan Extension Advocacy Foundation. LRI operates as a unified platform offering multiple interconnected programs: the Lifespan.io news outlet for science communication, education programs (Summer Scholars and Post-Baccalaureate Fellowships), the Longevity Investor Network for funding biotech startups, and direct research support through various SENS-aligned programs. The organization also engages in public advocacy through A4LI and decentralized science initiatives like VitaDAO. This is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, not a commercial product company with traditional product offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lifespan.io: The organization's online platform and community website for longevity news, education, and crowdfunding initiatives.
• Longevity Investor Network
• Lifespan Heroes

Products and services

• Lifespan.io News Outlet Daily longevity news platform publishing research summaries, interviews, op-eds, and the Rejuvenation Roundup, reaching approximately one million people per month. Targets the general public and longevity enthusiasts.
• Summer Scholars Program Undergraduate research program placing students in host laboratories to conduct biomedical research on aging under mentorship, with emphasis on developing laboratory and communication skills.
• Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship Program Fellowship for recent graduates to conduct biomedical research to combat diseases of aging under the guidance of a scientific mentor, preparing participants for careers in regenerative medicine research.
• Longevity Investor Network Investor network that catalyzes private investment in biotechnology companies developing interventions that target the root mechanisms of aging, featuring curated monthly pitch sessions and educational content for high-net-worth investors, family offices, and institutional investors.
• Research Programs (SENS-Aligned) LRI supports targeted scientific research with the explicit goal of accelerating the development of therapies that address the root causes of aging, including MitoSENS (mitochondrial repair), ApoptoSENS (senolytics), LysoSENS (lysosomal repair), GlycoSENS (crosslink cleavage), RepleniSENS (stem cells), and immunosenescence programs.
• Rejuvenation Roadmap Resource charting progress in the field of longevity science and therapies to cure, reverse, and prevent the diseases of aging. Available free via the lifespan.io website.
• Lifespan Alliance Corporate Sponsorship Program Membership program with organizational sponsors joining at Gold, Silver, or Bronze tiers to support LRI's mission and gain visibility within the longevity biotechnology ecosystem. 14 sponsors currently participate.
• Crowdfunding Platform Crowdfunding platform allowing public participation in funding aging research projects via various donation mechanisms including cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, USDC), stock transfers (Schwab), wire transfers, Venmo, and donor-advised funds.

Quantifiable outcome

• Improving biological aging can add 25+ years of healthy life and total life versus 2.5-4 years from curing individual diseases like cancer or heart disease.
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

27 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SENS Research Foundation (SRF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The SENS Research Foundation merged with the Lifespan Extension Advocacy Foundation in 2024 to form Lifespan Research Institute (LRI). SRF was established in 2009 by Aubrey de Grey, Jeff Hall, Michael Kope, Sarah Marr, and Kevin Perrott, and focused on the 'Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence' (SENS) research paradigm. This merger combined two leading longevity nonprofit organizations to create a unified force driving forward science to extend healthy human lifespan.
• Keith Comito, Oliver Medvedik, Apneet Jolly, and Richard Kaufman (Co-founders of LEAF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014The Lifespan Extension Advocacy Foundation (LEAF) was established in 2014 by Keith Comito, Oliver Medvedik, Apneet Jolly, and Richard Kaufman to raise funding and awareness for research aimed at extending healthy human lifespan through public advocacy and outreach initiatives including news generation, crowdfunding, and media initiatives. LEAF merged with SENS Research Foundation in 2024 to form LRI.
• Keith Comito (LRI President/CEO)coreOthersKeith Comito is the President and CEO of LRI, having co-founded LEAF in 2014. He is also a co-founder of Genspace citizen science laboratory in Brooklyn and has developed initiatives such as lifespan.io, A4LI, and VitaDAO. He works to accelerate and democratize longevity research efforts.
• Oliver Medvedik (LRI Chief Science Officer)coreOthersOliver Medvedik is the Chief Science Officer and Secretary of LRI. He co-founded Genspace citizen science laboratory in Brooklyn and earned his Ph.D. at Harvard Medical School. He is also Director of The Maurice Kanbar Center for Biomedical Engineering at Cooper Union. He co-founded LEAF in 2014.
• Chris Hemsworth's CentrminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLRI has a high-impact collaboration with Chris Hemsworth's Centr (a fitness and wellness app). This partnership is part of LRI's broader strategy to reach mainstream audiences and promote healthspan extension beyond the scientific community.
• VitaDAOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKeith Comito is involved in VitaDAO, a decentralized science (DeSci) organization focused on longevity research funding. LRI maintains a connection to the DeSci ecosystem through Comito's involvement.
• A4LI (American Longevity Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKeith Comito is involved in A4LI, an organization LRI works with on advocacy initiatives. The A4LI DC Summit features LRI leadership moderating panels on geopolitics of aging research and aging populations.
• Genspace Citizen Science LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKeith Comito and Oliver Medvedik co-founded Genspace, a community biology laboratory in Brooklyn, NY. Genspace provides a model for community engagement in biotechnology and was where early biohacking projects (such as games controlling microscopic organisms via galvanotaxis) were developed.
• Cooper Union Maurice Kanbar Center for Biomedical EngineeringminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOliver Medvedik serves as Director of The Maurice Kanbar Center for Biomedical Engineering at Cooper Union, NYC. The center provides space for faculty and students working on bioengineering projects and hosts iGEM competition teams.
• Cyclarity TherapeuticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCyclarity Therapeutics is a spinout of LRI Research Center developing interventions targeting toxic forms of cholesterol using rationally designed molecules for the first disease-modifying treatments for atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke, and macular degeneration. LRI provided seed funding and investor alignment.
• Repair BiotechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepair Biotechnologies is a late preclinical-stage biotech developing first-in-class therapies based on the Cholesterol Degrading Platform (CDP). LRI provided seed funding and investor alignment for this company developing therapies to safely break down excess cholesterol and reduce atherosclerotic plaque.
• Revel PharmaceuticalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRevel Pharmaceuticals is a spinout of LRI-funded research at Yale University developing therapeutic enzymes designed to address molecular damage from aging, with primary focus on glucosepane (an AGE crosslink) cleavage agents to restore tissue elasticity.
• NOVOScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOVOS is a biotechnology company focused on supplements, biological age tests, and personalized health guidance, founded in 2018 and headquartered in New York. LRI provided incubation and investor alignment for NOVOS, which operates as a Public Benefit Corporation developing nutraceuticals targeting multiple mechanisms of age-related damage.
• Oisín BiotechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOisín Biotechnologies (Seattle-based) develops genetic medicines to combat age-related diseases using non-integrating genetic 'suicide switches.' LRI provided seed funding. The company has two platforms: Oisín Oncology (p53 cancer therapy) and SENSolytics (senolytic gene therapy using p16 promoter-driven apoptosis to eliminate senescent cells).
• R3 BiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerR3 Bio develops cell-based research platforms using cellular reprogramming, stem-cell-derived systems, and advanced analytical methods to advance longevity science, develop anti-aging therapies, and tackle the global organ shortage. LRI provided seed funding.
• Stanford University (Barron Lab)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLRI sponsors work by Dr. Annelise Barron at Stanford University to develop dual-action peptoid drugs targeting both pathogens implicated in Alzheimer's disease and beta-amyloid, based on optimized versions of the natural antimicrobial peptide LL-37.
• University of Sydney (Wang Lab)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLRI funds Dr. Ziyu Wang at the University of Sydney to develop targeted nanodevices that repair arterial elastin damage in aging by delivering regenerative nanostructures coated with antibodies that bind to damaged elastin scaffolding.
• Einstein College of Medicine (Hébert Lab)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLRI sponsors Dr. Jean Hébert's work at Einstein College of Medicine on engineering cells for cognitive preservation, including transplanting neuronal precursors with blood vessel precursors and engineering microglia to disperse and transdifferentiate into cortical neurons.
• German Institute of Human Nutrition / DIfE (Grune Lab)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLRI funds Prof. Tilman Grune's research at DIfE on identifying bacterial enzymes capable of degrading lipofuscin (a harmful aging pigment that accumulates in lysosomes of postmitotic cells), addressing the loss of proteostasis hallmark of aging.
• Babraham InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLRI funds research at Babraham Institute in Cambridge on target prioritization of tissue crosslinking, studying how crosslinks regulate tissue stiffness and updating understanding of collagen and elastin turnover rates in aging.
• Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLRI sponsors research at Roswell Park to test the impact of removing cells with reactivated 'jumping genes' (LINE/SINE retrotransposons) on healthspan and lifespan via creation of a special transgenic mouse model.
• Buck Institute for Research on AgingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLRI supports research at the Buck Institute including Dr. Judith Campisi's work on innate immune surveillance of senescent cells and Dr. Julie Andersen's research on remediation of aberrant intracellular tau.
• Yale University (Spiegel Lab)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLRI funds Yale's Dr. David Spiegel's research on glucosepane crosslinks and undoing age-related tissue damage. This research spun out Revel Pharmaceuticals, a company developing glucosepane-cleaving therapeutic enzymes.
• UAMS (Shmookler-Reis Lab)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLRI supports Dr. Robert Shmookler-Reis's research at UAMS exploring genetic shortcuts to longevity.
• Arizona State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLRI funds ASU research on degradation of A2E, a component of lipofuscin that accumulates in retinal pigment epithelial cells in age-related macular degeneration and Stargardt's disease.
• Lifespan Alliance SponsorscoreOthersThe Lifespan Alliance is LRI's membership program with organizational sponsors including Gold sponsor AgingBiotech.info; Silver sponsors Rejuve.Bio, Immortal Dragons, Quadrascope, Klotho Neuro, Gero, Novos; Bronze sponsors Ora Biomedical, BetterGiving, A4LI, OpenCures, AgelessRx, LentoBio, NUS Longevity Academy, XM Therapeutics, ALSAE, AHLR, 2060 Foundation, Bioio, Thalion, RetroBio, AFAR. These sponsors support LRI's mission and gain ecosystem visibility.
• Scientific Advisory Board MemberscoreOthersLRI's Scientific Advisory Board includes 14 world-renowned experts: Matt Kaeberlein (CEO Optispan, Dog Aging Project), Felipe Sierra (Former Director of Aging Biology at NIA), Irina Conboy (UC Berkeley), Valter Longo (USC Longevity Institute), Nina Tandon (CEO Epibone), Kelsey Moody (CEO Ichor Life Sciences), Greg Fahy (CSO 21st Century Medicine), Vera Gorbunova (University of Rochester), Brian Kennedy (National University of Singapore), Jan Vijg (Albert Einstein College of Medicine), Robert Reis (UAMS), Evan Snyder (Sanford Burnham Prebys), Christopher Mason (Weill Cornell Medicine), Michael West (LifeCraft Sciences), and David Barzilai (Longevity Medicine Physician).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Hevolution Foundation: Nonprofit foundation committing up to $1B annually to advance healthspan science and aging biology research globally. A dramatically larger-scale peer in the same funding-and-advocacy nonprofit category.
• American Cancer Society: The largest nonprofit funder of cancer research in the U.S., operating donation-driven research grants, advocacy, and patient education. Sets the precedent LRI follows as a science-advocacy nonprofit targeting a specific disease umbrella (cancer vs. age-related disease).
• Buck Institute for Research on Aging: The largest independent nonprofit biomedical research institute in the U.S. focused on aging, where LRI funds research collaborations including Campisi and Andersen labs. Operates as a peer research-anchored nonprofit with adjacent longevity mission.

Direct peers

• American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR): Major nonprofit funding biomedical aging research through grants to academic investigators — a Lifespan Alliance Bronze sponsor of LRI. Operates a parallel model of research funding, scientist training, and policy advocacy in the aging biology field.
• SENS Research Foundation: LRI's own predecessor entity (merged into LRI in 2024), historically focused on the Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence research paradigm. Included as the direct historical peer whose mission LRI explicitly inherited and expanded.
• VitaDAO: Decentralized autonomous organization funding early-stage longevity research through tokenized governance, with Keith Comito as an LRI-side affiliate. Shares the LRI focus on bridging the funding valley of death for aging biotech.
• Methuselah Foundation: Nonprofit foundation funding regenerative medicine and longevity research, including the Methuselah SENS prize programs that directly overlapped with SENS Research Foundation. Operates as a donor-driven longevity advocacy and research-grant organization with a comparable model.
• Alliance for Aging Research: Nonprofit advocating for research on aging and age-related diseases, with policy and educational programs targeting aging research funding. Directly comparable advocacy-and-research-support mission to LRI's nonprofit operations.

Emerging players

• New York Stem Cell Foundation: Nonprofit advancing stem cell and regenerative medicine research through grants and an in-house research laboratory. Comparable operational model to LRI's research-funding-plus-education approach in adjacent biology.
• Cure Alzheimer's Fund: Disease-targeted nonprofit funding Alzheimer's research with a venture-style review process and donor-advised model. Comparable as a small, focused research nonprofit that LRI-related research (Stanford peptoid work) directly targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lifespanio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/lifespanio
• Facebookfacebook.com/lifespanio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lifespanio
• Instagraminstagram.com/lifespanresearchinstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Life Extension Advocacy Foundation