Imagine a day when a simple medical procedure can extend your lifespan by 10 years. With Retro Biosciences emerging from stealth mode, the day isn’t too far away.
In a bold move to challenge nature’s law, Retro Bioscience, an unconventional biotech startup, is making ground-breaking research to halt or even reverse the ageing process.
With the funding of $180 million from Sam Altman, the visionary CEO of OpenAI, the startup is all set to push the boundaries of what ageing looks like. It aims to extend the average human lifespan up to 10 years by unlocking the secrets of cellular ageing.
Let’s dive into the story of Retro Biosciences and Sam Altman’s bold and unconventional funding choices.
Retro Biosciences: Pioneering anti-ageing research
Founded in 2021, Retro Biosciences has a team of dedicated scientists, a commitment to speed and a tight feedback loop to aggressively tackle the ageing process. It employs cutting-edge techniques such as cellular reprogramming and autophagy to fulfil its audacious mission to add 10 years to a healthy human lifespan.
The startup’s unique approach revolves around targeting the cellular drivers of ageing and developing innovative therapeutics capable of stalling or even reversing ageing.
Recent significant breakthroughs in single-cell multi-omics and targeted delivery systems enable direct intervention in the ageing process, making Retro Biosciences’ ambitious mission a possibility.
The Birth of Retro Biosciences: Sam Altman’s Involvement
Sam Altman was always intrigued by anti-ageing science and its potential to transform human longevity. Talking to MIT Technology Review, Sam Altman shared that eight years ago, he was fascinated with ‘young blood’ research, where blood from young and old mice was interconnected, leading to partial rejuvenation in the older mice. This unexpected outcome sparked his curiosity and motivated him to explore further.
As the former head of Y Combinator, Altman initiated a specialised biotech course in 2018, specifically targeting companies with radical anti-ageing schemes. However, as his role at OpenAI grew, Altman shifted his focus, leaving Y Combinator behind.
In 2020, Altman’s interest reignited when he learned about breakthrough plasma intervention research. California-based researchers demonstrated that replacing the plasma of old mice with saltwater and albumin could replicate the effects of young blood, suggesting the potential for significant advancements in combating ageing.
Excited by this discovery, Altman contacted Joe Betts-LaCroix, a former biotech partner at Y Combinator, and offered to fund the pursuit of plasma intervention. However, Betts-LaCroix was already working on cellular reprogramming in collaboration with renowned researcher Sheng Ding.
Eager to explore the promising avenue, Altman suggested they combine both approaches under one umbrella and spice up anti-ageing research. This vision led to the establishment of Retro Bioscience as a multi-program company dedicated to ageing biology.
The driving forces of Retro Biosciences
Retro Biosciences is co-founded by three visionary entrepreneurs—Joe Betts-LaCroix, Sheng Ding and Matt Buckley—who bring a wealth of expertise and experience to the table.
Betts-LaCroix, former CTO of Vium and part-time partner at Y Combinator is a visionary in the field of anti-ageing research with a wealth of knowledge and connections.
Ding, a dean at Tsinghua University and a professor at UCSF (University of California San Francisco Parnassus Campus) has been involved in the foundation of several successful biotech startups.
Matt Buckley is an experienced anti-ageing researcher focused on scaling single-cell transcriptomics and applying machine learning techniques to quantify ageing and the effects of age-related interventions.
The three came together to tackle ageing by focusing on the cellular drivers of the process and designing therapeutics capable of multi-disease prevention. To fuel its ambitious vision, the startup secured $180 million in funding. Sam Altman’s financial support ensured the startup will operate for the rest of the decade.
In the initial stages, Betts-LaCroix kept Altman’s early involvement in the startup confidential to allow Retro Biosciences to establish its own identity.
Instead of waiting for traditional lab spaces to become available, he transformed a warehouse into modular shipping container labs, which enabled the company to conduct experiments swiftly, fostering agility and progress.
At Retro Biosciences, Betts-LaCroix maintains full autonomy in decision-making and facilitates streamlined research progress. He closely collaborates with Altman, who provides suggestions and guidance but ensures that the CEO’s vision remains at the forefront.
Sam Altman and his unconventional ventures
Sam Altman has always remained fearless in his financial commitments to audacious and unconventional ventures, like:
Helion Energy, a startup aiming to overcome the challenges of fusion power generation: Altman has injected over $375 million into this fusion power startup by recognising the trend towards stronger magnets.
Conception, a startup aiming to create eggs from blood to revolutionise human reproduction: Altman’s support has helped Conception secure $20 million in funding to create replacement eggs, which will allow same-sex couples and older women to have related children.
Sam Altman is quick in identifying emerging trends and technologies with immense potential. His strategic investments and pursuit of transformative technologies demonstrate his dedication to altering society in profound ways.
Parting words
Sam Altman’s funding of Retro Bioscience represents a bold step towards pushing the boundaries of anti-ageing research. However, it’s important to consider the ground reality—Retro Biosciences’ research outcomes remain uncertain, and the complexities of unravelling the mysteries of ageing cannot be underestimated.
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