Hacking your way to long life

Several wellness startups are aiming to keep diseases at bay, and reduce an individual's biological age

- Jessica Jani & Vaeshnavi Kasthuril

The health startup space is attracting a steady investor interest.

"I like life and health—and nootropics (cognitive-enhancing supplements).

It’s the maxim of a 30-year-old Mumbai-based management consultant who discovered biohacking in his mid-20s. Since then, he has been spending up to ₹75,000 a year on supplements such as lion’s mane and moringa, along with a gym membership and regular cold plunges.

Then there's the 36-year-old Delhi-based media professional who spends upwards of ₹1.5 lakh a year on wearables such as an Oura Ring and a Whoop band, a nutritionist, gym membership, fitness trainer, and immunotherapy for long-term allergies—all for his zeal to “live a better life" and to “look good”.

He’s even thinking of taking it up a notch. He has reached out to a recently launched wellness startup, Biopeak, though he has yet to sign on.

It’s this growing drive to stay healthy—sometimes bordering on American entrepreneur and bio-hacker Bryan Johnson-inspired quest for longevity—that has caught the attention of Indian entrepreneurs and investors.

The past two years have seen the rise of ventures offering services from personalized supplements to centres with physical therapies such as cryotherapy, cold exposure to boost recovery and reduce inflammation; hyperbaric oxygen therapy, pressurized oxygen sessions that promote healing and cellular repair; and infrared light therapy, heat-based treatment that improves circulation and supports skin and muscle health.

All aimed at keeping diseases at bay and reducing an individual's biological age.

“The promise is to get people to the peak of their health, and slow down ageing...can I take you to the peak of health as if you're a 25-30 year old, and continue that for the next 50 years?” said Subhendu Panigrahi, who launched his longevity startup Foxo Health in 2024.