Investing in Eternal: A Targeted Approach Toward Longevity

Health care for athletes, from athletes.

In the realm of healthcare, the paradigm of proactive care stands as a beacon of hope, offering a transformative approach that transcends the conventional models of reactive treatment. At its core, proactive care embodies a preventive ethos, emphasizing early detection, timely intervention, and holistic management to maintain and enhance health and well-being. This approach stands in stark contrast to the prevailing reactive US healthcare system, which often prioritizes symptom management and crisis response over long-term health maintenance.

The significance of proactive care in the context of longevity cannot be overstated. As populations age and chronic diseases become increasingly prevalent, the imperative to shift towards proactive care becomes more pronounced. By focusing on preventive measures and personalized health management strategies, proactive care has the potential to not only extend lifespan, but also improve the quality of life for individuals across the lifespan. Yet, the path to engagement and adherence is fraught with inherent anthropological and socioeconomic challenges that demand closer examination.

Background

Today, myriad longevity care models are commoditized, offering similar programs that consist of a biomarker assessment, care plan formation, and a care advocate to track a patient’s progress. Moreover, these services are built for a broad spectrum of the aging (50-60+) wealthy demographic, aiming to provide a silver bullet solution for longevity. However, we believe that longevity cannot be addressed with a one-size-fits-all approach. Achieving maximum adherence and effectiveness requires tailoring solutions to a specific audience, which in turn can serve as a catalyst for broader societal acceptance and integration of these protocols over time.

Current solutions target customers across the entire “Athletic Avidity spectrum” (i.e., varying levels of athleticism), exposing longevity providers to populations with higher propensity of hyperbolic discounting. Hyperbolic discounting refers to a cognitive bias where individuals prioritize immediate rewards over future benefits, even when the future benefits are significantly greater. In other words, humans have a difficult time taking measures today that might benefit them 5, 10, or 25 years later, making fitness & wellness customers a historically fickle demographic.

This paradigm is most evident among individuals in the lower quintiles of the Athletic Avidity spectrum, where a natural aversion to engaging in and maintaining proactive care is more pervasive. In contrast, lifelong athletes, driven by an ingrained habit or intrinsic desire for strenuous physical activity, demonstrate higher adherence to such practices. This disparity contributes to a greater prevalence of chronic disease later in life among less active populations.

Partnering With Eternal

We are thrilled to partner with Alex and the Eternal team as they pioneer innovative longevity protocols, strategically beginning with the athlete population to drive meaningful impact and scalability.

Eternal’s longevity solution offers a personalized, sport-focused product tailored to individuals who identify as avid athletes. By prioritizing athletic enthusiasm over traditional factors like extreme wealth or advanced age, the company adopts a more focused strategy. This approach effectively expands the addressable market by leveraging the price inelasticity of demand for sport-specific products and services within this highly engaged demographic.

Put simply, instead of attempting to persuade wealthy elites to change their behavior and lifestyle to (1) mitigate chronic disease (countering human nature and hyperbolic discounting for most) and (2) extend their healthspan (as shown below)…

…Eternal is prolonging the performance window and “athleticspan” of avid athletes with existing athletic passions (e.g., running, cycling), naturally extending lifespan and healthspan in the process.

Eternal’s approach represents the natural evolution of longevity care, moving from (1) “how can I live longer?” to (2) “how can I live healthier for longer?” to, in this case, (3) “how can I still PR in my 50s and finish races in my 70s?”. By embedding longevity care within programming for life-defining passions such as running and cycling, Eternal hopes to drive far greater adherence and outcomes.

Athletes have long improvised methods to enhance performance and extend their careers, often navigating the complexities of longevity with little guidance. Eternal transforms this fragmented approach with a longevity care model that is centered around a world-class, activity-specific coach. This coach anchors a seamless digital experience, combining high-performance training, concierge medical consultations, and personalized longevity strategies. Purpose-built by athletes for athletes, Eternal is designed to resonate with a highly motivated customer base that thrives on setting big goals and smashing through them.

Final Thoughts

We couldn’t think of a more capable leader to drive this ambitious mission than Alex, whose track record speaks volumes. From leading Product at Strava during its pivotal growth phase to founding, scaling, and exiting The Athletic to the New York Times, Alex brings a rare blend of vision, execution, and domain expertise.

As we continue advancing our mission to shift healthcare toward a proactive, interconnected model, we’re confident that Alex and the team at Eternal are uniquely positioned to redefine the intersection of performance, health care, and longevity—setting a new standard for athletes and beyond.

We are joined by Lightspeed, Courtside Ventures, Treble Capital, Founders Fund, Bling Capital, Flare Capital, and other add-value investors who share our vision of bringing an integrated and proactive health and performance care model to life.

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