NewLimit, a startup focused on extending healthy lifespans through genetic programming of cells, has successfully raised $130 million in a Series B funding round led by Kleiner Perkins. This fundraising effort saw participation from new investors such as Nat Friedman, Daniel Gross, and Khosla Ventures, alongside returning supporters including Founders Fund and several notable individuals like Elad Gil and Patrick Collison. This round comes two years after the company secured a $40 million Series A.
Co-founded over four years ago by Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, Blake Byers, a former partner at GV, and stem cell expert Jacob Kimmel, NewLimit claims significant advancements in treatments that may rejuvenate aged cells.
Kimmel revealed that they have identified three prototype medicines capable of reprogramming liver cells, allowing them to more effectively process fat and alcohol, essentially restoring youthful characteristics. The company evaluates its advancements by comparing the reactions of cells from younger and older individuals. According to Kimmel, older liver cells that undergo NewLimit’s epigenetic reprogramming start to behave more like their younger counterparts.
Despite these encouraging preliminary results, NewLimit acknowledges that it is still a few years away from initiating human trials. In the interim, the startup aims to continue developing anti-aging medicines leveraging an AI model. This technology enables the team to simulate various experiments and focus on the most promising candidates.
Findings from these lab trials are then utilized to refine the AI in a feedback loop known as “lab in a loop,” enhancing the precision of their research moving forward.