This might sound like a sci-fi plot, but it’s actually a global competition backed by $101 million and launched by XPrize and Hevolution Foundation. The mission? To identify real-world interventions that actually extend healthy human lifespan. Not just more candles on the birthday cake, but more years lived with clarity, vitality, and independence.
Here’s what this bold new initiative means, how it works, and how you can start applying the principles of healthspan science to your own daily life.
What is the XPrize for Healthspan?
Announced in May 2025, the XPrize Healthspan is a $101 million competition inviting scientists, clinicians, and innovators to prove that their interventions can meaningfully extend the number of healthy years in a human life. Over the next seven years, teams will work to demonstrate solutions that measurably slow or reverse age-related decline in key physiological and cognitive functions.
It’s the largest incentive prize ever launched in the ageing science space. The competition is backed by the non-profit Hevolution Foundation, which was created to accelerate the science of healthy longevity, particularly for those most at risk of age-related disease.
The goal is clear: take ageing out of the theoretical and into the measurable.
Why This Prize Matters
For decades, the idea of slowing ageing has hovered between hopeful theory and high-tech hype. Now, we’re finally seeing rigorous efforts to translate breakthroughs in biology into tangible human outcomes.
That shift is crucial. Healthspan, the years we live free from chronic disease, frailty, and cognitive decline, isn’t keeping pace with our lifespan. We’re living longer, but not always better.
This prize puts pressure on researchers to demonstrate real-world improvements, not just lab results. Entrants will need to show that their therapies improve markers like mobility, metabolism, muscle strength, and cognitive sharpness.
It’s a challenge that brings together ageing biology, data science, and a deep sense of urgency. As Dr. Peter Diamandis, founder of XPrize, noted: “We believe that a longer healthspan is not just a hope, it’s a deliverable.”
What Kind of Interventions Might Win?
Anything that can be tested and proven to extend healthy function could be in the running. This might include:
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Nutraceuticals or pharmaceuticals that target cellular ageing pathways
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Gene therapies that modulate expression of age-related genes
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Digital tools or wearables that drive behaviour change or monitor health in real time
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Lifestyle programmes that go beyond diet and exercise to improve biological markers
But there’s a catch: the intervention must prove itself in humans, not just mice. Teams will need to demonstrate that their approach works in a two-year randomised clinical trial involving real participants. That’s a big ask, but also what makes this prize so groundbreaking, it’s focused on human health, not theoretical potential.
The Science Driving It All
At the heart of the longevity push is a better understanding of what actually causes the body to break down with age. Scientists now point to a number of cellular processes, including:
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Mitochondrial dysfunction
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Inflammation and immune decline
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Senescent cells (‘zombie’ cells that refuse to die)
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Declining NAD+ levels, which affect energy and DNA repair
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Loss of muscle and metabolic resilience
What’s exciting is that many of these are not just inevitable, they’re modifiable.
New technologies and supplements are being explored to support these systems, from senolytics that clear damaged cells to NAD+ boosters that help sustain energy and repair. But the real promise lies in combinations, targeted interventions that work together to slow the decline.
Is Longevity Only for the Wealthy?
One criticism often levelled at the longevity movement is its perceived elitism: cryotherapy chambers, $2000-a-month supplement regimens, hyperbaric oxygen tanks. But the XPrize could change that narrative.
By requiring real-world results in diverse groups, the prize opens the door to accessible, scalable solutions. That could mean evidence-backed protocols that work in everyday life, not just in high-tech labs.
Dr. Mehmood Khan, CEO of Hevolution, emphasised this point: “This is about democratising access to longer, healthier lives.”
And there’s growing recognition that extending healthspan isn’t about avoiding death, it’s about preserving quality of life. That matters not just for individuals, but for economies and health systems worldwide.
What Can You Do Now?
While we wait to see what the XPrize delivers, many of the mechanisms it targets, like mitochondrial support, inflammation, cognition, are already being studied in everyday contexts.
You don’t need to wait seven years to take action. Some strategies already associated with supporting healthy ageing include:
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Eating to support metabolic health, with balanced blood sugar and circadian-friendly meal timing
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Regular movement, especially resistance training to preserve muscle mass
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Sleep hygiene, which is essential for cellular repair
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Stress reduction, through practices like mindfulness or adaptogenic herbs
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Supplementation, particularly for nutrients that decline with age (like NAD+ precursors, B vitamins, or magnesium)
Even small daily habits can compound into meaningful change.
A Glimpse into the Future
The $101M XPrize might sound like something out of a sci-fi novel, but it reflects a very real shift: ageing is no longer being seen as a fixed, inevitable process. It’s being treated as a dynamic set of biological changes that we can measure, and possibly slow.
The ripple effects of this competition could reshape medicine, public health, and how we think about getting older. It’s no longer just about living longer, it’s about living better, and keeping our minds and bodies in good working order for decades longer.
And for those already interested in stacking the odds in their favour, the science of longevity isn’t abstract. It’s actionable. It’s accessible. And it’s evolving faster than ever.
Could We Enter with Our NMN?
Okay, okay, we’re probably not entering the XPrize with Ageless NMN (unless they add a category for “most loyal NAD+ supporters”). But just because we’re not in the running doesn’t mean you can’t get a head start.
NMN has already been shown in human studies to support energy, metabolism, and muscle function as we age, all things the XPrize is asking for.
So while the scientists race for the prize, you can grab a bottle of Ageless NMN and start stacking your own odds.
