Laura Deming
Born 1994 · Age 31
Venture capitalist and longevity researcher focused on life extension, founder/partner of The Longevity Fund and later age1; early lab researcher in aging, Thiel Fellow who left MIT to build venture-backed companies and funds in longevity.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born
Laura Deming was born (nationality: New Zealander; daughter of John and Tabitha Deming).
Became interested in biology of aging
At age 8 Deming became interested in the biology of aging, an interest that shaped her later career.
Moved to San Francisco to join Cynthia Kenyon's lab (UCSF)
At 12 she joined Cynthia Kenyon's lab at the University of California, San Francisco, beginning hands-on research in aging biology.
Homeschooled childhood — self-taught advanced subjects
Grew up homeschooled in New Zealand; taught herself calculus, probability & statistics, French literature and history.
Accepted to MIT to study physics
Accepted to Massachusetts Institute of Technology at age 14 to study physics.
Awarded Thiel Fellowship ($100,000) and left MIT
Accepted the Thiel Fellowship (one of the inaugural 2011 fellows), a $100,000 award to drop out of college and pursue independent research/companies.
One of two women in the 2011 inaugural Thiel Fellows class
Noted as one of only two women in the initial (2011) Thiel Fellowship cohort.
Founded The Longevity Fund (concept/early formation)
Began work to found a venture capital firm focused on aging and life extension (The Longevity Fund); sources describe Deming founding the fund as a teenager.
Dropped out of MIT
Left MIT (where she had been studying physics after early acceptance) to pursue the Thiel Fellowship and build ventures/funds in longevity.
Early credibility from Cynthia Kenyon mentorship
Mentored by Cynthia Kenyon at UCSF beginning age 12 — this mentorship provided scientific credibility and shaped Deming's focus on aging biology.
Featured in Forbes '30 Under 30'
Named/featured in Forbes '30 Under 30' (profiled among young leaders in technology/entrepreneurship).
Spoke at Singularity Summit
Public speaking engagement — Deming spoke at the 2012 Singularity Summit on topics around longevity and technology.
Raised The Longevity Fund — First fund (reported $4M)
The Longevity Fund raised a first institutional fund reported at approximately $4 million (Wikipedia/industry profiles cite a $4M first fund).
Spoke at TEDMED conference
Delivered a talk at the 2013 TEDMED conference on science, business and longevity.
Major profile coverage and interviews (Nature, MIT Technology Review)
Early-career profiles (Nature Q&A, MIT Technology Review, New York Times coverage) documented turning from lab research to VC/entrepreneurship.
Profiled by Nature (Turning point Q&A)
Nature published a Q&A/Turning point profile (15 May 2013) about Deming's move from science into venture capital.
Featured in National Geographic documentary 'The Age of Ageing'
Appeared as one of the stars in the National Geographic documentary exploring longevity and ageing topics.
Public statements on biological immortality
Publicly expressed belief that science can be used to create biological immortality and that ending aging is closer than many think (widely quoted in interviews and profiles).
Partner and public face of The Longevity Fund
Recognized publicly as founder and partner at The Longevity Fund, investing in companies targeting aging biology.
The Longevity Fund investments (noted)
The Longevity Fund invested in longevity-focused companies including Unity Biotechnology, Navitor Pharmaceuticals, and Metacrine (dates of individual investments vary).
Public recognition as a young fund manager
Profiles and media coverage (TechCrunch, WSJ, Business Insider) highlighted Deming as one of the youngest fund managers in the U.S.
Closed The Longevity Fund — Second fund $22M
The Longevity Fund closed a second fund with $22 million in capital (reported widely in TechCrunch and Wall Street Journal, Aug 2017).
Reported role: evangelist for longevity investment
By 2018-2019 Deming is frequently quoted and profiled as an evangelist for investing in aging biology, steering capital and founding accelerator and funds.
Spoke at TechCrunch Disrupt SF (image/speaking engagement)
Appeared/speaked at TechCrunch Disrupt SF (image caption shows Deming at the conference, 2018).
Launched AGE1 accelerator (four-month longevity startup program)
Launched AGE1 (also written AGE1/age1), a four-month accelerator to support founders building longevity-focused companies.
Portfolio company milestone — Fauna Bio (AGE1 cohort)
Fauna Bio (AGE1 cohort) highlighted as a company using hibernation biology for heart attack and stroke recovery — demonstrative milestone for cohort outcomes.
Advising Pioneer Fund on longevity projects
Began advising Pioneer (a fund/organization to find talent globally) on projects related to longevity (reported Aug 2018).
AGE1 graduated first cohort (6 companies)
AGE1's first cohort of six startups graduated on October 10, 2018; cohort included Fauna Bio (hibernation biology for heart/brain recovery) and Spring Discovery.
Profile and articles reflect Longevity Fund progress
Media coverage highlighted The Longevity Fund's traction and Deming's role as a young fund manager focusing on anti-aging biotech.
age1 fund reported at $55M in other reporting
Some sources (e.g., later/aggregate profiles) state age1 has $55M in funding dedicated to early-stage longevity—reflects reporting variation/possible subsequent close.
Co-founded age1 venture fund (press: $35M raise reported)
Joined with Alex Colville to launch age1, a next-generation venture fund focused on longevity; Wall Street Journal reported a $35M raise toward the early-stage longevity fund (Sept 2023).
Public thought leadership: long interviews & podcasts
Extensive long-form interviews (e.g., May 2025 Joseph Noel Walker podcast) on philosophy, ethics, cryopreservation and strategy for longevity science.
CEO & co-founder of Cradle (public status in podcast/interview)
By May 21, 2025 Deming is identified as CEO and co-founder of Cradle, a company pursuing human whole-body reversible cryopreservation (discussed in long-form podcast interview).
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