It has been estimated that an increase in life expectancy by a year is worth $38 trillion which is in part due to a general increase in the number of people in good health and with money. Longevity is a term used to describe a long life or long existence. Age has been listed as a risk factor for many chronic ailments such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and many others.

Due to this reason, scientists believe that finding a cure for old age can alleviate suffering and greatly reduce the number of people suffering from some of these chronic ailments and many other agerelated diseases. Due to the great strides that have been taken in the world of Science and Technology, many scientists now believe that there is a cure to aging. The longevity business is currently one of the most important branches of science at the moment as it is fast-moving and has been described as ‘next-generation science and due to this, it is a trillion-dollar business that is full of opportunities for people from all sectors of the world.

Due to the increase in life expectancy around the world, this means that in a few years, the majority of a country’s wealth will be held by the elderly, i.e., those over 60 years of age.

The longevity industry has created many new opportunities for businesses across the world and has been described as the greatest business opportunity of all time.

Many companies are being urged not to ignore the elderly customer base as it is estimated that the number of people aged 60 and above will hit 3.1 billion by the end of this century. This proves that within the industry of Longevity exists many other business opportunities which should not be ignored but rather should be explored.

The Longevity industry has been defined as having four main components which are;

1. Science of aging

2. Preventive Precision Medicine

3. AgeTech

4. Novel Financial Systems.

The longevity business not only focuses on the science of aging but also on the financial, technological, and social changes that will have to be implemented to accommodate and meet the needs of the aging population.

This, therefore, means that there is a lot of space in the longevity business for companies to join in and contribute in their own capacity. Here are some business opportunities that can be found within the longevity industry;

1. Science and Technology: Throughout human history, there have always existed rumors on the existence of a cure for aging. From as far back as the 16th century to as recently as the early 20th century, many scientists have believed that the elimination of age-related diseases may be the cure to aging. Even though these ideas have been around for centuries, there hasn’t really been much in the way of discovery until a few years ago. We are currently living in the most technological period in human history and this has had a huge positive impact on longevity science. Various innovations such as the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the world of medicine to tailor-make medicines for individuals according to their genetic make- up or the presence of new computers and machines that can be used to investigate the human genome further have proved beneficial to the longevity business as well. Companies specializing in science and technology are being urged to invest their time and resources in the science of longevity. Strides in the world of technology and science are highly likely to impact the business of longevity positively and this can thus lead to various breakthroughs in the longevity industry.
2. Pharmaceutical industry: To find the cure for aging, scientists not only need to find a way for human beings to live longer but also to live healthier lives. Currently, life expectancy is at its highest but people are not leading healthy lives. This thus results in a case where people live for longer but also suffer from age-related health conditions for longer. The pharmaceutical industry, therefore, has a central role to play in the longevity industry. Companies are being urged to dedicate sections of their Research & Development to working on finding the cure for aging. Due to the vastness of the longevity topic and its novelty, there are still various aspects of it that require a lot of research and development such as the nutritional aspect, gene therapy, preventive therapies as well as new diagnostic techniques. Additionally, the fact that it’s a relatively new science has scared some business owners from investing in it. However, the longevity business is proving to be the future of many scientific innovations and it is, therefore, advisable to invest as early as possible. Due to the involvement of the pharmaceutical industry in the longevity business, the advancements in gene therapy, artificial intelligence, advanced Data Science among other disciplines have also accelerated important medical breakthroughs that will benefit all humans. One of the paradigm shifts estimated to take place with the success of the longevity industry is the shift from treatment to prevention as the science of longevity is centered more on prevention than cure. This will increase the opportunities within the pharmaceutical industry as many companies will now lean towards producing preventive medicine.
3. Government: The science of longevity should not only be explored by companies that deal in science and technology but should also be well explored by various governments. Funding of this industry by a government may hasten the process due to a never-ending supply of funds and the lack of government policies that may impede research. Governments around the world should not only provide funding for the various scientists and companies taking part in the longevity industry but should also upgrade their policies and systems to cater to the possible increase in the elderly population in a few years. Areas such as continuous education, retirement plans, cognitive enhancement, and entertainment for the elderly are just but a few where governments need to reconsider and redo to include their elderly population as well.
4. A government has two main roles to play in the longevity industry and these are:                               - National initiatives such as social care, investing in industries and companies in the biotechnology sector.                                                                                                                           - Intergovernmental initiatives which include marshalling resources, experts, and key technologies from around the world. The first head of state who will be elected with an agenda of Health Longevity will have driven its country and economy forward due to all the prospective opportunities present within the industry.                                                                                        This may also open the country up to certain opportunities such as being the first country to be a Longevity hub, allowing it to be the first country to release a drug for the public for longevity amongst other opportunities. 
5. Financial industry: Due to the above-mentioned rising number of the elderly, the business models for certain businesses such as insurance companies, retirement funds, and other pension funds are suffering. To avoid this from happening, companies within the financial industry are being urged to create new business models that will cater to the increasing number of elderly people within the population. It is the prerogative of the financial industry to come up with novel financial systems as the current ones may not survive within the age of longevity or even with the impending silver tsunami.

A few reasons one may consider investing in the Longevity Industry, which is already one of the largest industries in the world estimated to be worth US$17 trillion, include:

• As the industry continues to grow and headway is made in the science of Longevity, many BioTech, health, and pharmaceutical, as well as IT companies, will prioritize longevity in their business models
• The introduction of the first longevity drug in the market will invite many more investors into the industry which will only drive the whole research process forwards.
• Investing in the longevity industry will give a different kind of return on investment which will be health and additional years of health for both individual citizens and countries in general.
• The Silver Tsunami, which is a wave that describes the aging population, has been estimated to lead to the decline and bankruptcy of many countries in the near future, and thus investing in the longevity industry may prevent this from happening.
• The increasing interconnection and synergy between the four components of longevity mentioned above will eventually make longevity into an asset class.
• Due to the fact that longevity is located in the middle of the most advanced domains of some of the biggest industries around the world, i.e., science, technology, medicine, finance, and government, it possesses unprecedented levels of complexity and will require entirely new methods of analysis and investing.