From Lifespan to Healthspan: How a Tech Entrepreneur Reframes the Longevity Challenge With Peng Ong

If you accept that there’s no way one person can figure out what’s going on, then you can imagine healthcare—or sick care—evolving into a system where AI collaborates with a doctor. That’s almost guaranteed, because no doctor can keep up with everything.”

Living longer and healthier is no longer confined to scientific journals—it’s now an everyday discussion among entrepreneurs, investors, and families worldwide. One notable voice in this space is tech entrepreneur and investor Peng T. Ong, renowned for spotting market disruptions early. These days, he’s personally focused on “healthspan”—the number of years we can live free of serious disease—rather than simply tacking extra years onto our lifespan.

Drawing on personal experiences, Ong adopts a balanced yet forward-looking view of longevity:
“My goal isn’t just to add more years, but to live each year more fully—staying healthy so I can truly enjoy life with balance and vitality.”

Personal Spark: Real Lives, Real Lessons

Peng T. Ong’s journey towards health and longevity was spurred by two pivotal events.

The first was witnessing his father struggle with neurodegeneration—exposing the fragmented, reactive nature of much modern healthcare. Next, a close friend’s passing from pancreatic cancer, potentially preventable through an earlier liquid biopsy,

highlighted the chasm between medical research and daily reality.

Bridging this gap, Ong argues, requires more than exceptional labs or costly hospital care. It calls for fresh perspectives—rooted in computer science, artificial intelligence, and an entrepreneurial discipline aimed at preventive health rather than mere treatment.



“We produce millions of scientific papers every year and spend billions on research—yet if you ask how to maximise your health, you still rely on Google. That’s ridiculous.” -Peng Ong

Booming Opportunities: Global Wellness and Longevity

Across the globe, the pursuit of an extended healthspan is reshaping healthcare:

1. Surging Wellness Economy

• The Global Wellness Institute projects that the wellness economy could exceed USD 7 trillion by 2025, spanning nutrition, fitness, preventive care, and mental well-being.

2. Longevity Ventures in the US

• Deep-pocketed players like Calico Labs (backed by Alphabet) and Altos Labs (supported by Jeff Bezos) are delving into anti-ageing research at the cellular level.

• Consumer-facing startups such as InsideTracker, Levels, and WHOOP use biometric and metabolic data to help individuals optimise daily habits.

3. Asian HealthTech Hubs

• Asia is fast emerging as a hotspot in healthtech innovation. Companies like Biofourmis
(Singapore) and Insilico Medicine (originally Hong Kong-based) utilise AI and data analytics to personalise therapies.

• Governments in Singapore, Japan, and China increasingly funding preventive healthcare as a way to reduce spiralling costs. For example, Singapore’s “Healthier SG” encourages digitised healthcare pathways, enabling citizens to monitor and improve their well-being proactively.

Regardless of region, there is a shared realisation: remaining healthy for longer is both economically wise and personally appealing.

Why Healthcare Is a Computer Science Problem

Ong contends that healthcare’s greatest challenge is an overabundance of knowledge—what he describes as “too much knowledge.” He explains:

“Every year, as a species, we spend about 300 billion dollars on health, medicine, and pharmaceutical research. That yields around 3 to 4 million new papers annually.”

Over the years, these papers number in the tens of millions. Concurrently, individuals accumulate their own extensive personal telemetry—ranging from lab tests and wearables to continuous glucose monitoring and genetic analyses. The question becomes:

“Which 3 or 4 studies out of 30, 40, or 50 million actually apply to you?”

“For some people, finding those studies might mean life or death.”

No single doctor—or even a large team—can sift through all that data. Hence, Ong believes healthcare must be reframed as a “computing problem,” one that systematically connects the right information to each patient at the right moment.

A Computer Science Mindset for Healthcare

If no human can keep pace with the exploding volume of research and personal data, then AI working alongside doctors becomes nearly unavoidable.

1. AI-Powered Knowledge Management

By scanning millions of academic papers, AI can tease out associations that would otherwise remain buried, providing targeted insights.

2. Wearables & Data Integration

Continuous input from devices (like WHOOP or the Oura Ring) transforms generic “exercise more, eat less” guidance into day-by-day, individualised recommendations.

3. Early Detection

Through advanced data analysis, AI can flag subtle biomarkers before they become full-blown issues, aligning with Ong’s preference for prevention rather than mere treatment.

From Lifespan to Healthspan

Whilst some visionaries talk about “ending ageing,” Ong focuses on “squaring the curve”—reducing the period of debilitating illness so that we spend more of our added years in good health.

“Research consistently indicates that adopting balanced eating habits, regular exercise, and adequate sleep can add 5 to 15 years of active life,” Ong notes.

“It’s not about chasing immortality; it’s about enjoying more vibrant years while we’re here.”

Governments worldwide realise that prioritising wellness over late-stage interventions can substantially ease healthcare expenditures related to chronic conditions.

Why Blitzscaling Won’t Work for Longevity

Recent years in tech witnessed “blitzscaling,” where companies rapidly expand at any cost. Ong maintains that healthcare and longevity demand a different approach:

• Trust Over Transaction

Blitzscaling often emphasises speed and market share above all else, which can jeopardise long-term rapport. In healthcare, trust is essential— patients must feel safe sharing sensitive information.

“Building a company that people trust with their well-being isn’t about blitzscaling. It’s about genuine care—one patient at a time.”

• Complex Regulation and Risk

Healthcare initiatives face strict oversight and extended clinical trials. Scaling too aggressively may risk patient safety and compliance.

• Aligned Unit Economics

In longevity and health, actual value manifests as better patient outcomes, not high-profile user acquisition fuelled by subsidies.

• Ethical and Social Obligations

A mistake in a social media app may cause uproar, but a blunder in healthcare can be fatal. The margins for error and ethical stakes are significantly higher.

Human Behaviour: The Deciding Factor

Even the finest AI cannot override human nature.

Encouraging people to adopt healthier habits remains the ultimate hurdle:

• Consistent Nudges

Daily movement prompts or readiness scores help turn lofty goals into manageable routines.

• Community and Gamification

Social accountability, group fitness challenges, and small incentives often thrive in the close-knit cultures of Asia, boosting overall engagement.

Conclusion

In the evolving narrative of human longevity, Peng T. Ong applies a tech-driven perspective: turning towering stacks of medical studies and real-time health data into actionable, personalised care. By merging precision medicine with AI—and emphasising trust over blitzscaling—he outlines a future in whichhealthcare is proactive and sustainable, rather than reactive and financially driven at any cost.

And whilst new technologies promise unprecedented personalisation, success hinges on a simple imperative: helping people adopt healthier habits, one disciplined step at a time.

Full Article & Source: Issue 6, Page 50 - DON'T DIE; BRYAN JOHNSON'S BLUEPRINT FOR BEATING MORTALITY