The Long Life Venture Builder is a pioneering initiative led by LSE Generate and the LSE Global School of Sustainability, in collaboration with six universities worldwide and the award-winning European innovation agency WithCompany.
Mission-driven at its core, the programme tackles systems-level challenges at the intersection of healthy ageing, sustainability, technology, and the future of work.
Framed through the lens of sustainability, the programme reimagines what it means to grow older sustainably, fostering innovation that helps people live better, not just longer.
Powered by collaboration across continents
The Long Life Venture Builder is a global and intergenerational collaboration uniting innovators, researchers, and changemakers across four continents to reimagine the future of longevity.
What makes it unique:
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Led by world-class experts: including LSE Generate, WithCompany, Ashoka Foundation, and Google Cloud, combining global expertise in entrepreneurship, systems innovation, and responsible technology.
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Locally grounded, globally connected: Anchored in local ecosystems across the UK, US, Iberia, India, Brazil, and Singapore, regional partners will explore context-specific challenges and connect to share learnings.
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Intergenerational by design: The programme brings together diverse age groups to exchange ideas, share knowledge, and inspire new thinking on longevity, wellbeing, and sustainable innovation. This will include collaboration with LSE’s Ageing Research Group and global research institutes.
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AI-powered insights: Participants access leading research and tools, including Ashoka’s “New Longevity Brain”, which maps emerging solutions for sustainable ageing worldwide.
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A global impact ecosystem: Connects entrepreneurs, academics, industry partners, and investors working toward a more inclusive, open door and sustainable future for ageing.
About the programme
The Long Life Venture Builder (LLVB) is a three-month, equity-free programme supporting early-stage founders developing systems level, innovative solutions for healthy ageing and the future of work. The programme helps founders rapidly validate their ideas through weekly workshops, hands on support from coaches & mentors, and access to research & intergenerational networks.
We are looking for mission-driven founders and teams with early traction — those who understand the problem they are tackling, have initial user insights or prototypes, and are ready to test and refine their solutions into credible, evidence-backed ventures that improve how we live and age.
To apply, you should be:
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A current student or alum (within 5 years) from one of the participating universities
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Working on a venture or idea aligned with one or more programme themes: Healthy Ageing or Future of Work
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Proficient in English
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Committed to full participation in the January–March 2026 programme (online + hybrid)
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Able to dedicate 10 hours per week to working on your idea
What's included in the programme
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£3,000 grant per team
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Hands on support from Entrepreneurs-in-residence (EiRs)
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Weekly expert-led workshops
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In-person Community Build week and final Demo Day pitch and cumulative summit
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Startup perks, including Google Cloud credits and AI insights
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International travel for key events
Timeline
Apply here.
Applications close at 11:59 PM GMT on 30 November 2025.
Shortlisted teams will be interviewed in early December, and the programme begins on 5 January 2026, running for three months through to the end of March.