Aussie founded Superpower raises $47 million to help people live longer
A who's who of tech and celebrity investors have backed Australian entrepreneur Max Marchione and his US co-founders in a $47 million (US$30 million) Series A funding round that values their health startup Superpower at more than $300 million.
Born and raised in Sydney, 24-year-old Marchione has been immersed in the local startup sector for some time, having co-founded the Next Chapter community for ambitious young founders, investors and creators and its affiliated investment syndicate, Ultraviolet Ventures.
He moved to San Francisco in 2023 to found Superpower with US entrepreneurs Jacob Peters and Kevin Unkrich, and the trio quickly started building buzz around their startup thanks to a US$4 million pre-seed raise in 2024.
Now, Superpower has the backing of San Francisco-based Forerunner Ventures, which has previously invested in Glossier, Warby Parker and Oura Health.
According to a statement provided to SmartCompany, Forerunner Ventures led Superpower's Series A round, which also included participation from Day One Ventures, Susa Ventures, Long Journey Ventures Family Fund, Opal Ventures, Valia Ventures, Visible Ventures, and Winklevoss Capital.
The startup has also enticed celebrity investors onto its cap table, including acting star Vanessa Hudgens, DJ Steve Aoki, wrestler Logan Paul and NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo.
According to the Australian Financial Review, Superpower employs a team of 80, a third of whom are Australians.
Superpower wants to revolutionise health
Source: Supplied.
Superpower's mission, which has been shaped by the founders' own experiences with the health system, is a bold one: "health deserves a revolution", states the company's manifesto.
"From poor food quality, to inescapable environmental toxins and a modern lifestyle that is hijacking our biology, it has never been harder to be healthy," the manifesto reads.
"And it’s clear that existing institutions aren’t working."
The solution, according to Superpower, is what it describes as "the world's most comprehensive and convenient longevity system on the planet", which it is launching publicly this week.
This personal healthcare "super app" offers users biannual lab blood tests to give a snapshot of a person's health in real time.
The tests, which are done either at home or at one of the startup's 2,000 partner labs across the US, are analysed for 100 biomarkers across 21 categories to provide a comprehensive health assessment.
The Superpower platform combines these results with past medical records, fitness trackers and genetics. It then uses AI to give users a personalised overview of their health and an action plan to change it.
This could include addressing many health issues with preventative treatments, or connecting users with doctors and other healthcare professionals.
The Superpower app is currently available in the US for US$499 a year.
The startup has some early customers on board and a waitlist of 150,000 interested users. It plans to use its new funding to grow its clinical and engineering teams, add new features to its mobile app and explore international markets.
“The current healthcare system currently leaves most people visiting primary care doctors on a reactive basis after a problem arises, not before,” said Marchione in the statement.
“We are building Superpower to transform how people interact with their health. We want to rescue 100 million people from the limits of traditional reactive care.”
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