(MARKETWATCH) -- The fountain of eternal youth once sounded like pure science fiction, but now investors are pouring millions into start-ups searching for revolutionary ways to reverse the aging process. The big hope is that they will one day become a reality and turn a profit.
On Monday, Juvenescence: The UK start-up, which is developing a range of therapies and technologies to increase human longevity, closed a $100m funding which values the biotech at $500m. This brings the total that Juvenescence has raised in 18 months to $165m. The biotech has so far invested in 15 companies, the majority of which are in the US, including AgeX Therapeutics, a California-based company which is developing stem cells to regenerate tissues that deteroriate in old age. Juvenescence is hoping to make its stock market debut in 2020.