🙌 WHOOP there it is.

WHOOP 5.0 hits shelves, Oura ring expands toolkit, and the longevity economy is flooding with funding. All that and more in this week's edition.

May 14, 2025

Good morning friends. It’s May 14th, and we’re slingin’ more deep dishes of longevity news than a pope from Chi-town.

The rundown for this week:

  • 🏃🏼‍♀️ Big news in wearables, from WHOOP & Oura Ring

  • 💰 NewLimit raises $130MM in fresh funding.

  • 🔬 Early pancreatic screening test launches from Human Longevity Inc.

  • ⚕️ New “Health Octo Tool” can decipher your biological age.

Let’s get to it. 👇

New York Times - 5 quick, and easy tips on aging well, from Dr. Eric Topol’s new book, “Super Agers”. (Read more)

TechCrunch - NewLimit, from Coinbase founder Brian Armstrong, raises $130MM in fresh cash for epigenetic programming. (Read more)

The Guardian - XPrize Healthspan set to deliver $101MM in prize money for longevity business pitch. (Read more)

CNBC News - Function health acquires full-body MRI scanning company, Ezra. (Read more)

Bloomberg - Gene-editing darling Synthego goes bankrupt, after raising $375MM in funding. (Read more)

Athletech - Emerging health-tech start-up Hundred Health acquires longevity data star-up BellSant. (Read more)

Presswire - Human Longevity Inc. unveils new early-screening test for pancreatic cancer. (Read more)

IN THE NEWS

WHOOP Unveils 5.0 & MG: Health, Fitness, & Longevity In Focus

An absolute huge week in wearables, with the biggest announcement from WHOOP with two all new device, 5.0 and MG.

It’s time for a full breakdown of the new innovations from the Silicon Valley-backed cult favorite.

Here we go:

WHOOP 5.0 vs. WHOOP MG: Which One’s for You?

Before we get into the new app features, let’s see which one might be right for you.

A breakdown of the different capabilities of the 2 new devices.

Feature

WHOOP 5.0 🖤

WHOOP MG ⚕️

Design

Sleek, 7% smaller than 4.0

Same core design as 5.0

Battery Life

Up to 14 days, wireless charging

Same battery + new charging pack

Sensor Precision

26 samples/sec, improved accuracy

Same sensor suite

Healthspan/WHOOP Age

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Hormonal Insights

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Sleep Score + Haptics

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Real-time Strain/Recovery

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

ECG / Heart Screener

❌ No

✅ FDA-cleared ECG for AFib detection

Blood Pressure Estimation

❌ No

✅ Cuffless BP tracking (with calibration)

Intended For

Athletes, biohackers, everyday overachievers

Medically-conscious users, clinicians, high-risk monitoring

Subscription Tier

WHOOP One or Peak ($199–239/year)

WHOOP Life ($359/year)

Onto the good stuff.

The new features that matter:

1. Next-Gen Sensor Suite

The 5.0 gets an optical sensor upgrade with five LEDs, four photodiodes, and advanced algorithms.

Translation?

More accurate HRV, skin temperature, blood oxygen, and heart rate tracking, even while you're face-down in a hot yoga puddle.

 2. What’s your “WHOOP Age”?

With their new Healthspan feature, WHOOP calculates your biological age based on things like resting heart rate, HRV, sleep, and respiratory rate.

You might be 42, but if your WHOOP Age says 38, you’re winning.

If it says 58?

Time to pound some black coffee, shotgun some NAD+, and take a light jog.

3. Your Hormones Now Have a Data Trail

The new Hormonal Insights feature adds a level of personalization that accounts for menstrual cycles, hormonal shifts, and even pregnancy.

It’s like a period tracker, except that tracker also doubles as a health coach.

4. Better Sleep Tracking + Smart Alarms

They’ve revamped the Sleep Score, and added haptic alarms.

A gentle wrist vibration that wakes you up at the optimal time in your cycle.

So instead of a jarring phone alarm, you get a nudge that says, “Hey champ, time to dominate the day.”

— — —

Our Take

This is a HUGE announcement for the wearables and health optimization community.

More options, better tech, and more access to your personalized goals.

But…take your health optimization with a grain of salt.

You can still stay out late with an old friend at a dingy bar.

You can still sneak in a late night snack once in while.

Go ahead and live a little!

Moderation and mental health are JUST as important to longevity than tracking steps and obsessing over your HRV patterns.

Because sometimes the best recovery tool in life… is stepping away, forgetting to track, and living in the moment.

IN THE NEWS

Oura Ring Expands Metabolic Health Tools

Oura Ring is stepping up its game with two new tools that make metabolic health tracking smarter and more personalized.

First, there's the Meals feature, which lets you snap a pic of your food, and Oura's AI will break it down to analyze the macronutrient content. It’s like having a personal dietician in your pocket, giving you feedback on how your meals affect your energy and overall health. No more guessing if that sandwich is sabotaging your vibe.

Next up…Oura is teaming up with Dexcom’s Stelo biosensor for the Glucose feature, which tracks your blood sugar levels in real-time, giving you insights into how things like sleep, stress, and workouts are impacting your metabolic health.

IN THE NEWS

Health Octo Tool Offers Precision View of Physiological Aging

Imagine this…a Fitbit for your organs.

Minus the wristband and annoying notifications.

Researchers at the University of Washington have unveiled the Health Octo Tool, a cutting-edge system that deciphers your body's biological age by analyzing eight key health metrics.

This tool assesses how each organ system contributes to your overall aging process, offering a nuanced view of your health beyond the traditional disease-focused approach.

At the heart of this innovation is the concept of "health entropy," which quantifies the cumulative wear and tear across your body's systems.

By evaluating factors like walking speed and cognitive function, the Health Octo Tool provides a comprehensive picture of your physiological age, potentially predicting disability and mortality with over 90% accuracy.

May 30 - June1 | Austin, TX | Live Beyond 180, Biohacking Conference

Experience the latest technologies and hear from the disruptors and trailblazing biohacking thought leaders.

May 31 - June 1 | West Palm Beach, FL | The Longevity Expo

Engage with topics ranging from biohacking and fitness to functional medicine and mental well-being. The expo features live demonstrations, interactive zones, and sessions with leading experts in the field.

Do you hate cold plunges?

You’re not alone.

They ain’t for everybody.

And they ain’t as refreshing as sipping a mai tai on a caribbean beach.

But what if you could reap the same benefits WITHOUT subjecting yourself to the mind-numbing shock most people feel when experimenting with cold plunges?

Check this out…and since it’s almost officially Summer, it might be time to get your pool aerobics on (temperature not important!). 👇