The Cat Health Company Raises €1M to Extend Cats’ Lifespans with Longevity Therapeutics

Bucharest startup backed by Insilico Medicine unicorn founder and top longevity investors; Oxford-trained scientists target early 2026 regulatory submissions

The Cat Health Company, a biotechnology startup developing longevity therapeutics for cats, has secured €1 million in funding to accelerate clinical trials and bring life-extending treatments to the veterinary market. The round was led by prominent longevity investors including Alex Zhavoronkov, founder of AI-driven pharma unicorn Insilico Medicine.

The funding round includes investments from Portfolia’s Active Aging & Longevity Fund II, Sonia Arrison’s 100 Plus Capital, a syndicated angel SPV, and strong follow-on capital from initial lead investor Early Game Ventures. The company is preparing clinical data for regulatory submissions targeted for early 2026.

Unicorn Founder Backs Feline Longevity Mission

Alex Zhavoronkov, the visionary scientist and entrepreneur who built Insilico Medicine into a pharma unicorn using AI-driven drug discovery, has personally invested in The Cat Health Company. His backing brings significant credibility to the startup’s approach of applying cutting-edge longevity science to veterinary medicine.

“This is more than just an investment; it’s a vote of confidence in our mission to bring true longevity solutions to the veterinary world,” said Alex Voda, DPhil, CEO and co-founder of The Cat Health Company. “With this funding, we will accelerate our clinical research, develop new programs, and expand our team to bring these life-extending therapies to the cats who need them most, faster.”

Alex Bacita, co-founder and COO, added that encouraging interim results from ongoing clinical trials have validated the company’s approach and attracted significant attention from key players in the longevity space.

Oxford-Trained Scientists Apply Human Longevity Research to Cats

The Cat Health Company was founded by two scientists with deep expertise in molecular medicine and drug discovery:

Alexandru-Ioan Voda, DPhil – CEO and co-founder, holds a doctorate in Molecular and Cellular Medicine from the University of Oxford. His research focuses on regenerative medicine, bioinformatics, and computational methods for disease target prediction. Before founding The Cat Health Company, he worked as a scientific researcher at Oxford and as a scientific project manager at Genevia Technologies. He also co-founded Cat Aging Diagnostics, dedicated to feline aging research.

Alexandru Bacita, BSc (Hons) – COO and co-founder, graduated from the University of Manchester and previously served as a senior scientist and project lead in pharmaceutical companies including Biorelate, Labcorp, and Charles River Labs, working on drug discovery programs.

The founders are applying principles from human longevity research to develop therapeutics that combat age-related diseases in cats, potentially extending both lifespan and healthspan for companion animals.

Clinical Trials Show Promising Early Results

The company has completed interim analysis of ongoing clinical trials, with results validating its therapeutic approach. Full clinical data is being prepared for publication and regulatory submissions targeted for early 2026.

The Cat Health Company’s clinical program is led by Ana Cruceanu, DVM, a senior veterinary medicine doctor specializing in geriatric pathologies in companion cats with extensive clinical trial experience.

The scientific team includes Cristina Alexandru, PhD, who previously worked on molecular genetics at the University of Manchester and cellular senescence research at the Buck Institute for Aging with the Verdin lab – a leading institution in aging research.

Multi-Country Structure Supports International Operations

The Cat Health Company is headquartered in Bucharest, Romania, where it operates as THE CAT HEALTH COMPANY SRL (registered at Str. Elena Caragiani 5, Sector 1, Bucharest). This structure provides access to European research talent and competitive R&D costs.

The company also maintains:

• Delaware C-Corporation registered in Dover for U.S. operations and investment
• Northern Ireland entity (CAT HEALTH LTD) with offices in Limavady for UK market access

This multi-jurisdictional setup enables the company to conduct biotech research internationally while accessing capital and regulatory pathways in multiple markets.

Leadership Team Combines Pharma, Finance, and Veterinary Expertise

Beyond the scientific founders, The Cat Health Company has assembled an experienced leadership team:

Cosette Chichirau, MBA, PhD – BD & CFO, previously held executive positions in Forbes 500 companies and served as a high-level politician and member of parliament. Brings business expertise and finance credentials.

Mihai Tanase, Esq – Counsel and external legal coordinator, previously assisted with legal matters and regulatory agency interactions for NGOs and parliament senators.

Advisory Board:

• Adrian Grosu – Executive at Novartis and partner at Stonehaven, focused on veterinary market
• Sonia Arrison – Silicon Valley venture capital investor focused on biotech and longevity interventions
• Florin Visa – Partner at Early Game VC with 20+ years investing and advising on healthcare deals at EBRD, KPMG, Deloitte, and ABN AMRO

Longevity Investors Back Pet Biotech Market Potential

The €1 million round attracted prominent investors from the human longevity space who see companion animal therapeutics as an adjacent opportunity:

Portfolia‘s Active Aging & Longevity Fund II – Venture fund backing early-stage companies developing technologies that enhance aging and longevity, particularly targeting health improvements in older populations. The fund invests in biotech, diagnostics, and therapeutics addressing aging.

Sonia Arrison’s 100 Plus Capital – Named after Arrison’s book “100 Plus: How the Coming Age of Longevity Will Change Everything,” this fund invests in companies advancing longevity and anti-aging technologies through biomedicine and AI-driven drug discovery.

Alex Zhavoronkov (Insilico Medicine) – As founder of Insilico Medicine, an AI-driven drug discovery company that achieved unicorn status, Zhavoronkov is a leading figure in longevity biotech. He combines deep learning with molecular biology to accelerate therapeutic development and actively mentors startups in the longevity ecosystem.

Syndicated Angel SPV – A special purpose vehicle pooling investments from multiple angel investors focused on active aging and longevity sectors, facilitating collaborative investment and shared due diligence.

Early Game Ventures – Early-stage VC fund focused on Central and Eastern European tech startups, with particular focus on Romania. The conviction-based fund invests at Pre-Seed and Seed stages with initial tickets of €500,000-€2 million per startup. As the initial lead investor, Early Game demonstrated strong conviction by providing additional follow-on capital for expansion and clinical development.

Growing Market for Pet Longevity Therapeutics

The Cat Health Company is positioning itself as the leading biotechnology company in feline longevity at a time when pet owners increasingly seek advanced medical care for companion animals. The global pet healthcare market continues to expand as owners view pets as family members deserving of cutting-edge treatments.

By focusing specifically on cats and age-related diseases, the company addresses an underserved niche within veterinary medicine. While dog health has received significant research attention, feline-specific therapeutics remain less developed, creating opportunities for specialized biotech companies.

The company’s AI-driven drug development pipeline, computational biology approach, and expertise in longevity science position it to potentially develop multiple therapeutic programs beyond its initial candidates.

Early 2026 Regulatory Submissions Targeted

With the new funding, The Cat Health Company plans to:

• Complete ongoing clinical trials and prepare data for publication
• Submit regulatory filings in early 2026
• Expand the scientific and clinical team
• Develop additional therapeutic programs in the pipeline
• Scale operations across its Romania, U.S., and UK entities

The company recently presented its work on longevity trials in cats at the Longevity Summit in Dublin 2024, building visibility within the aging research community.