Why this longevity startup raised in Japan, not Silicon Valley | TWiST Tokyo | E2315 | This Week in Startups

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Today's show:

French ex-martial artist Bilal Kharouni is building his longevity startup from Okinawa, one of the world's "blue zones." (These are regions with the most people living long, healthy lives.) In this TWiST taping from Founder University in Tokyo, Jason investigates why a $200K raise in Japan can out-build a $2M raise in San Francisco, and why the best moat for biological AI isn't the model; it's the data no one else has.

Plus a tactical and practical discussion of product market fit, why Ekei killed a growing side business to maintain focus, Japan's fast-track for regenerative medicine, and hitting the upper limits for consumer longevity gadgets. Plus a live Q&A with Founder U attendees.

Guest

Bilal Kharouni on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bilal-kharouni/

Ekei Labs: https://www.ekeilabs.com/

Relevant Links

Okinawa Institute of Science and Tech (OIST): ****https://www.oist.jp/

Life Biosciences: https://www.lifebiosciences.com/

NewLimit: https://www.newlimit.com/

Centivax: https://www.centivax.com/

Medical Daily: "First Human Trial to Reverse Aging Gets FDA Clearance": https://www.medicaldaily.com/first-human-trial-reverse-aging-just-got-fda-clearance-what-epigenetic-reprogramming-actually-476076

Tim Friede snake venom article from Science: https://www.science.org/content/article/he-injected-himself-venom-decades-can-his-antibodies-help-snakebite-victims

Micro1: https://www.micro1.ai/

Whoop: https://www.whoop.com/

Station F Paris startup campus: https://stationf.co/

Japan Times: "PM Takaichi sleeps only 2-4 hours a night": https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/14/japan/politics/takaichi-sleep-overwork/

FDLI: "Japan's Regenerative Medicine Regulatory Pathways": https://www.fdli.org/2019/02/global-focus-japans-regenerative-medicine-regulatory-pathways-encouraging-innovation-and-patient-access/

FDA: "Right to Try": https://www.fda.gov/patients/learn-about-expanded-access-and-other-treatment-options/right-try

STAT News: "Are Blue Zones Real?": https://www.statnews.com/2026/05/04/are-blue-zones-real-new-scrutiny-longevity-hot-spots/

Timestamps:

0:00 Founder University is back in Japan!

4:05 What Ekei Labs does

5:13 Why Japan is a longevity hub

8:52 The AI biological moat

10:05 Sentry - Your team should be focused on shipping features — not chasing down bugs. New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to https://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST

15:58 Right to try and the ethics of experimental therapies

22:30 Agree.com - Stop chasing invoices and automate your entire contract-to-cash stack. Go to https://agree.com and tell them Jason sent you to get 50% off for life!

24:49 Japan's fast-track regenerative medicine law

26:03 Raising in Japan vs. the US

31:32 Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

40:44 Why Ekei killed a profitable service to focus

47:11 Have Blue Zones been debunked?

48:56 How socialization may extend lifespan

51:07 Founder Q&A: Booked vs. forecast revenue

55:42 Amazon's "bar raiser" framework

1:03:31 Social robots and loneliness

1:04:29 Jason on health and hustle culture

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