Oman's IDO Investments facilitates visit from Buck Institute

Muscat: Innovation Development Oman (IDO Investments), the Sultanate’s first equity-based venture capital firm, is hosting a visit from the Buck Institute for Research on Ageing. IDO, a subsidiary of SGRF, is the first equity-based venture capital firm in the sultanate and focuses on investments in Healthcare & Lifesciences, Energy, Agriculture & Food and related technologies. The Buck Institute is the premier institution for ageing research, and their first exploratory visit to the Sultanate may pave the way for future collaborations with the Sultanate.

Highlighting the importance of the visit, Mazin Al-Naamani, the Portfolio Impact lead of IDO Investments said, “IDO Investments are continuously looking forward to collaborating with institutions and companies that pioneer state-of-the-art technologies.

According to research and market analysis, investments in the ageing and longevity space have become momentous due to financial viability aided by scientific attempts to explore the secrets behind the ageing process, in addition to the pressure of today’s sophisticated consumer behaviour; demanding high efficacy of products and services. With every individual aspiring to live a longer and healthier life, it is important to invest in initiatives that focus on a holistic approach towards prolonging the human lifecycle."

This visit follows the company's recent investment in Juvenescence, a bio-pharma development company that develops therapies for longevity and health, and will also enable discussions with local institutions to explore investments in longevity and health as well as establishing a potential research hub in the Sultanate.

Dr Eric Verdin, President and CEO of Buck Institute added “I am inspired by the vision of IDO and SGRF to promote healthy ageing in Oman. The Buck, IDO and Juvenescence are clearly aligned in our commitment to study ageing and to discover novel therapies that promote healthy ageing and longevity. We have a great future together and I look forward to our future visits, to the wonderful Omani hospitality and to collaborative efforts in this space.”

“Since Buck Institute is a primary research partner of one of our recent investments - Juvenescence, we believe that collaboration would be a welcome addition to our efforts in highlighting the importance of longevity and ensuring Oman stays at the forefront. We are holding discussions with various institutions including Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), State General Reserve Fund (SGRF) and The Research Council (TRC) to explore the potential of enhancing the presence of the Buck Institute in the region by creating a longevity research hub, with Oman at its core," Al-Naamani concluded.