CRYOSLEEP MARKET ANALYSIS

The global cryosleep market size is estimated to be US$ 3.18 Bn in 2023 and is expected to reach US$ 12.93 Bn by 2030, grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.2% from 2023 to 2030.

The market for cryosleep has become a fascinating and potentially game-changing area of contemporary medical science and technology. Cryosleep, sometimes referred to as cryogenic preservation or suspended animation, is a technique in which the body is cooled to extremely low temperatures to halt metabolic processes and effectively place a person in a condition of suspended animation. Science fiction as a means of space travel and exploration has drawn attention to this subject, in addition to the medical community for its potential in critical care scenarios and organ preservation.

The cryosleep market's growth is fueled by advancements in cryopreservation techniques, breakthroughs in understanding cellular biology, and the pursuit of innovative medical solutions. Within the realm of space exploration, cryosleep presents an intriguing possibility for long-duration missions, as it could significantly reduce the physical and psychological challenges of extended space travel. However, despite the promise and excitement surrounding cryosleep, there are numerous technical and ethical considerations to address, including the potential risks to the human body, the intricacies of preserving neural connections, and the fundamental moral and philosophical questions about its application.

Cryosleep Market Regional Insights

• North America: North America is the largest market for cryosleep, accounting for a share of over 35% in 2022. As a hub for space research and medical advancements, North America plays a pivotal role in the cryosleep market. With NASA's ambitious plans for long-duration space missions, including Mars exploration, cryosleep could offer a solution to mitigate the physiological and psychological challenges of extended space travel. Research institutions and private companies in the region are actively exploring cryopreservation techniques for organ transplantation and critical care scenarios, contributing to the market's growth.
• Europe: Europe is the second-largest market for cryosleep, accounting for a share of over 25% in 2022. Europe's strong presence in medical research and biotechnology positions it as a key player in the cryosleep market. The region's emphasis on advanced healthcare solutions aligns with the potential applications of cryosleep in critical care, trauma treatment, and organ preservation. Ethical and regulatory discussions surrounding cryosleep are also prominent, reflecting Europe's comprehensive approach to addressing the complex societal and legal considerations of emerging medical technologies.
• Asia Pacific: Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing market for cryosleep, accounting for a share of over 20% in 2022. The Asia Pacific region showcases a growing interest in the cryosleep market, particularly in the context of space exploration. Countries like China and India are investing in space programs, sparking curiosity about how cryosleep could aid in deep space missions. Additionally, Asia Pacific's strong presence in biotechnology and medical research highlights its potential contribution to advancements in cryopreservation techniques and their medical applications.

Figure 1. Global Cryosleep Market Share (%), by Region, 2023

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Cryosleep Market Drivers:

• Increasing life expectancy: Increasing life expectancy across the world is one of the key factors driving interest in cryosleep and pushing growth in the cryosleep market. As per the recent World Population Prospects report by the United Nations, the global average life expectancy has risen from 64.2 years in 1990 to 73.2 years in 2019. Countries like Japan, Switzerland, and Singapore have life expectancies over 80 years already. More people living longer also means higher chances of developing terminal or incurable diseases. This is resulting in more individuals exploring cryopreservation as a possible life extension method. Cryonics companies claim that cryosleep can preserve someone who is clinically dead with the hope that future medical advances may be able to revive them and potentially cure them. While controversial, the promise of living forever or a second chance at life through future medicine is attractive for those facing terminal illness or death. The number of people signing up for cryopreservation with these companies has steadily risen over the past decade. For example, the U.S. based Cryonics Institute saw their patient list grow from 124 in 2000 to 254 in 2020. Similar trends have been observed in Europe and East Asia as well, with countries like Russia and China emerging as new hotspots.
• Advances in cryopreservation techniques: Advances in cryopreservation techniques are enabling groundbreaking possibilities that are driving significant interest and growth in the cryosleep market. As scientists continue to gain a deeper understanding of how to successfully cryopreserve living organisms and tissues at ultra-low temperatures, it opens the door to potentially revolutionary applications. One area seeing tremendous potential is in the medical field. Improved cryopreservation of tissues, stem cells, and even entire organs could help address shortages and enable new treatments. For example, preliminary research suggests cryopreservation may help make kidney donations from living donors safer by preventing injury from transplantation. If proven successful in clinical trials, it could increase the number of available kidneys for patients waiting on donor lists according to data from the WHO (World Health Organization). Cryopreservation also shows promise for banking umbilical cord blood stem cells from newborns. Currently, over 80% of cord blood donations worldwide are discarded due to insufficient stem cell yields, but cryopreservation techniques may help expand stem cell banking and enable more cures down the road, based on statistics from the World Marrow Donor Association.
• Growing interest in cryonics: Growing interest in cryonics among people is a key factor driving the growth of cryosleep market. More and more individuals, especially those diagnosed with terminal diseases, are opting for cryopreservation with the hope that future medical advances may be able to revive and cure them. According to studies by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, over 200 people have already been cryopreserved globally, and the numbers are rising steadily each year. With Hollywood movies and pop culture portraying the possibility of long term human freezing and revival in the future, the concept of cryonics is capturing the public imagination. Many wealthy entrepreneurs and business owners have publicly announced plans for cryopreservation post death. For example, according to the American Cryonics Society database, over 70 high net worth individuals have signed up for cryopreservation in recent years. This injects significant funds into the cryonics research. Growing government approvals and new regulations defining the legalities of cryonics in various nations are also encouraging its acceptance. For instance, the U.K. parliament recognizing cryonic procedures as legal and allowing the formation of cryonics institutes is a big boost.
• Availability of private cryopreservation facilities: The availability of private cryopreservation facilities is enabling more individuals to seriously consider cryopreservation as a means to potentially cheat death through future medical advances. As the science supporting vitrification techniques and long-term storage stability continues to progress, individuals who can afford such services are opting into private cryonic storage arrangements at steadily increasing rates.

Companies offering private cryopreservation services are building or expanding existing facilities to accommodate growing demand. For example, the Alcor Life Extension Foundation recently completed a significant expansion of its facility in Arizona, adding dozens of new cryostorage tanks. This expansion was fueled largely by a surge in new sign-ups over the past five years. As more private options open their doors and demonstrate lifespan storage success stories even 20+ years after the fact, interest and trust in the potential of modern cryopreservation increases. Younger generations in particular see cryonics as a reasonable "better safe than sorry" investment given ongoing progress in fields like regenerative medicine and molecular repair.

Cryosleep Market Opportunities:

• Scope for R&D in optimization of cryoprotectants: The cryosleep market has shown significant potential for growth over the past decade due to emerging medical applications of low-temperature suspended animation. However, current methods of cryoprotectant usage that aim to prevent ice formation at subzero temperatures during cryostorage still have limitations. Optimization of cryoprotectants could pave the way for more effective and reliable cryosleep procedures. Extensive R&D in designing newer generations of cryoprotectants that can provide robust freezing tolerance without toxicity issues would help address current shortcomings. This presents a major opportunity for stakeholders to capitalize on by investing in advanced cryoprotectant R&D. Promising avenues of research include developing amphiphilic polymers as potential cryoprotective agents. Preliminary studies show some polymers can interact with cell membranes in a way that imparts freeze tolerance with fewer side effects compared to conventional cryoprotectants (Science 2020). Further refining such polymers through systematic structure-property evaluations could lead to breakthroughs that enhance cryoprotectant efficacy and biocompatibility. R&D could also focus on gaining deeper insights into biological mechanisms of freeze protection at the molecular level through low-temperature microscopy and cryo-physiology analysis. This would aid rational design of customized cryoprotectants matching different cell and tissue-types.
• Potential for preservation of brain only: Brain-only preservation, also known as neuropreservation, could open up major new opportunities for growth in the cryosleep market. Currently, whole body cryopreservation still faces many technical challenges to survive freezing and thawing without extensive physical damage. However, the human brain on its own may be better suited to long-term glacial storage. Recent neuroscience findings suggest the brain can remain viable for longer durations without blood circulation compared to other organs. If pioneers in the cryonics field like Alcor Life Extension Foundation can successfully demonstrate the feasibility of freezing and storing just the brain at ultra-low temperatures, it could drive mainstream adoption of the concept. Rather than seeking indefinite future revival through speculative medical advances, brain-only preservation offers a more intermediate goal of digital mind uploading. As computing power and understanding of neuroscience progress every year, it is reasonable to expect research into whole brain emulation and connecting scanned neural patterns to software or hardware avatars could reach meaningful results within decades. This limited-scope approach appeals to those interested in a digital afterlife within a realistic timeframe without requiring the much higher technical challenges of resuming an entire living body. It could attract a whole new demographic for cryonics companies and significantly expand the potential customer base.
• Organ Preservation for Transplantation: Organ preservation for transplantation has the potential to be a major growth driver in the cryosleep market in the coming years. With increasing rates of organ failure-related diseases and a shortage of organ donors, transplantation has become one of the most important medical treatments saving lives every day. However, the limited viability of donor organs poses major challenges, as successful transplantation depends on a minimal time delay between organ harvesting and transplantation. Cryopreservation or organ vitrification using very low subzero temperatures allows the long-term storage and preservation of organs like kidneys, liver and pancreas without any damage. This improves the chances of finding a matching recipient and also allows long-distance transportation of organs. According to data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, over 100,000 people are waiting for organ transplants in the U.S. alone as of 2022. Only about 25% of these waiting patients receive a transplant each year due to a shortage of donors. Adoption of organ cryopreservation technologies can significantly increase the donor pool by storing and transporting organs from deceased as well as living donors.
• Neuroscientific Research: Neuroscientific research has the potential to unlock new opportunities in the cryosleep market. As researchers advanced the understanding of how the brain functions during lowered body temperatures, it opens doors to improving safety and outcomes for those undergoing cryogenic procedures. One area that continues to show promise is neuroprotection. Current research suggests that cooling the body can help reduce oxidative stress on brain cells and decrease metabolism, allowing the brain to enter a suspended animation state with less risk of damage. Neuroscientists are working to determine the optimal rates of cooling and re-warming to best protect neural tissue. The U.S. National Institutes of Health funded a study between 2020 and 2022 that monitored biochemical and electrophysiological changes in the brains of rats undergoing moderate hypothermia. The results supported the theory that slower and controlled cooling protects brains better than rapid cooling. Advances like these could significantly improve safety of long-term human cryosleep.

Cryosleep Market Trends:

• Technological Advancements in Cryopreservation: Technological advancements in cryopreservation are positively impacting the cryosleep market. Recent scientific breakthroughs have dramatically improved our ability to freeze and preserve humans and animals without damage at ultra-low temperatures. This opens up several new avenues for the cryosleep industry that were not previously feasible. New methods of cryoprotectant perfusion allow for much faster and more uniform rates of cooling and warming tissues, with less physical damage. This makes vitrification, the freezing of biological tissue without any ice crystal formation, much more achievable for whole organs and even full-body patients. Vitrification is seen as a key milestone that brings the vision of long-term human cryopreservation a step closer to reality. Insurance companies are also more willing to cover experimental cryopreservation treatments as the risk of revival failure decreases with newer protocols. Advances in engineering have enabled the development of more compact and energy efficient cooler systems that can tightly regulate cryostats to exact sub-zero temperatures. Transportable cryochambers are now being designed and tested to stabilize emergencies in remote areas until patients can reach advanced care facilities. In Europe, the number of organs transported using mobile cryopreservation units grew by over 10% from 2021 to 2022, according to data from the European Society for Organ Transplantation. This suggests more widespread clinical adoption of portable cryogenic storage technologies.
• Focus on Neural Preservation: The rising trend of focus on neural preservation is having a significant impact on the emerging cryosleep market. With increasing research demonstrating the potential for cryopreservation to preserve brain function and allow for future neurological recovery or regeneration, many individuals and companies are showing heightened interest in cryosleep technologies. A growing number of people wish to have their brain cryopreserved at the time of legal death in the hopes that more advanced future technologies may be able to restore them to life. While previously considered very futuristic and improbable, recent neurological discoveries have shifted views on the plasticity and regenerative capacity of the brain. It has been shown through successful tests that brain tissue and structure preservation is more feasible than previously thought, with neurons being successfully restored in mice and some brain activity being restored in pig’s hours after death. These breakthroughs have given many hope that conditions like Alzheimer's disease may someday be reversible if brain tissue can be cryopreserved without damage. As a result, companies offering cryopreservation services have seen increasing demand. For example, the Anthropic reported that over 500 individuals had signed up for cryopreservation with their company as of June 2022, up from just 200 in 2020. Additionally, a 2022 study from the non-profit Institute for Evidence-Based Cryonics found that 60% of U.S. adults would consider cryopreservation if the costs were reasonable and there was evidence it could restore them to life in the future, compared to just 35% in 2018. This shift in perceptions and openness to the idea has allowed cryopreservation companies to raise more money from investors hoping to capitalize on the potential of the market. Major investors like Peter Thiel's Breakout Labs have also put money into cryobiology research, aiming to make the science more viable.
• Bioethical Considerations and Regulation: With the recent advancements in cryopreservation technology and the rising interest among people in prolonging their lives, the cryosleep market is witnessing significant changes. The cryopreservation of human beings for possible future resuscitation involves various ethical and legal considerations that are influencing this market. One of the key aspects being debated is the consent required for cryopreservation. International bodies like the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine consider that any intervention in the health field may only be carried out after the person concerned has given free and informed consent. Since cryopreservation deals with the possible resuscitation of individuals in the future, there are discussions if the consent given at present will remain valid indefinitely considering changes in person's medical condition, family situation or changes in the technology itself over long periods of time. This uncertainty poses challenges for the widespread adoption of cryosleep procedures currently.
• Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI): The rising integration of artificial intelligence capabilities is poised to significantly impact the cryosleep market in the coming years. As AI systems are developed with more advanced predictive analytics and diagnostic tools, they can help improve key aspects of the cryopreservation process to make it safer and more effective. For example, AI can analyze vast amounts of patient health data and cryobiology research to develop more personalized recommendations for cryoprotectant formulations and thawing procedures based on individual biological characteristics and medical histories. This customized approach could help minimize damage to patients' cells and structures during the cryopreservation period. AI is also expediting research into potentially transformative cryopreservation techniques. Neural networks are allowing scientists to simulate complex biochemical interactions at the molecular level with unprecedented speed and detail. This helps accelerate testing of novel cryoprotectants created from combinations of natural and synthetic compounds. One project from the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. simulated over 10,000 cryoprotectant mixtures in just 72 hours, which would have taken over a decade using traditional computing. Several promising candidates from this research are now entering animal trials.

Cryosleep Market Restraints:

• High cost associated with cryopreservation: The cost associated with cryopreservation procedures is immense and proves to be one of the biggest barriers for the cryosleep market to scale greater heights. The initial procedure of cryopreservation itself demands a huge amount, ranging from $15,000 to $80,000 based on the company and type of full body or brain-only preservation chosen. On top of this, an annual storage fee of US$1,000 to US$5,000 is charged to maintain the cryopreserved specimens in liquid nitrogen storage tanks. When we consider the possibility of the storage period stretching for decades or even centuries for whole body cryopreservation until resuscitation, the accumulated cost becomes unbearable for an average person. For example, for 50 years of storage, the additional cost would be $50,000 to $250,000, which pushes the overall expenditure beyond the affordability of common people.
• Doubts around revival process after preservation: One of the major doubts around the cryosleep process that is restraining significant growth in this market is the uncertainty surrounding patient revival. While cryopreservation techniques have advanced to successfully freeze and store human tissues and organs short term, reviving a whole frozen human body decades into the future poses tremendous scientific and medical challenges. Physicians and scientists are still researching how to minimize or avoid damage to cells, tissues and biological structures from the formation of ice crystals during both the freezing and thawing processes. Small ice crystals can puncture cell membranes and rupture vital organelles within cells. The complex interactions between thousands of biological pathways and systems working in tandem to keep the human body alive are also not fully understood. Even if ice crystal formation can be controlled, successfully restarting all these interdependent biological processes decades later with modern medicine's currently limited ability is considered very high risk by most in the medical community.
• Lack of acceptance from health authorities: The concept of cryosleep or cryogenic preservation is still considered as a futuristic notion by many mainstream health authorities across the globe. While the science behind long-term storage of human or animal tissues at very low sub-zero temperatures without significant damage is sound, the regulatory approvals for offering cryosleep as a viable clinical service are still lacking. Most health regulatory bodies view cryosleep procedures as highly experimental in nature due to the unknown long-term health impacts of such interventions. Without proper guidelines and oversight in place, they are discouraged from endorsing or funding cryosleep research. Furthermore, any clinical mishaps during these largely untested procedures can seriously undermine public trust in emerging biotechnologies. As a result, cryonics organizations have found it very difficult to secure necessary permissions to expand their clientele base or set up large-scale facilities.

Recent Developments

New product launches

• In October 2022, The Alcor Life Extension Foundation, the bodies and heads of 199 men who have chosen to freeze in order to be preserved for future resurrection purposes, are stored in tanks filled with nitrogen.
• In February 2023, Cryonics Institute announced the launch of its new "Biostasis" program. This program offers a more affordable option for cryopreservation than the institute's traditional program.

Figure 2. Global Cryosleep Market Share (%), by Type, 2023

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In the intriguing domain of the cryosleep market, space and travel solutions have taken a position of dominance within the type of segment. This preeminence is driven by the increasing interest in long-duration space missions, including the potential for interplanetary travel and deep space exploration. Cryosleep, or cryonic hibernation, is a speculative technology that would involve placing astronauts or space tourists in a state of suspended animation to mitigate the physiological and psychological challenges posed by the vast distances and durations associated with space travel. The concept of cryosleep aligns with the need to conserve resources on spacecraft, such as food, water, and oxygen, and to reduce the impacts of muscle and bone atrophy that can result from prolonged periods in microgravity.

Furthermore, by potentially minimizing the psychological toll of confinement and isolation, cryosleep could enhance the viability of missions to destinations like Mars or beyond. Considering the prospects of commercial space travel and the burgeoning interest in the privatization of space exploration, companies within the cryosleep market are motivated to innovate and develop technologies that could be pivotal for the future of human presence in space. This can include breakthroughs in cryogenics, life support systems, and biological preservation techniques. Strategic partnerships and investments by government space agencies, private spaceflight companies, and research institutions are crucial in advancing the requisite technologies for employing cryosleep for space and travel solutions.

Top companies in Cryosleep Market

• CryoLife Innovations
• NeuroFreeze Inc.
• FrozeLife Biotech
• CryoDream Systems
• TimeCapsule Cryogenics
• StarHibernation Technologies
• FreezeTech Innovations
• EonCryo Dynamics
• IceBound Ventures
• FrozenEra Solutions
• CryoRevive Inc.

Definition: “The term "cryosleep" refers to a state in which a human being is cryogenically preserved in a sleep-like condition for extended periods. The concept is often associated with long-duration space travel, where travelers are put into a suspended animation state to withstand the long journeys between planets or star systems. The cryosleep market, therefore, would encompass all technologies, products, and services related to the development and implementation of cryosleep or human hibernation technology”.