Calico is the Alphabet company that researches aging and healthy longevity.
Google announced Calico in 2013 as a company focused on understanding the biology of aging and developing interventions that could help people live longer, healthier lives. The name is short for California Life Company.
Arthur D. Levinson, a biotechnology executive and former Genentech chairman, became Calico’s chief executive. Calico has worked with researchers and pharmaceutical partners on areas including cellular aging, disease mechanisms, and age-related conditions.
Calico is often confused with Verily Life Sciences, another Alphabet company. Verily focuses on life-science technologies and health projects, while Calico is specifically associated with aging and longevity research. Neither company is simply a consumer wellness brand. Both operate within Alphabet’s collection of businesses and projects outside Google’s core advertising and internet services.