If you want to meet the next generation of health disruptors and pioneers, few events come close to the Health Optimisation Summit. With a speaker line-up including the likes of Wim Hof, Dr Tara Swart and Dr Karan Rajan, the blend of allopathic medical doctors, health disruptors and longevity advocates in one room would be enough to catapult the whole health industry into a biohacking abyss of endless potential.
One minute I was talking with a two-time wellness tech founder of a sound-and-light technology designed to synthesise the psychedelic experience of an ayahuasca trip, and the next I was shaking hands with the inventor of an AI physiotherapist. I was in awe as I watched the machine operate completely independently on a female attendee lying face down in what seemed like a very intense cupping session. What was even more fascinating was that the machine had scanned the woman’s body prior to treatment to expose key pressure points before commencing the massage. The woman seemed completely relaxed and unaware of the buzzing event around her – a true testament to the rapid developments in the AI space.
The Health Optimisation Summit is a jam-packed biohacking weekend featuring oxygen chambers, brain wave technology, and sleeping attendees lying on cell-repairing mats. I tried lychee-flavoured electrolytes and frequency-monitoring necklaces, power-napped on a vibrating bed, and learned about the importance of EMF shielding technology. The room was brimming with innovators who were biohacking their way into a future of longevity – an area we have yet to fully comprehend, but something tells me if and when we do, it will all start here.
While working on our 2027 wellness publication and forecasting next year’s trends, this event was the perfect place to spot the innovations that will continue to develop in the years to come. Based on what I saw this year, here are a few areas I believe will continue to develop and become part of our future.
Brain Tech
Neurotechnology will dominate the future of wellness, and if you ask me how I can say this so confidently, I would point you to the data. In September 2025, the World Health Organisation reported that over a billion people in the world are currently living with mental health conditions, making mental health a global health concern. Although it can be argued the increased use of technology could be exacerbating the issue through the likes of social media, technology used to treat and heal could create a space for new applications. Imagine using technology to enhance your intelligence, improve your nervous system, or even silence negative mental loops.
Brain tech has advanced by leaps and bounds over the past few years, and this was reflected at this year’s Summit, with new wearable tech companies dotted around the room offering a range of cutting-edge products to improve cognitive performance, sleep, and focus. Neuronic was a great example of this – their company invented a light therapy device designed to improve your mental clarity and focus through daily light exposure to the brain. Neurosonic Harmonia was a popular stand at the summit, offering low-frequency vibration mats designed to be placed under your mattress, accompanied by an app that gives you access to sleep programmes to ease insomnia and improve your sleep quality.
Redlight Therapy & PEMF
Red light therapy will continue to develop, with LED face masks, portable pads, LED wands, and full-body multi-bulb panels on display throughout the event. If you are new to red light therapy, the treatment uses low-level infrared light to help stimulate energy in your cells and repair tissue. Various peer-reviewed studies support its use for skin rejuvenation and inflammation reduction, leading the beauty industry and health clinics worldwide to adopt the therapy and offer it to consumers as a service. But very few companies in attendance paired this therapy with PEMF, like Celler8.
I went over to their stand to try the combination of red light therapy and PEMF, which are low-frequency magnetic waves that help to manage pain, inflammation and support natural cell recovery. I sat on the portable travel mat which came with a controller that helps program the time and intensity of the session. I sat for twenty minutes on the mat whilst the red light lamp illuminated in front of me, giving me exposure to both. The combination made for a very relaxing experience.
Along with red light therapy, PEMF has undergone several preclinical trials and over thirty years of research to understand its use and influence on cellular behaviour.
AI-Powered Health Tech
As AI continues to develop in healthcare, cutting-edge inventions will define the next era of healthspan solutions as artificial intelligence expands our capacity for innovation. During the event, I ran into YuanLife – a company engineering luxury oxygen chambers and an AI-powered physiotherapist which I got a chance to see in action. The aptly named machine – FlowMotion has the ability to sense pressure points with precision thermal mapping. The machine also has nine master techniques and the flexibility of a human hand to move across the body and safely relieve muscle tension.
I met the founder of YuanLife, who said the machines will be distributed in the UK next year.
Electrolytes
Electrolytes are essential minerals your body needs to function. From maintaining hydration to helping support a regular heartbeat and improving bone health, electrolytes include the likes of sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. The surging popularity of electrolyte supplements may stem from climate change, hot weather, and mineral loss in sweat, which can happen if you are fit and work out regularly during the hot months. A balanced diet can help you maintain minerals naturally by including foods such as beans, pulses, fruit, and vegetables in your daily meals.
Although there is no evidence to say electrolytes are more hydrating than regular water, the global boom in the hydration market, projected to reach over $84 billion by 2034, shows that electrolytes will be here to stay.
EMF Protection
Alongside these few trends, I noticed a growing concern around EMF. Shielding and protecting our bodies from constant exposure to radiation has become a grave concern to many. Now, after mentioning so many technologies that, at some point, need to be plugged in, charged, and exposed to some form of power line to function, the growing concern about the dangers of too much tech exposure feels ambivalent yet palpable during this event.
One of the talks led by Philipp Samor von Holtzendorff-Fehling addressed this exact concern – Is Wi-Fi wrecking your health?
I also ran into Vivobase, an EMF shielding device designed to reduce 5G, WiFi and smart meter radiation. A report from Medical News Today addresses concerns about human exposure to these moving electrical charges, especially those involving ionised radiation, which can cause oxidative damage and tissue damage. The health impact can be detrimental, but the most dangerous thing about this is our inability to detect it. I believe the more connected we become to technology, the more we will equally have to protect ourselves from it. I wonder, then, in the future, whether we will require EMF-protective devices, clothing, and even architecture not just for our longevity, but in some cases for our survival.
