Google Invests $39M in Biotech Start-up on Personal Genetics

Filed in archive Corporate and Industrial News , Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics on May 24, 2007

Google has invested $39 million in 23andme, a privately held, early-stage personal genetics company co-founded by Anne Wojcicki, who is married to Google, Inc. co-founder Sergey Brin.

From the 23andme website:

Even though your body contains trillions of copies of your genome, you've likely never read any of it. Our goal is to connect you to the 23 paired volumes of your own genetic blueprint (plus your mitochondrial DNA), bringing you personal insight into ancestry, genealogy, and inherited traits. By connecting you to others, we can also help put your genome into the larger context of human commonality and diversity.

Toward this goal, we are building on recent advances in DNA analysis technologies to enable broad, secure, and private access to trustworthy and accurate individual genetic information. Combined with educational and scientific resources with which to interpret and understand it, your genome will soon become personal in a whole new way.

Aside from Google, venture capital firms New Enterprise Associates and Mohr Davidow Ventures and biotechnology giant Genentech Inc. were among the investors in this initial round of outside funding. The terms of these investments were not disclosed.

More from Reuters and from TechCrunch.