The rise and fall of 23andMe

Lauren EdmondsOct 20, 2024, 22:14 IST

23andMe was founded in 2006.Smith Collection/Gado

A class action lawsuit, resignations, layoffs, and other problems have plagued 23andMe.
The company's issues have led to consumer concerns about how it handles genealogy data.

The biotech company that helped usher in the era of consumer DNA test kits nearly two decades ago has faced several recent setbacks, including a class action lawsuit and user privacy concerns.

A spokesperson for 23andMe told Business Insider in a statement that "the company's mission of helping people live longer, healthier lives through a preventive approach to health, and providing access to potentially life-changing genetic information, hasn't changed."

Here is a timeline of the company's meteoric rise and steady fall.

2006: 23andMe is founded in Silicon Valley

23andMe cofounder Anne Wojcicki.Kimberly White / Getty Images

2007: 23andMe secures millions in funding from Google

Google cofounder Sergey Brin and Wojcicki married in 2007.Donald Bowers/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company

2007: 23andMe launched its first product for $999

23andMe began selling its DNA saliva test to consumers in the United States in 2007. ERIC BARADAT/Getty Images

2008: Time Magazine named 23andMe's Personal Genome Service its Invention of the Year

Time Magazine named 23andMe's Personal Genome Service its Invention of the Year in 2008. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

2009: Google makes another multimillion-dollar investment in 23andMe

Google invested in 23andMe on several occasions, including in 2009. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

2010: 23andMe gets its first National Health Institute-funded grant

23andMe secured a grant from the National Health Institute in 2010. Illustration by Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

2011: 23andMe secures almost $31 million in its third round of funding

23andMe's headquarters in Sunnyvale, California.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

2012: 23andMe lowers its price to $99, making the product more accessible

23andMe slashed the price of its product to $99 in 2012, making it more accessible to consumers. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

2013: FDA orders 23andMe to stop marketing its genetic health screening service

The FDA told 23andMe to stop marketing its genetic health screening service in 2013. Andrew Harnik/AP Photo

2015: The FDA authorizes 23andMe to market the Bloom syndrome carrier status report

The FDA headquarters. Reuters/Jason Reed

2019: 23andMe slashes its workforce as consumers lose interest in DNA test kits

Wojcicki said the consumer DNA test kit industry faced a lull in 2019. Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for MAKERS

2021: 23andMe goes public and reaches a valuation of over $6 billion

23andMe went public in 2021. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

2023: Some 23andMe user accounts are compromised

Some 23andMe users' accounts were compromised in October 2023. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

2024: 23andMe's board of independent directors resigns

A screenshot showing 23andMe's declining stock.Google Finance

2024: Wojcicki responds to consumer concerns

Wojcicki said she would not consider "third-party takeover proposals."Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch

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