23andMe

Linda Avey, Paul Cusenza and Anne Wojcicki founded 23andMe in 2006 to offer genetic testing and interpretation to individuals. Investment documents from 2007 also suggest that 23andMe hoped to develop a database to pursue research efforts. In 2007, Google invested $3.9 million in the company, along with Genentech, New Enterprise Associates, and Mohr Davidow Ventures. Wojcicki and Google co-founder Sergey Brin were married at the time.In 2007, Cusenza left to join Nodal Exchange as CEO the following year. Avey left in 2009 and co-founded Curious, Inc. in 2011.In 2012, 23andMe raised $50 million in a Series D venture round, almost doubling its capital of $52.6 million. In 2015, 23andMe raised $115 million in a Series E offering, increasing capital to $241 million.In June 2017, 23andMe created a brand marketing advertisement featuring Gru from Despicable Me. In 2018, the company launched advertisements narrated by Warren Buffett.In September 2017, it was rumored the company was raising another $200 million with a $1.5 billion valuation. As of that time, the company had raised $230 million since its inception. Afterwards, it was reported the company raised $250 million, at a $1.75 billion valuation.On July 25, 2018, 23andMe announced it a partnership with GlaxoSmithKline to allow the pharmaceutical company to use test results from 5 million customers to design new drugs. GlaxoSmithKline invested $300 million in the company. In January 2022, this partnership was extended until July 2023 with an additional $50 million payment from GlaxoSmithKline.In January 2020, 23andMe announced it would lay off about 100 of its employees.In July 2020, 23andMe and GlaxoSmithKline announced their partnership's first clinical trial: a joint asset being co-developed by the two companies for cancer treatment.In December 2020, the company raised around $82.5 million in a series F round, bringing the total raised over the years to over $850M. The post-money valuation was not reported.In February 2021, the company announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to merge with Sir Richard Branson's special-purpose acquisition company, VG Acquisition Corp, in a $3.5 billion transaction.In June 2021, the company completed the merger with VG Acquisition Corp. The combined company was renamed to 23andMe Holding Co. and began trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange on June 17, 2021 under the ticker symbol “ME”.In October 2021, 23andMe announced that it would acquire Lemonaid Health, a telehealth company, for $400 million with the deal closing in November.