

Personal Genetics Startup 23andMe Raises $22 Million - michaelfairley
http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/09/23andme-funding-2/

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michaelfairley
23andMe is definitely looking for top-notch engineers. They're still running
small (5 engineers 3 years in), so if you want to have a big impact on a
potentially world-changing product, get in touch with them.

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bhickey
Sell it to me. What do you have to offer that say, Counsyl doesn't?

Direct to consumer sales are dead/dying at the hands of the FDA. Gene patents
look like they're getting legally thornier. So, what's your angle?

How do you avoid a war to the realm of being a commodity?

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checkoutmygenes
> Direct to consumer sales are dead/dying at the hands of the FDA.

Not true - such rumors have been greatly exaggerated.

>What do you have to offer that say, Counsyl doesn't?

At the moment: Access to your whole genotype and a curated set of the
published literature, rather than a narrow carrier screening. Deep ancestry
analysis & finding long-lost cousins. A commitment to advancing the science of
genetics. As the database grows, the insights we generate create more value
for the end-user. <http://tinyurl.com/246mw46>

In the future: There's lots of opportunity - come talk to us about it.

>How do you avoid a war to the realm of being a commodity?

genotyping is becoming commoditized, the interpretation of the A's, C's, G's
and T's is not. We're in a sweet spot where rapidly falling costs: \- let us
offer our service at a lower cost to a broader market \- improve the rates of
discovery & create a more valuable interpretation We have an economy of scale
which will allow us to: \- negotiate lower costs \- have a bigger database of
potential relatives to meet \- better interpret the meaning individual's
genetics

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bluelu
Thanks for sharing. I will apply. I already sent in my DNA a few months ago so
they can already do the first prescrening on their site without both of us
wasting time! ;)

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dejv
Does anyone here try it?

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Malcx
Yes, when they ran the $100 offer a while ago, both myself and my better half
signed up.

It's fantastic, we've both been in contact with 3rd and 4th cousins, for me
they are from the US, South africa and Australia.

I now know I'm prone to type II diabetes, so have cut down sugar intake and
had reports on dozens of other health issues.

I think the current prices are a bit steep, but if they do another offer @
$100 I'll be recomending to everyone I know!

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bhickey
Your genetics are your own business, but since you mentioned it: what T2D
mutation do you carry? One or two copies? How did they quantify and qualify
your risk?

I haven't spat in a tube for them, so I don't know what their reports look
like.

