DNA testing company 23andMe filed for bankruptcy on Sunday after struggling with the fallout from a significant data breach and weak demand for its ancestry testing kits, which once gained widespread attention, including being featured in Oprah Winfrey's annual list of favorite things.
The company has seen a sharp decline in market value, and its shares plummeted 46% to 96 cents on Monday, following the resignation of co-founder and CEO Anne Wojcicki.
Wojcicki's departure comes after several unsuccessful attempts to secure a buyout, with the company’s board rebuffing her efforts. She had previously sought investments from contacts, including her ex-husband Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google. On an interim basis, Chief Financial Officer Joe Selsavage will take over as CEO.
23andMe, which went public in 2021 at a $3.5 billion valuation through a merger with Richard Branson's SPAC, had faced stiff competition from other genetic testing firms like AncestryDNA, which was acquired by Blackstone Group. However, despite being a major player in the genetic testing market, the company experienced slowing sales and a damaging data breach in 2023 that exposed personal data from nearly 7 million customers. This breach contributed to a significant blow to its reputation, compounded by layoffs and a cessation of its therapy development programs.
In addition to the data breach, 23andMe reached a $30 million settlement in a lawsuit related to the incident. The company is now in the process of selling itself, having secured $35 million in financing on Sunday. However, the future of the company remains uncertain as it operates under bankruptcy protection while seeking potential buyers. It listed assets and liabilities between $100 million and $500 million.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 10 prisoners of war each in Belarus, Moscow's Human Rights Commissio...
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time bein...
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan are among 11 countries set to benefit from a $400 million Asian Development Bank investment aimed at cutting fre...
Oil prices fell after the U.S. expanded economic sanctions on Iran, as Tehran vowed to retaliate and warned it had tools to respond, raising concerns over potential disruption to regional oil supplies.
Kyiv has recently received a small number of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. It comes as Britain and France pledged stronger military support for Ukraine.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Kyiv wants peace but will not surrender to Russia, as foreign leaders joined Independence Day events marking 35 years since Ukraine’s independence.
Only four commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, following 13 transits a day earlier, as disruptions continue to restrict traffic through the key energy chokepoint.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time being”, Axios reports. Meanwhile, Iran and Oman have resumed talks on a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 10 prisoners of war each in Belarus, Moscow's Human Rights Commissioner, Yana Lantratova, has said.
Instagram Chief Adam Mosseri has acknowledged that few teenagers used Instagram’s “Take a Break” feature before it became a default setting, as Meta faces a major U.S. trial over child safety.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 26th of August, covering the latest developments.
U.S. President Donald Trump has formally sent a landmark nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress, opening a new phase in a deal that has already sparked debate over nuclear proliferation and Riyadh's ambitions.
The Trump administration has temporarily suspended some visa appointment scheduling at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world as part of a new training initiative for consular staff, adding another layer to the administration's broader immigration policy overhaul.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment