The following teaser is from an article posted at ZDNet.com January 24, 2020. Layoffs have come to 23andMe. Is this a sign of things to come for the DNA testing industry? Is “security” the reason? Is it that just that “the shine is off the rose?”
23andMe is reducing staff numbers by roughly 100 people, or 14 percent of its overall workforce, with its CEO citing privacy concerns as a potential reason for declining sales.
The company offers consumers DNA testing kits which may provide indicators of health predispositions, genetic traits, and ancestry. Saliva samples are posted to 23andMe, where they are processed in labs based in the United States.
When home DNA services went mainstream several years back, 23andMe, alongside rival companies including AncestryDNA, enjoyed strong sales rates. However, in recent times, it seems consumer appetite is waning.
23andMe is reducing its headcount and intends to focus on the direct-to-consumer business.
Read the full article, Privacy worries cited as possible reason for DNA test firm 23andMe’s sales downturn, by Charlie Osborne at ZDNet.com.
