23andMe
Wojcicki co-founded and was CEO of 23andMe, a direct-to-consumer DNA testing company that allowed consumers to analyze their ancestry and health risks. She founded the company in 2006, with Linda Avey and Paul Cusenza, intending to provide common people access to their genetic information, which could potentially provide information on cures for diseases or treatments.[10]
Consumers could purchase testing kits that provided information on ancestry, health, and genetic traits. The company took saliva samples that were mailed in by buyers, and processed the genetic data, posting the results online for the buyer to view.[11]
The company was named for the 23 pairs of chromosomes in a normal human cell. The company's genome test kit was named "Invention of the Year" by Time magazine in 2008.[12] Beginning in 2015, the Food and Drug Administration started to give approval to 23andMe's health-related tests, including risk from cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, certain cancers, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and coeliac disease.[13][14] In 2018, 23andMe entered into a four-year collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline to develop new medicines.[15][16] When Wojcicki took 23andMe public through a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company in 2021, Forbes dubbed her the "newest self-made billionaire."[17]
On March 24, 2025, it was reported that 23andMe had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and Wojcicki had resigned as CEO effective immediately but would remain on the company’s board.[21] On June 13, 2025, TTAM Research Institute, a non-profit led by Wojcicki, regained control of 23andMe through a $305 million deal, buying back nearly all of the company's assets.[22]
