winning bid Biotech company Regeneron to buy bankrupt 23andMe for $256M Regeneron will use trove of 23andMe genetic data to develop medical advances. Beth Mole – May 19, 2025 5:24 pm | 12 23andMe headquarters in Sunnyvale, California on March 25, 2025. Credit: Getty Images | Anadolu 23andMe headquarters in Sunnyvale, California on March 25, 2025. Credit: Getty Images | Anadolu Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more Biotechnology company Regeneron will acquire 23andMe out of bankruptcy for $256 million, with a plan to keep the DNA-testing company running without interruption and uphold its privacy protection promises. In its announcement of the acquisition, Regeneron assured 23andMe's 15 million customers that their data—including genetic and health information, genealogy, and other sensitive personal information—would be safe and in good hands. Regeneron aims to use the large trove of genetic data to further its own work using genetics to develop medical advances—something 23andMe tried and failed to do. "As a world leader in human genetics, Regeneron Genetics Center is committed to and has a proven track record of safeguarding the genetic data of people across the globe, and, with their consent, using this data to pursue discoveries that benefit science and society," Aris Baras, senior vice president and head of the Regeneron Genetics Center, said in a statement. "We assure 23andMe customers that we are committed to protecting the 23andMe dataset with our high standards of data privacy, security, and ethical oversight and will advance its full potential to improve human health." Baras said that Regeneron's Genetic Center already has its own genetic dataset from nearly 3 million people. The safety of 23andMe's dataset has drawn considerable concern among consumers, lawmakers, and regulators amid the company's downfall. For instance, in March, California Attorney General Rob Bonta made the unusual move to urge Californians to delete their genetic data amid 23andMe's financial distress. Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson also weighed in, making clear in a March letter that "any purchaser should expressly agree to be bound by and adhere to the terms of 23andMe’s privacy policies and applicable law." 23andMe said it was "pleased" with the sale to Regeneron and "grateful" that 23andMe employees will stay employed. The acquisition "enables the mission of 23andMe to live on, while maintaining critical protections around customer privacy, choice, and consent with respect to their genetic data,” Mark Jensen, chair and member of the special committee of the board of directors of 23andMe, said in a separate announcement. The sale, carried out through a bankruptcy auction, is expected to be completed by the end of the third quarter, pending approval by the US Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. If the sale is approved, a court-appointed, independent consumer privacy ombudsman will ensure that data privacy protections are honored. Regeneron was one of seven bidders for 23andMe, according to securities filings. Sold for $256 million, 23andMe has fallen far from its heyday. The plucky Silicon Valley startup, founded in 2006 and known for selling direct-to-consumer genetic tests, hit a peak valuation of $6 billion in the fall of 2021 after the company went public. But 23andMe struggled with its business model, which relied on a "one-and-done" product. As a publicly traded company, it has never turned a profit, and side ventures to expand its business into health care and the biotech industries failed. In September, all seven of 23andMe's independent directors resigned due to disagreement with CEO Anne Wojcicki over the "strategic direction" of the company. In March, Wojcicki stepped down and the company filed for bankruptcy. Beth Mole Senior Health Reporter Beth Mole Senior Health Reporter Beth is Ars Technica’s Senior Health Reporter. Beth has a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and attended the Science Communication program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She specializes in covering infectious diseases, public health, and microbes. 12 Comments