In a surprising twist, 23andMe co-founder Anne Wojcicki is buying back most of the company she helped launch. Her new nonprofit organization, TTAM Research Institute, has agreed to acquire nearly all of 23andMe’s assets for $305 million. That includes the Personal Genome Service, the research division, and the Lemonaid Health telehealth business.
This is not a rescue mission from the outside. Wojcicki is stepping in through TTAM, a California-based nonprofit she leads, and she won the rights through a court-supervised auction process. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals was also in the running but ultimately came up short with a lower $256 million offer.
The sale process was run under bankruptcy protection. 23andMe is in Chapter 11, and the court wanted to ensure that whatever deal was chosen would maximize value for stakeholders. TTAM came out on top. A court hearing is scheduled for June 17 to finalize the transaction.
Wojcicki isn’t just buying back the company. She’s promising a pivot back to the core vision of empowering people through genetic insight, but now under a nonprofit model. That’s a big move, especially in an era where trust in data privacy is wearing thin.
TTAM is making some big privacy pledges. Customers will be able to delete their data and opt out of research forever if they choose. Genetic data won’t be sold or transferred later on unless the receiving entity follows the same strict privacy policies and is based in the United States.
Before the deal closes, 23andMe users will get an email explaining what’s happening and how to delete their data or opt out if they prefer. TTAM also plans to offer two years of Experian identity theft monitoring for free. On top of that, a Consumer Privacy Advisory Board will be created within 90 days of the deal closing.
The nonprofit will continue to allow de-identified data to be used in academic research. It will also reject donations tied to specific countries for added security and transparency.
Mark Jensen, chair of the board at 23andMe, called the TTAM deal the better option. He said it brings in more money and stronger privacy protections than the Regeneron offer. He also said Wojcicki is uniquely positioned to carry the mission forward.
Wojcicki sounds fired up about this next chapter. She said she’s committed to keeping the community involved and helping people understand their ancestry and health risks in a way that puts choice and transparency first.
If all goes according to plan, the transaction should close in the coming weeks, setting up a big shift in direction for 23andMe. And this time, it won’t be driven by quarterly earnings. It’ll be about mission over money.
