Israeli startup MyHeritage is teaming with personal DNA service company 23andMe. The collaboration between the companies will make it possible for users to take personal DNA tests, and to use them to discover and learn about family ties and histories. The first stage of the integration between the companies is expected to be completed in early 2015.
MyHeritage is developer of an online platform for building family trees and conducting ancestry research. The company has more than 5.5 billion historical documents, which make it possible to find links between users around the world. The website has more than 27 million family trees, 1.6 billion profiles, and more than 75 million registered users around the world.
23andMe was founded by Anne Wojcicki (who was married to Google founder Sergey Brin), Linda Avey, and Paul Cusenza. The company raised more than $100 million to date, from Brin, Google Ventures, Yuri Milner, Johnson & Johnson, and others.
“We believe this collaboration with MyHeritage will offer our customers a vastly improved opportunity to build their family tree and discover new connections,” said 23andMe President Andy Page. “Given MyHeritage’s technology leadership in the ancestry space and vast global reach, we are excited about the value this relationship will bring to our customers around the world.”
“Combining genealogy with DNA-based ancestry is the next evolution in uncovering family history,” said MyHeritage founder and CEO Gilad Japhet. “DNA testing can connect you to relatives you never knew existed, who descend from shared ancestors centuries ago, but family trees and historical records are critical to map and fully understand these connections”
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 22, 2014
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2014