Genomes.io CEO Aldo de Pape tells The Agenda podcast that customers should be wary about giving away their DNA data for free, as its true value is astronomical.
What is the value of DNA data? According to genetic testing companies like 23andMe and Ancestry.com, it’s worth much more than might be expected.
The global market size of the DNA sequencing industry was estimated to be over $10 billion in 2023, while leading consumer provider 23andMe took in nearly $300 million in revenue. However, what most people don’t realize is that the real core business model of companies like 23andMe is not the sale of personal DNA testing kits — it’s the sale of their customers’ genetic data itself.
These companies keep and sell their users’ genomic profiles to pharmaceutical companies and other researchers, while the users themselves get none of that revenue, nor any say in whether they want their data sold in the first place.
