23andMe, the personal genetics company co-founded by Anne Wojcicki, Google co-founder Sergey Brin‘s spouse, has raised $9 million more in funding, adding to the company’s $22 million C round announced last November. This round of funding comes from MPM Capital and Johnson & Johnson Development Corp. MPM Capital Managing Director Ashley Ledbetter Dombkowski will be joining 23andMe’s Board of Directors. This brings the company’s total funding to nearly $54 million.
23andMe, which was founded in 2006, aims to help individuals understand their own genetic information through DNA analysis technologies and Web-based interactive tools. DNA analysis helps participants find information about their ancestry and their risks of getting certain diseases (Michael has tried the service).
Wojcicki said in a statement: With MPM Capital joining Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation, Roche Venture Fund, Google Ventures and New Enterprise Associates as investors, 23andMe has aligned a powerful constellation of expertise in strategic healthcare, healthcare venture funding, consumer markets, information technology, and business strategy that will enable us to bring the vision of personalized medicine to consumers faster.
The company has had its hiccups along the way, but funding from healthcare and pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson is certainly a vote of confidence for the startup.
