Deepdive

23andMe’s DNA Dumpster Fire: Your Genes Are Now a Bargain Bin Item

Once the darling of spit-in-a-tube ancestry buffs, 23andMe has crash-landed into bankruptcy, and the fallout’s messier than a family reunion after a paternity test. Here’s the full genetic unraveling:

• Financial Freefall: The company filed for Chapter 11 on April 7, 2025, after revenue nosedived 30% to $208.8M in 2024, paired with a jaw-dropping $666.7M net loss (cue the ominous music). The pandemic sparked a testing frenzy, but repeat customers are rare—who needs to confirm they’re 2% Neanderthal twice? Subscription services flopped, and premium offerings like “Health Predisposition Reports” didn’t hook enough takers.

• Data Breach Debacle: In October 2023, hackers snagged genetic and personal data from 7M users—half the company’s 15M customer base. Leaked info hit the dark web, trust evaporated, and lawsuits piled up faster than you can say “ancestral trauma.”

• Pharma Fumble: A $300M deal with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in 2018 aimed to turn your DNA into blockbuster drugs, but it expired in 2023 with little to show. Other pharma partnerships fizzled too—turns out, monetizing spit is harder than it looks.

  Privacy Powder Keg: A bankruptcy court just greenlit selling 23andMe’s data trove—15M users’ genetic blueprints—to the highest bidder. No federal genetic privacy law means your DNA could end up with insurers, employers, or shady researchers. The company’s fine print always allowed data sharing (with consent), but post-bankruptcy? All bets are off. Traffic to the “Delete My Data” page spiked 526% since the filing, though opting out now won’t erase what’s already been shared. Fun fact: 23andMe’s valuation peaked at $3.5B in 2021—now it’s a fire sale at pennies on the dollar.

• The Takeaway: Your genetic secrets, once a $99 curiosity, are now a corporate castoff. Deleting your account might feel good, but your double helix could already be chilling in a database somewhere. Trust? Mutated beyond recognition

Weekly Highlights

Trump’s Tariff Tango: Markets Shimmy, Investors Sweat

Donald Trump dropped a tariff bombshell on April 9, 2025, announcing a 90-day pause on duties for most countries—except China, which got slapped with a whopping 125% tariff hike. Markets did their usual freakout dance: the S&P 500 spiked 9.5% on the news (yay, relief!), then slid 3% as traders realized China’s supply chains aren’t going anywhere fast. Why the pause? Trump’s playing nice with allies while keeping the heat on Beijing—think steel, aluminum, and tech components.

• Market Fallout: Importers sighed in relief, but manufacturers relying on Chinese parts (hello, electronics and autos) braced for pain. The Dow wobbled, and the yuan took a 2% dive.

• Takeaway for Venture & Growth Investors: It’s a tale of two industries. Tech startups with digital-first models might skate by—your SaaS unicorn isn’t sweating steel tariffs. But if you’re backing hardware, retail, or anything with a global supply chain, margins could shrink faster than a cheap T-shirt. Growth equity folks should double-check portfolio resilience—tariffs could throttle cash flow for capital-hungry scale-ups. On the flip side, domestic manufacturers might catch a tailwind. Pick your winners wisely, and maybe hedge with a crystal ball.

Musk vs. OpenAI: Billionaire Breakup Goes Nuclear

Elon Musk, the Tesla titan and former OpenAI co-founder, is suing his old AI brainchild, alleging they’ve abandoned their nonprofit mission for cold, hard cash. OpenAI fired back on April 10, 2025, countersuing Musk and calling his claims “frivolous” and a ploy to kneecap their progress.

• The Backstory: Musk helped birth OpenAI in 2015 with Sam Altman and crew, aiming to advance AI for humanity. By 2018, he bailed—citing disagreements over direction (and maybe a bruised ego as OpenAI cozied up to Microsoft). Now, with OpenAI valued at $157B and Musk’s xAI in the ring, it’s a grudge match over principles, profits, and patents.

• What’s Happening: Musk says OpenAI’s for-profit pivot betrays their original charter; OpenAI says he’s just salty they’re winning the AI race. Legal filings hint at disputes over IP and Musk’s early funding—think millions in seed money now under a microscope.

• Why It Matters: This isn’t just drama—it’s a bellwether for AI’s future. Will mission-driven roots hold, or is profit the new gospel? Investors watching xAI and OpenAI duke it out might need popcorn and a lawyer.

Venture Vibes: AI Funding Freeze or Strategic Squeeze?

Over the past week, X has been abuzz with venture takes, and one gem stands out: VC heavyweight Sarah Tavel (Benchmark) dropped a thread on April 8, 2025, dissecting the “AI funding chill.” She argues Trump’s tariffs are spooking investors, with enterprise software budgets tightening as companies hoard cash for supply chain shocks.

• Her Analysis: AI startups raised $50B in Q1 2025, but deal velocity’s slowing—VCs are pickier, favoring proven revenue over moonshot hype. Tariffs amplify this: if clients cut spending, AI growth stalls. Yet, Sarah’s bullish on “defensible moats”—think vertical AI (healthcare, logistics) over generic ChatGPT clones.

• The Twist: She predicts a “flight to quality” where top-tier founders snag bigger checks, while B-listers scramble. Bonus points if your startup hedges inflation—tariffs might make cash kings again.

• Takeaway: For growth equity, it’s time to stress-test your AI bets. Can they weather a spending dip? For VCs, it’s a hunter’s market—sniff out the rare gems and leave the glitter for the scrap heap.

Latest Fundraises from Major Firms (PE, VC, and Institutional Investors)

• Venture Capital

  • Andreessen Horowitz, a Menlo Park, CA-based venture capital firm, raised $7.2 billion for its 11th fund focused on AI and biotech startups.

  • Sequoia Capital, a Menlo Park, CA-based venture capital firm, raised $2.5 billion for its latest fund focused on early-stage tech companies.

• Growth Equity

  • Insight Partners, a New York-based growth equity firm, raised $4 billion for its 13th fund focused on software and healthcare tech.

  • General Atlantic, a New York-based growth equity firm, raised $3 billion for its seventh fund focused on tech-enabled consumer and healthcare companies.

• Private Equity

  • New Mountain Capital, a New York-based private equity firm, raised $15.4 billion for its seventh fund focused on tech and healthcare.

  • KKR, a New York-based private equity firm, raised $6.4 billion for its latest North America-focused fund targeting tech and financial services.

• Institutional Investors

  • BlackRock, a New York-based institutional investor, raised $2 billion for its latest private credit fund focused on distressed assets.

Top Jobs

Venture Capital roles

Manager at Amgen Ventures (Cambridge, MA)

Investment Manager at Techstars (San Francisco, CA)

Vice President at Heartland Ventures (New York, NY)

Senior Investor at Hanwha Holdings (San Francisco, CA)

Partner at a16z (San Francisco, CA)

Analyst at M13 (New York, NY)

Associate at Blumberg Capital (San Francisco, CA)

Principal at NFX (San Francisco, CA)

Associate at Voy Ventures (San Francisco, CA)

Associate at Conductive Ventures (San Francisco, CA)

Investment Manager at CapitalOne Ventures (San Francisco, CA)

Investor Relations Manager at Griffin Gaming Partners (Santa Monica, CA)

Venture Intern at Foundation Capital (San Francisco, CA)

Managing Director at Wix Ventures (San Francisco, CA)

Corporate Development & Strategy at Figma Ventures (San Francisco, CA / New York, NY)

Growth Equity Roles

Principal, VC and Growth Strategy at Hamilton Lane (San Francisco, CA)

Analyst, Research & Growth Strategy at Stripes Group (New York, NY)

Associate at Summit Partners (Boston, MA or Menlo Park, CA)

Private Equity (Buyout) Roles

Private Equity Investment Associate at Partners Capital (Boston, MA)

Investment Associate at Fidelity Investments (Boston, MA)

Investment Associate at RETS Associates (Washington D.C.)

Private Equity Associate at Borgman Capital (Milwaukee, WI)

Private Equity Associate at Goldman Sachs (New York, NY)

C Suite Roles

Chief of Staff,  at Snapdocs (Documents, Series D), Remote

Chief of Staff,  at Apartment List (Proptech, Series D), Remote

Chief of Staff,  at Hut8 (Datacenters, Public), SF / Remote

Business Operations Roles

Business Operations: Senior Manager  at Groq (AI , Series D), Remote

Advocacy Operations Manager at Figma (Design, Series E), SF / NYC / Remote

Senior Manager, Strategy & Operations - Product at Flex (Fintech, Series B), NYC

Sr. Strategy & Operations Manager at Khan Academy (EdTech, Series A) San Mateo, CA

Business Operations Manager at Meta (Social Media, Public), Menlo Park, CA

Business Operations at Plaid (Fintech, Series D), SF / Hybrid

Director of Operations at Tensor (Healthcare, Seed), Remote

Interesting Podcasts from the past week

Podcasts:

• 44 Harsh Truths About Human Nature - Naval Ravikant

• Peter Attia: Anti-aging Cure No One Talks About!

• Become a better communicator: Specific frameworks to improve your clarity, influence, and impact

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