Helix closed a Series B funding round at an expected $200 million, the direct-to-consumer genomics company announced March 1.
In July 2017, Helix launched the first online marketplace to offer customers personalized products based on genetic testing. The Helix marketplace comprises 35 DNA-based products related to ancestry, fitness and nutrition. The initial selection included National Geographic's ancestry product, called Geno 2.0 Next Generation, and Vinome's personalized wine preferences profile, called Wine Explorer.
The goal of the marketplace is to "make genomics accessible and actionable for every person," Helix CEO Robin Thurston said in a July 2017 statement.
With the $200 million in funding, Helix officials plan to expand its marketplace to 50-plus products in 2018, including the launch of DNA-based health products from Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic.
"We are excited to support Helix in their effort to make personal genomics accessible," said Keith Stewart, Carlson and Nelson Endowed Director at the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine. "Mayo Clinic aims to provide individuals with health insights about their genetic data, empowering them with a deeper understanding of their health and information that they can trust."
DFJ Growth, a Menlo Park, Calif.-based venture capital firm, led Helix's Series B funding round with participation from the company's founding investors, including Illumina, Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, Mayo Clinic, Sutter Hill Ventures and Warburg Pincus.