23andMe CEO Wojcicki considering taking firm private, filing shows

(Reuters) - 23andMe co-founder and chief executive Anne Wojcicki is considering making an offer to buy the genetics testing company in a potential go-private transaction, a regulatory filing on late Wednesday showed.

Last week, Wojcicki notified members of the board's special committee that she is considering a potential go-private transaction for 23andMe and indicated that she would begin speaking to partners and financing sources.

23andMe declined to comment on the filing and Wojcicki did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment.

Last year, the company informed several customers of a data breach in the "DNA Relatives" feature that allowed them to compare ancestry information with users worldwide.

23andMe, best known for its saliva-based test kits that offer users a glimpse into their genetic ancestry went public in 2021 through a blank-check firm, backed by Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, in a deal that valued the merged entity at $3.5 billion.

(Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Eileen Soreng)