Breaking news

23andMe Files For Chapter 11: Anne Wojcicki Resigns Amid Struggles to Revive Company

In a bold and unexpected move, 23andMe has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, signaling the company’s struggle to stay afloat amid mounting financial pressure. In its filing with the Eastern District of Missouri federal bankruptcy court, the DNA testing giant revealed it has initiated the process of selling its assets in an attempt to salvage what’s left of its business. Despite the looming uncertainty, 23andMe reassured customers that it would continue operations throughout the asset sale process, emphasizing that there would be no disruptions to how customer data is stored, managed, or protected.

If the bankruptcy court approves its Chapter 11 plan, 23andMe will embark on a 45-day window to solicit bids. If multiple buyers emerge, the company will hold an auction to maximize its value. A key condition for any potential buyer: they must adhere to legal requirements for handling customer data, a significant concern after recent breaches.

In a related shakeup, co-founder Anne Wojcicki, who once helmed the company, has stepped down as CEO. However, Wojcicki isn’t entirely distancing herself from the company—she will remain on 23andMe’s board and is reportedly preparing to bid on the company’s assets herself. Her resignation follows a failed attempt to take 23andMe private. Last month, she made a bid to acquire the company for $2.53 per share, but the deal collapsed when her partner, New Mountain Capital, pulled out. This was followed by a new bid this month, offering just 41 cents per share—a move swiftly rejected by the company’s board. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Wojcicki expressed her disappointment, but also her intent to pursue the company’s assets independently, citing her resignation as a strategic move to position herself better for the bidding process.

The Rise And Fall Of 23andMe

Once a market darling, 23andMe went public in 2021 through a merger with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), reaching a market cap of $6 billion. Wojcicki, a co-founder of the company, saw her fortune soar into the billions. But since then, the company’s stock has plummeted by over 99%, as it failed to reach profitability despite its promising start.

Adding fuel to the fire, the company suffered a major data breach in 2023, when hackers exploited recycled passwords to access sensitive user data. The breach involved over a million genetic data points, including information from high-profile individuals, and was shared across hacker forums. The exposed data included genetic ancestry, birth years, and even personal details of well-known tech figures such as Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. In the aftermath, 23andMe settled in court, agreeing to pay $30 million and offer three years of security monitoring to those affected by the breach.

As 23andMe enters its next phase under bankruptcy proceedings, the company faces a steep uphill battle to regain trust and value. The fate of its assets—and its brand—now rests in the hands of potential buyers.

Bending Spoons Buys Miro As SaaS Valuations Continue To Reset

Bending Spoons is buying Miro for $1.36 billion in cash, implying an equity value of $1.79 billion. That is about 90% below the workplace collaboration company’s $17.5 billion valuation in late 2021.

From Digital Whiteboard To AI Workspace

Founded in 2011 as RealtimeBoard, Miro began as a digital whiteboarding tool for remote teams. Demand surged during the pandemic, helping the company expand from about five million users to roughly 30 million between 2020 and 2022.

Miro later added more than 250 integrations and partnerships with Atlassian, Cisco, Microsoft and Zoom. Today, it describes itself as an “AI innovation workspace,” offering AI assistants, prototyping tools and integrations with GitHub, Jira and Slack.

Growth Slowed After The Pandemic

Miro now has more than four million paying customers and 100 million total users, with about $600 million in annual recurring revenue. Businesses and enterprises generate roughly 90% of revenue, while the company has about $435 million in net cash and is profitable.

Its valuation decline reflects a broader reset in SaaS markets. As pandemic-driven demand faded, companies cut software spending and consolidated overlapping tools, increasing pressure on stand-alone collaboration platforms competing with broader ecosystems from companies such as Microsoft, Canva and Figma.

Bending Spoons Targets Mature Software

Miro has also reduced its workforce since reaching about 1,200 employees in 2022, cutting 119 positions in February 2023 and another 275 in October 2024, according to its CEO.

The acquisition fits Bending Spoons’ broader strategy of buying established software companies whose valuations have fallen but whose recurring revenue and user bases remain substantial. It previously agreed to acquire Airtable for $1.28 billion after the company had been valued above $11 billion in 2021.

For Bending Spoons, the strategy is a bet on durable revenue and profitability rather than the rapid-growth expectations that drove software valuations during the pandemic.

The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties
eCredo
Aretilaw firm
Uol

Become a Speaker

Become a Speaker

Become a Partner

Subscribe for our weekly newsletter