US-based genomics technology developer Helix was launched today by biotechnology company Illumina and private equity firms Warburg Pincus and Sutter Hill Ventures with more than $100m of funding.
Medical practice Mayo Clinic has also contributed funds as part of a partnership agreement with Helix. The partnership, made through Mayo Clinic’s Center for Individualized Medicine, will focus on consumer education and health-related questions.
Laboratory services provider LabCorp will also work with Helix to set up a service that will offer consumers medically valuable information about genetic conditions.
Helix will build a sequencing lab and a secure database through which it will be able to provide users with an insight into their genetics. The company will then create a marketplace where consumers can give third-party applications granular access to their genetic data.
Helix expects to attract partners who will focus on areas such as genealogy, wellness and inherited traits.
Jay Flatley, CEO of Illumina, will serve as chairman of Helix’s board. The company expects to begin accepting customers in 2016, according to its website.