PROVO, Utah, April 30, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ancestry.com DNA LLC, announced today that since launching in May 2012, more than 400,000 people have taken the AncestryDNA test.
"We're excited with the growth of AncestryDNA. In less than two years we have built a database of 400,000 customer samples, and with that scale and growing network effect, we've created a product that is really valuable to our existing subscribers while also providing new users a fast and easy way to start learning about their family history," said Tim Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer of Ancestry.com. "AncestryDNA is emerging as an essential part of our core value proposition and an incredibly engaging new way for us to deliver on our mission to help everyone discover, preserve, and share their family history."
Developed by a team of genetic scientists, bioinformaticists and data scientists, the AncestryDNA test provides users with a personalized genetic ethnicity estimate from 26 global regions and also connects them to a growing network of genetic cousins and their family histories. The test analyzes a person's genome at over 700,000 marker locations and provides customers with an easy and affordable way to help explore their ancestral background and discover their family's past. AncestryDNA also cross-references an extensive worldwide database of DNA samples with documented family histories. This reference collection, acquired by the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, includes samples from more than 100 countries on six continents, which enables new levels of discovery about people's family backgrounds.
The growing database and network effect has enabled AncestryDNA to begin constructing a genetic graph of the US population. To date, the Company has identified more than 15 million cousin relationships, including 3 million relationships that connect the 400,000 members through distant shared ancestors. For example, the grandfather of Senator Henry Clay who ran for President twice and negotiated the treaty of Ghent, is the shared common ancestor of more than 280 AncestryDNA members. This genetic graph is expected to be a unique and valuable resource that will become the cornerstone of future product developments and differentiation for AncestryDNA in the market.
"While we're thrilled with our early success with AncestryDNA, we're even more excited about how we anticipate advancing and improving this service going forward," said Sullivan. "We're at the very beginning of a revolution in personal genomics, and we think that AncestryDNA can become one of the more interesting consumer genomics applications worldwide."
For more information about AncestryDNA, or to join the 400,000 customers that have taken the test and made discoveries about themselves, visit www.ancestrydna.com.
About Ancestry.com DNA LLC
Ancestry.com DNA, LLC is a subsidiary of Ancestry.com LLC. AncestryDNA uses a simple test to analyze an individual's DNA. AncestryDNA offers the potential of identifying new insights into people's ancient ancestry to help them collaborate with distant cousins and make even more discoveries in their family history. For more information visit www.ancestrydna.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by these forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include a variety of factors, some of which are beyond the company's control. In particular, such risks and uncertainties include the company's ability to add tools and features and provide value to satisfy customer demand and our investments in our AncestryDNA service and the success of our promotional programs and new products. Information concerning additional factors that could cause events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements is contained under the caption "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2014, and in discussions in other of our Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date and we assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.