What 23Mofang does

23Mofang is a Chengdu-based, privately held direct-to-consumer genetic testing company founded in 2015 and operating exclusively in the Chinese domestic market. The company sells saliva-based DNA test kits through its own e-commerce site, a dedicated mobile application, and flagship stores on JD.com and Tmall, offering product tiers spanning basic ancestry and trait analysis (¥499), standard health-plus-ancestry kits (¥699–¥1,448), specialized deep panels for hereditary cancer and cardiovascular disease (¥999 each), non-invasive colorectal cancer screening (¥599), and higher-value reproductive carrier screening marketed as "芙安孕" (¥2,999 single, ¥4,999 couple). Customer segments are horizontal — health-conscious individuals, ancestry and heritage enthusiasts, and couples planning pregnancy — with no enterprise or institutional channel disclosed.

The underlying technology stack is NGS whole-gene large panel sequencing that interrogates up to 80 million genetic loci per sample at greater than 99% validated accuracy, layered with proprietary Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) models and genetic markers specifically curated against Chinese population research literature. The company operates a nationally certified clinical medical laboratory (国家认证临床医学检验所) and has built a proprietary database exceeding 1 million genetic profiles, 100,000+ family records, 55,477 genealogical entries, and 1,066 surnames, which powers ancillary products including a Y-chromosome paternal lineage tracer, a gene-based relative-finding platform (魔方寻亲), and 1-on-1 ancestry consultation services. Core strategic partnerships include Thermo Fisher Scientific (sequencing infrastructure), Fudan University's Modern Human Biology Key Laboratory, the Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming Institute of Zoology, and the Medical Genetics Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University.

Revenue mechanics are one-time kit sales with no subscription component in the disclosed catalog; results are delivered digitally via the mobile app approximately two weeks after the laboratory receives the saliva sample, and the company states it continuously updates prior results as research and algorithms improve. The company has disclosed roughly $24.5 million in cumulative equity funding across 2017–2018 rounds led by Matrix Partners China alongside Hanwang Technology, Yahui Precision Medicine Fund, Chengdu Deshang Qidian, and Fenghou Capital, with co-founder Zhou Kun serving as chief executive.

Name

23Mofang

Legal name

23魔方

Website

https://23mofang.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

23Mofang is a Chengdu-based direct-to-consumer genetic testing company selling saliva-based ancestry, health-risk, and reproductive carrier screening kits to Chinese consumers through owned e-commerce, mobile app, and JD/Tmall storefronts, powered by NGS sequencing and a proprietary 1M+ profile database.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Genetic Testing Services

NAICS

Medical Laboratories (621511), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (62151)

SIC

In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Genetic & Prenatal Testing Laboratories (HLAFAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Prenatal, Newborn & Reproductive Diagnostics (NIPT, IVF/PGT, newborn screening) (HLAAALAJ)

Keywords

• Consumer genetic testing
• DNA ancestry testing
• Hereditary disease screening
• Carrier screening services
• Personal genomics

Headquarters

HQ city

Chengdu

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Test Kit Sales: 23Mofang generates revenue primarily through the one-time sale of genetic testing kits to individual consumers. Each kit represents a single transaction for DNA collection and analysis, with results delivered digitally via the company's mobile app. The company offers multiple product tiers ranging from basic ancestry-only tests to comprehensive health and ancestry combination packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

23Mofang sells at-home saliva-based genetic testing kits directly to Chinese consumers, capturing ancestry composition, disease risk, traits, and carrier status via NGS whole-gene sequencing. Customers collect 2mL of saliva at home, mail it back to a nationally certified clinical lab, and receive digital results within approximately 2 weeks through the 23Mofang mobile app. The portfolio ranges from ¥499 ancestry-only tests to ¥4,999 couple-based preconception carrier screening, distributed via 23mofang.com, the company app, JD.com, and Tmall.

Product overview

23Mofang operates as a comprehensive direct-to-consumer genetic testing platform offering multiple product tiers. The core offering is the 23魔方个人基因检测5 (Personal Genetic Testing 5) at ¥699, which uses NGS-based whole-genome large panel sequencing to detect 80+ million genetic loci with >99% accuracy. The product portfolio spans three main categories: (1) ancestry testing (祖源版, 父系祖源深度检测) covering ethnic composition for 40+ populations, surname/family/genealogy libraries, Y-chromosome trees, and gene-based relative finding; (2) health testing including 54 genetic disease risks (6 hereditary tumors + 48 common diseases), carrier screening for 13 genetic diseases, and specialized deep tests for hereditary cancer and cardiovascular disease; and (3) trait testing covering physiological traits, dietary habits, fitness, and skin management. Add-on products include trait-specific versions (¥499), ancestry+health combos (¥1448), colorectal cancer screening (¥599), and carrier screening for pregnancy (¥2999-4999). The platform also provides an ancestry services consulting offering (祖源服务) with expert 1-on-1 guidance and a relative-finding platform (魔方寻亲) leveraging a million-person genetic database.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 魔方寻亲: A platform for people separated from family members to register for reunion matching, leveraging 23魔方's genetic database to connect individuals with biological relatives.

Products and services

• 23Mofang Personal Genetic Testing 5 (23魔方个人基因检测5) 23Mofang's flagship comprehensive personal genetic testing kit using NGS whole-gene large-panel sequencing to detect up to 80M loci with >99% accuracy. Covers ancestry, disease risk, traits, nutrition, medication, fitness, skin, and carrier screening. Sold to individual consumers at ¥699.
• 23Mofang Personal Genetic Testing - Trait Version (特质版) Entry-level kit focused on consumer traits such as physiological traits, dietary habits, fitness potential, and skin characteristics. Priced at ¥499 for individual consumers who do not require the full health risk panel.
• 23Mofang Personal Genetic Testing - Ancestry Version (祖源版) DNA testing kit focused on ethnic composition analysis for 40+ populations, surname library access, family library, genealogy library, Y-chromosome marker tree, and gene-based relative finding. Priced at ¥499 for individual consumers.
• Ancestry + Health Combo 5 (祖源健康组合装5) Combined ancestry and health package bundling comprehensive ancestry exploration with full health risk assessment. Sold for ¥1,448 to individual consumers.
• Paternal Ancestry Deep Testing (父系祖源深度检测) Deep paternal ancestry test requiring Y-chromosome analysis. Maps Y-chromosome marker history spanning 2,300–18,000 years and produces family differentiation trees. Available exclusively to male consumers at ¥899.
• 23Mofang Hereditary Cancer Deep Testing (23魔方遗传性肿瘤深度检测) NGS-based deep test for hereditary cancer risk covering breast, gastric, prostate, pancreatic, colorectal, and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Priced at ¥999 for individual consumers seeking specialized hereditary tumor screening.
• Hereditary Cardiovascular Disease Deep Testing (遗传性心血管疾病深度检测) NGS-based deep test for hereditary cardiovascular disease risk, providing detailed genetic risk assessment for cardiovascular conditions. Priced at ¥999 for individual consumers.
• Colorectal Cancer Early Non-invasive Testing (结直肠癌早期无创检测) Non-invasive early screening test for colorectal cancer using a saliva sample. Priced at ¥599 for individual consumers seeking accessible colorectal cancer screening.
• 23Mofang 'Fu Anyun' Single-Gene Hereditary Disease Carrier Screening - Single Version (芙安孕) Preconception carrier screening for single-gene hereditary diseases for individual testing, designed to identify genetic disease carriers before family planning. Priced at ¥2,999.
• 23Mofang 'Fu Anyun' Single-Gene Hereditary Disease Carrier Screening - Couple Version (芙安孕) Couple-level preconception carrier screening for single-gene hereditary diseases, providing combined genetic risk assessment for two partners planning pregnancy. Priced at ¥4,999.
• Mofang Relative Finding (魔方寻亲) Online platform for separated family members to register for genetic-based reunion matching, leveraging 23Mofang's million-level genetic database to connect individuals with biological relatives.
• Ancestry Services (祖源服务) Professional ancestry research service offering family origin research, migration history analysis, family verification through genealogy comparison, and personalized family ancestry reports with expert 1-on-1 consultation access.

Quantifiable outcome

• Detection accuracy exceeding 99% validated through experimental verification of the NGS whole-gene large panel sequencing technology
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Thermo Fisher ScientificcoreTechnology or IntegrationThermo Fisher Scientific is listed as a partner, providing sequencing technology and equipment that underpins 23Mofang's genetic testing capabilities. As a globally leading life sciences company, Thermo Fisher supplies the technological infrastructure for 23Mofang's NGS-based whole-gene large panel sequencing platform.
• Fudan University Modern Human Biology Key Laboratory (复旦大学现代人类学教育部重点实验室)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFudan University's Modern Human Biology Key Laboratory, a Ministry of Education-designated research laboratory, is listed as a research partner. The partnership supports 23Mofang's ancestry research and genetic population studies, contributing academic expertise to the company's Chinese population genetic database.
• Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming Institute of Zoology - Human Evolution and Disease Genome Research Group (中国科学院昆明动物研究所人类进化与疾病基因组学研究组)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe research group at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming Institute of Zoology is listed as an academic research partner, contributing expertise in human evolution and disease genomics to support 23Mofang's research capabilities and scientific rigor.
• Army Medical University First Affiliated Hospital Medical Genetics Center (陆军军医大学第一附属医院医学遗传中心)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Medical Genetics Center at the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University is listed as a partner, providing medical genetics expertise to support 23Mofang's hereditary disease screening and health risk assessment capabilities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 23andMe: US-based direct-to-consumer genetic testing company offering ancestry, health risk, trait, and carrier-status reports via saliva kits. Closest global analog to 23Mofang in product category and DTC GTM, though 23andMe's reference data is Western-centric while 23Mofang's is China-specific.
• WeGene (微基因): China's other leading DTC genetic testing platform, offering ancestry, health, and trait reports with a saliva-based workflow. Most direct domestic competitor to 23Mofang, targeting the same Chinese consumer base with a comparable product portfolio and pricing tiers.
• Ancestry (AncestryDNA): US-based genealogy-led consumer genomics company; ancestry composition, family-tree integration, and large DNA-matching database. Directly comparable to 23Mofang's ancestry pillar (surname library, family library, Y-chromosome tree, 魔方寻亲) in product and customer use case.
• MyHeritage: Israel-based DTC genetic testing and online genealogy platform combining DNA test kits with family tree software. Comparable to 23Mofang in the genealogy + DNA-matching intersection, including relative-finding features.

Broad incumbents

• BGI Genomics (华大基因): China's largest genomics company offering NIPT, clinical sequencing, and population genomics services. Overlaps with 23Mofang in hereditary disease and prenatal testing but operates at much larger scale, primarily B2B and through hospital channels rather than DTC.
• Berry Genomics (贝瑞和康): Chinese clinical genomics company specializing in NIPT and reproductive health diagnostics. Adjacent to 23Mofang's 芙安孕 carrier screening line but serves clinicians and hospitals rather than direct consumers.
• Novogene (诺禾致源): China-based genomics services provider offering sequencing platforms and bioinformatics to research and clinical customers. Shares the NGS technology stack and China footprint with 23Mofang but is primarily B2B rather than DTC.
• Daan Gene (达安基因): Chinese molecular diagnostics company with broad PCR and genetic testing product lines serving hospitals and clinical labs. Overlaps with 23Mofang in molecular diagnostic capability but distributed through clinical channels at substantially larger scale.

Emerging players

• Helix: US-based DNA sequencing platform operating an app-store model for genetic insights, including health and ancestry applications. Comparable technology architecture (NGS + app-based results delivery) and DTC orientation, but smaller scale and narrower consumer brand.
• iCarbonX (碳云智能): China-based AI-driven health data and 'digital life' platform combining multi-omics, including genetic testing, with consumer-facing health applications. Adjacent to 23Mofang in combining consumer genomics with health interpretation, but broader scope (microbiome, metabolomics) and more platform-oriented model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xweibo.com/23mofang
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/23mofang

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 23Mofang