Lehi, Utah-based Ancestry.com, the iconic internet genealogy research company, has announced a reduction in force of approximately 109 employees or six-percent of their staff in an effort to deal with declining consumer interest in its home DNA product.
According to Ancestry president and CEO, Margo Georgiadis…
For more than three decades, Ancestry has helped millions of people learn more about themselves by connecting them to their past so they can gain meaningful insights to impact their future. Our relentless focus on serving our customers has enabled us to sustain innovation and market leadership in both Family History and Consumer Genomics. Tens of millions of people have chosen Ancestry as the place to discover, preserve and share their story.
DNA continues to be an important way for millions of people to start their family history journey. About 30 million people worldwide have already started a DNA journey, including over 16 million with Ancestry, seeking to learn more about themselves and make meaningful new connections. And we’re just starting to see the full potential for how genetics impacts health. We’re only at the beginning of all that’s possible.
At the same time, over the last 18 months, we have seen a slowdown in consumer demand across the entire DNA category. The DNA market is at an inflection point now that most early adopters have entered the category. Future growth will require a continued focus on building consumer trust and innovative new offerings that deliver even greater value to people. Ancestry is well positioned to lead that innovation to inspire additional discoveries in both Family History and Health.
Today we made targeted changes to better position our business to these marketplace realities. These are difficult decisions and impact 6 percent of our workforce. Any changes that affect our people are made with the utmost care. We’ve done so in service to sharpening our focus and investment on our core Family History business and the long-term opportunity with AncestryHealth.
Looking ahead, interest in Family History remains strong and we’re continuing to grow and invest in breakthrough solutions to help people understand their heritage and put people on the path to improved health and wellness. We’re equally committed to building a brand consumers trust, helping lead the industry with best-in-class data stewardship principles and a commitment to trust and transparency, including our annual Transparency Report.
Our team at Ancestry has maintained our leadership position for decades through game-changing product improvements and compelling storytelling and we remain focused on continually innovating to deliver even greater value to those we serve.”
It appears that consumers are becoming more aware of companies selling their personal data and assisting law enforcement with their identification activities.
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