23AndMe To Go Public At $3.5Bn With Sir Richard Branson-Backed SPAC

23andMe, Inc. announced on 4 February it is becoming a publicly traded company through a merger with a special purpose acquisitions company (SPAC) backed by Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson in a deal that values the genetic-testing company at $3.5bn, including debt.

As part of the agreement with the blank check firm VG Acquisition Corp., Silicon Valley-based 23andMe will receive proceeds of $759m with Branson and 23andMe co-founder and CEO Anne Wojcicki...