Why we invested in Nucleus, bringing clinical-grade genomics to everyone
For decades, genomic testing has promised to transform healthcare. The reality has fallen short. Consumer DNA tests read less than 0.1% of the genome, reports arrive as static PDFs that never update, and high-profile data breaches have eroded trust. Meanwhile, clinical-grade whole-genome sequencing has remained expensive, inaccessible, and disconnected from everyday health decisions.
Nucleus Genomics is changing this. The company offers a $499 physician-ordered test that sequences ~100% of a patient's DNA, covering over 2,000+ diseases and conditions, analyzed in their CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited U.S. informatics laboratory. Unlike consumer microarray kits, Nucleus delivers clinical-grade whole-genome sequencing through a HIPAA-compliant platform, with every order reviewed by a licensed physician. Genetic insight can now live inside an evolving health system that updates risk as science advances, turning the genome from a one-time result into an enduring infrastructure for preventative, personalized care.
The timing is driven by a dramatic cost curve. Sequencing a human genome cost $100 million in 2001. Today, thanks to advances from partners like Illumina, Nucleus can deliver comprehensive sequencing at a price point that previously only bought a tiny fraction of the data. This convergence is pushing whole-genome sequencing toward the same mass-market inflection that microarray kits reached a decade ago—but with fundamentally greater leverage across prevention, decision-making, and lifelong health.
Nucleus's recent acquisition of Cambrean, an AI-powered wearable health platform, extends this vision further. By fusing continuous biometric signals—sleep, activity, heart rate variability—with each individual's genetic baseline, Nucleus moves beyond population averages toward personalized interpretation. The genome becomes the stable reference point through which all other health data is understood, enabling earlier insight, clearer signals, and decisions grounded in individual biology rather than statistical norms.
The company is led by CEO Kian Sadeghi, a Thiel Fellow, who started the company after leaving the University of Pennsylvania where he studied computational biology. He is joined by Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Nathan Treff, who has helped start two genetic diagnostic companies and is the author of over 100 publications, Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Lasse Folkersen, Founder of Impute.me with over 20,000 academic citations, and President Matt Lanter, co-founder of OpenStore and former Founders Fund investor. The team spans deep genomic expertise, and both clinical and consumer product discipline, closing the infrastructural gap between what science makes possible and what healthcare systems deliver in practice.
Founded in 2020, Nucleus has built partnerships with both U.S. and international fertility clinics, and Bryan Johnson's Don't Die program. Its platform supports preventative, generational health at both the individual and reproductive level, offering advanced carrier and embryo screening, and end-to-end IVF+ care.
At Samsung Next, we look for founders building infrastructure that enables entirely new categories of products and services. Nucleus stands out for its scientific rigor, delivering validated clinical-grade results rather than entertainment-grade ancestry estimates. It also stands out for its strategic potential: as wearables and health sensors proliferate, the missing layer has been a genetic baseline that contextualizes what those signals mean for each individual. As whole-genome sequencing becomes standard preventive care, Nucleus is positioned to be the trusted platform consumers and clinicians turn to first.
We're proud to make a strategic investment in Nucleus following its $14 million Series A done by Founders Fund and Seven Seven Six, with participation from Neo, Balaji Srinivasan, and others. We're excited to support Kian and the Nucleus team as they build the foundation for genomics-informed healthcare.
Written By Diane Choi & Sam Campbell
Diane Choi and Sam Campbell are investors at Samsung Next. Samsung Next's investment strategy is limited to its own views and does not reflect the vision or strategy of any other Samsung business unit, including, but not limited to, Samsung Electronics.