# Kian Sadeghi

> Kian Sadeghi is the founder and CEO of Nucleus Genomics, a New York biotech building consumer whole-genome sequencing that aims to put your DNA in your pocket. He dropped out of the University of Pennsylvania at 20, taught himself genetics across 18 notebooks in a Brooklyn year he hid from his parents, won a Thiel Fellowship, and raised roughly $32 million from Peter Thiel, Alexis Ohanian's Seven Seven Six, Balaji Srinivasan and Founders Fund. His mission traces to a cousin who died young of a suspected heart-rhythm disorder, and his blunt embrace of 'genetic optimization' has made him one of the most debated young founders in biotech.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Nucleus Genomics
- **Organizations:** Nucleus Genomics, Thiel Fellowship
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Computational biology (dropped out), University of Pennsylvania, Self-taught genetics, Self-directed / DIY community genetics lab
- **Known for:** Founded and leads Nucleus Genomics, raising roughly $32 million including a $14M Series A in January 2025, Named a Thiel Fellow, Backed by Peter Thiel, Alexis Ohanian's Seven Seven Six, Balaji Srinivasan, Founders Fund, Asylum Ventures, Samsung Next and others

## Career timeline

- **2018** — Enrolls at the University of Pennsylvania to study computational biology after time in one of the country's first DIY community genetics labs engineering yeast and bacteria.
- **2020** — Drops out of Penn, moves to Brooklyn, and spends roughly a year teaching himself genetics across 18 notebooks - telling his parents he was working in a lab.
- **2021** — Founds Nucleus Genomics in New York as a Thiel Fellow to make whole-genome sequencing accessible to consumers.
- **2025** — Closes a $14M Series A in January, pushing total funding to roughly $32M; launches DNA matching and an IVF+ fertility program, and acquires AI health-data platform Cambrean.
- **2026** — Becomes one of biotech's most-debated young founders amid national press coverage of Nucleus's 'genetic optimization' embryo screening.

## Achievements

- Founded and leads Nucleus Genomics, raising roughly $32 million including a $14M Series A in January 2025
- Named a Thiel Fellow
- Backed by Peter Thiel, Alexis Ohanian's Seven Seven Six, Balaji Srinivasan, Founders Fund, Asylum Ventures, Samsung Next and others
- Built a consumer whole-genome sequencing product the company says can supersede tens of thousands of single-gene tests
- Grew Nucleus to roughly 41 employees by 2025

## Latest updates

- **2025-01** — Closed a $14M Series A, bringing total funding to roughly $32M.
- **2025-09** — Profiled by the San Francisco Standard amid debate over Nucleus's embryo 'genetic optimization' offering and plans for a Bay Area clinic.

## Links

- Website: https://mynucleus.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kian-sadeghi-8273ba178
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/KianSadeghi5
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChC7A-jaT20
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealkiansadeghi/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/kian-sadeghi
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-11