Sam Altman joined other tech investors in a $30m funding round for Preventive, a San Francisco start‑up that says it aims to use next‑generation gene editing to prevent hereditary diseases in future children. The company is reportedly exploring jurisdictions such as the UAE to carry out experiments. More than 70 countries ban heritable human genome edits; critics warn of safety risks and the specter of eugenics, while supporters argue the technology could save lives if proven safe.
Sam Altman Backs Controversial Baby Gene‑Editing Start‑up in $30M Funding Round
Sam Altman joined other tech investors in a $30m funding round for Preventive, a San Francisco start‑up that says it aims to use next‑generation gene editing to prevent hereditary diseases in future children. The company is reportedly exploring jurisdictions such as the UAE to carry out experiments. More than 70 countries ban heritable human genome edits; critics warn of safety risks and the specter of eugenics, while supporters argue the technology could save lives if proven safe.
11:22 PM, 11/14/2025Science
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman among investors in Preventive
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI and a prominent backer of ChatGPT, is one of several technology investors who participated in a $30 million funding round for Preventive, a San Francisco‑based start‑up that says it aims to prevent hereditary diseases by using next‑generation gene‑editing techniques.
Preventive describes its mission as exploring whether the newest gene‑editing tools can be used "safely and responsibly to correct devastating genetic conditions for future children." The company has attracted funding from a group of tech billionaires and is reported to be seeking a jurisdiction — including the United Arab Emirates — where it can legally carry out certain experiments.
Altman invested alongside his spouse, Oliver Mulherin; the couple welcomed a child earlier this year via surrogate. Other backers include Brian Armstrong, CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase.
Ethical and regulatory concerns
More than 70 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, currently prohibit making heritable edits to the human genome — changes to embryos that could be passed down to future generations. While gene editing is widely used in agriculture and laboratory research, applying similar techniques to human embryos raises profound ethical, legal and safety questions.
Preventive: "If proven to be safe, we believe preventive gene editing could be one of the most important health technologies of the century."
Critics warn that editing human DNA could produce unforeseen mutations, exacerbate social inequality, or enable eugenic applications such as "designer babies." Supporters say targeted preventive edits might one day eliminate certain inherited disorders before birth and save lives if conducted under strict safety and ethical oversight.
Recent clinical context
Earlier this year, US clinicians used gene‑editing techniques to treat a newborn known as DJ, who suffered from a rare metabolic disorder that left him without a crucial liver enzyme. That intervention, performed after birth, prompted researchers to ask US regulators to consider approving similar bespoke therapies for more patients. By contrast, attempts to edit embryos before implantation have drawn international condemnation: in 2018 a Chinese scientist who claimed to have produced gene‑edited twins was later jailed after an unauthorised experiment.
This debate sits at the intersection of cutting‑edge science, patient need and global regulation: Preventive's backers argue for cautious research to assess safety and potential benefit, while opponents urge strong legal limits and ethical scrutiny to prevent harm.