The Genetic Information and Family Testing (GIFT) Virtual Platform

Accelerate Blue Foundry - 2025 (Life Sciences)

OVERVIEW

The Genetic Information and Family Testing Virtual Platform (GIFT) is an online, family-centered platform that combines personalized cancer risk education and straightforward, low-cost at-home genetic testing, allowing families—especially those with a history of hereditary cancer—to identify and act on their genetic cancer risks together; its most valuable market opportunity is bridging the gap in access to clinical-grade genetic insights for broad, at-risk populations, far beyond what traditional healthcare delivery can achieve.

DESCRIPTION

GIFT operates as a secure web-based platform guiding both cancer patients and their relatives through a step-by-step process:

• Patients provide their health and family information via an online query, which is leveraged for customization.
• The system pre-populates and tailors content based on this data to facilitate communication and engagement between patients and relatives.
• Patients can invite relatives through personalized email outreach directly from the platform.
• Relatives enter a streamlined, user-directed flow—educational modules, motivational content, consent, and a direct link to order home-based saliva genetic tests.
• All genetic testing is processed by a certified clinical lab; unique tokens ensure test price is set but no personal health information is transmitted to third parties.
• A built-in dashboard shows users progress, engagement tips, and outcome metrics, supporting ongoing interaction and family engagement.

VALUE PROPOSITION

• Scalable Family Engagement: Harnesses digital automation to educate and engage whole family trees, overcoming the bottleneck of limited genetic counselor availability and in-clinic resource constraints.
• Frictionless, At-Home Testing: Enables relatives to order and complete certified genetic testing from home, dramatically lowering barriers to access (cost, location, scheduling).
• Privacy and Personalization: Advanced data handling ensures high privacy standards while delivering tailored content and outreach, boosting relevance and user participation.

TECHNOLOGY READINESS LEVEL

MARKET OPPORTUNITY

There is a critical unmet need for streamlined, family-centered genetic risk assessment as most individuals at elevated hereditary cancer risk are never tested—largely due to logistical, educational, and resource barriers in traditional healthcare. GIFT’s platform is applicable across oncology, preventive care, health insurance, direct-to-consumer genetic testing, and telehealth, with immediate impact potential for breast, ovarian, colon, and other hereditary cancer syndromes. Health systems, payers, and wellness platforms could leverage GIFT to cost-effectively expand risk identification, prevention, and targeted intervention across large populations.

The global genetic testing market is projected to surpass $20B by 2030, with surging demand for digital health models that expand access and offer actionable insights for at-risk groups.