Function's Longitudinal Subscription Advantage

This is the core business model difference. 23andMe mostly sold a box once, mailed a DNA report once, and then had to spend again to win the same customer back. Function is building something people can revisit every year, with repeat blood panels, added MRI scans, and a running health record that gets more useful as more data accumulates over time.

• 23andMe was built around Personal Genome Service kit sales, and its recent filings still describe revenue pressure from lower kit volumes. That is the shape of a transaction business, demand spikes around purchase moments, then fades unless the company finds a strong follow on product.
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• Function starts with a $499 annual membership for recurring lab work, then layers in imaging. After buying Ezra in May 2025, it cut MRI pricing to $499 and turned scans into a repeatable add on, giving members another reason to stay active instead of treating testing as a one time event.
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• The practical difference is workflow. 23andMe tells a customer something mostly fixed, inherited DNA. Function tracks moving signals like cholesterol, liver markers, hormones, and imaging findings. Those values can change with age, diet, sleep, medication, and exercise, which naturally supports annual monitoring and subscription retention.
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The category is moving toward longitudinal health products, not one time diagnostics. The winners will be the companies that turn each test, scan, and wearable feed into a living record that customers update every year. That creates steadier revenue, more chances to upsell, and a much stronger consumer habit than a single genetics purchase.