Aydin Senkut, an early Google employee and founder of the venture fund Felicis Ventures, was recently interviewed by Silicon Valley Business Insider about his investment choices, which include Counsyl. He had a few very nice things to say, and we wanted to share:

Are there any companies in your portfolio that you think are of that mould? Any in particular that, maybe the idea sounded a little bit crazy when you invested but it’s turned out?

There are a couple. One more recent investment for us and is fascinating is called Counsyl. They are in South San Francisco. They do pre-natal [sic] diagnostics.

I discovered the company when my wife and I were pregnant with our second son. Normally if you go to a genetic counselor, they ask you things like where were you born, who is in your family, what country of origin, etc. These guys basically have the genetic test that show with very, very high accuracy for 100-plus, maybe a couple of hundred factors. It’s a test that could be done by blood or spit.

It’s fascinating because it gives you full clarity into all these factors. But it is not a consumer product. It is done through doctors, through OB-GYN and through pre-natal [sic] clinics. It is covered by insurance in 50 states.

We found this to be a fascinating technology and company. So we we’re very excited about the potential of the good they can do to give people some insights as they’re thinking about having a family or extending their family. You know, how to avoid any type of tough situations.

We’re so happy for visionary investors like Aydin, who saw our potential to change lives!