Genleap, a new edtech startup, claims to boost an individual’s future career by subjecting them to a DNA test. Experts however have slammed the startup’s claims as being “unscientific”, saying that the exercise under review can have harmful effects on children.
Experts say that genetics do play a huge part in determining multiple things but they “cannot tell us with any certainty how our lives will play out”.
Genleap has marketed itself as the “world’s first DNA based self-discovery, upskilling and employability platform”, claiming that its work is backed by “scientific evidence and research”.
The company shared on Tuesday that it has successfully raised Rs 60 crore from marquee investors during its seed round.
Genleap’s co-founder and CEO Nimish Gupta said during an interview that the platform aims to not only predict career choices for children, but it can also help adults upgrade their careers.
Gupta said, “The genomics will give a person’s inner strength — what they are capable of, the psychometric analysis will give you their state of mind, and cognitive astromancy will take into account stellar calculations to predict the correct career choices for a child or an adult”.
Users will access the platform to undergo three types of evaluation. The three steps will comprise the collection of saliva samples for DNA extraction, psychometric testing, and some astrological calculations based on one’s date and time of birth. The platform will then come up with the top 10 career choices for the child or adult.
Gupta added, “The idea is to identify the competence, interest, and potential of a person in the most effective manner. Most of the time people are confused about their career choices and land up in the wrong profession, often because of pressure from friends or family. With this platform, we hope to conduct a 360-degree evaluation of a person’s personality”.
Gupta shared that Genleap is scheduled to be launched in January 2022 and the program will cost consumers Rs 10,000.
Experts in the fields of genomics and psychology are extremely skeptical about the startup’s assertions and urge people to exercise due caution before signing up.
Anusnigdha, an assistant professor of psychology at the Andhra Pradesh-based Krea University said, “A lot of psychometric tests can be used as statistical markers within a group but it’s not a good basis for making predictions about future potential. If used correctly, psychometrics can be helpful. But used in this broadway, the claims that the company is making are unscientific. The effects can be devastating on the child depending on how old they are.”
According to Anusnigdha, the way the company has described its capabilities brings to mind the generic hit-or-miss predictions of astrology — which is a part of the Genleap package.
Regarding DNA testing, Anusnigdha said that genetic determinism — the idea that genes determine our destiny above and beyond environmental and cultural factors — is reminiscent of eugenics and inherently racist.
Addressing the criticism from experts, Nimish Gupta insisted that the company’s claims were based on “scientific evidence and research”.
He said, “We rely on three sciences to cross-validate the personality, behavior, and aptitudes of a person. Genomics gives inborn traits, psychometrics gives acquired strengths, and astromancy gives natal strengths. There is enough scientific evidence and research that backs the work that we are doing and this is an evolving area.”
