Genappeal Business Plan

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3.1 Scientific basis

3.1.1 The T-shirt experiment.

In 1995, a scientist performed an interesting experiment in which he asked a group of 44 men to wear during 2 nights an odor-neutral T-shirt. These men were asked to wash only with odor-neutral soap and to use odor-less after-shave. After 2 days these T-shirts were placed in plastic bags and a group of 49 women were asked to rank these T-shirts from appealing to repulsive based on the odor. All women in this test group were asked to perform the test when they were in the middle of their menstrual cycle because at that time in the cycle the olfactory organ of women is the most sensitive. Unused T-shirts were used as control. It turned out the women classified the T-shirts of men with dissimilar DNA as most appealing or attractive. Further, Tshirts worn by men with similar DNA were classified as unpleasant or repulsive. This was the first evidence that also humans are sensitive to DNA dependent odors. Interestingly, when women were taking anti-conceptive pills, their preference reversed. Instead of dissimilar men, they preferred similar men. Because of the success of this first study a follow up study was performed that confirmed these results. From an evolutionary point of view, the fact that the odor of DNA-dissimilar men is more appealing (or has a stronger sex-appeal) is very logical. By choosing a partner with dissimilar DNA, the offspring has a more diverse set of genetic material and hence a better defense against viruses, parasites and other pathogens. A more recent study showed that the effect goes much further than initially anticipated. Couples with similar DNA appear also to be less fertile and have more miscarriages. Couples with similar DNA going for in vitro fertilization (IVF) have lower success rates than couples with dissimilar DNA. Several other studies have independently demonstrated that variations in the DNA create a unique odor, also called an “olfactory fingerprint”, which influences individual recognition and mate selection in rodents, humans, fish, lizards and birds. The fact that this effect is observed in many different species that are evolutionary very far away from each other and that this mechanism of odor dependent mate selection is evolutionary conserved though several hundred millions of years, indicates its great importance. GenAppeal: Where technology meets biology…

It has from an evolutionary and biological point of view 3 advantages: 1) higher fertility, 2) stronger and healthier offspring, and 3) reducing inbreeding. For these and all of the above mentioned reasons it is not surprising that nature has equipped our body and brains with a very strong mechanism capable of selecting the optimal complementary odor; i.e. capable of selecting the optimal mate. With humans however, the current social structure is far from optimal to allow this mechanism to work properly, or even worse, to act reversely if women take contraceptive pills when choosing a partner, making it harder for them to have kids long after they stop taking it.

3.1.2 From gene to passion

The ability to smell the ‘good’ DNA is a remarkable talent, but much like most of the instincts, we don’t realize that they are active. Evolutionary biology teaches us how the history of human evolution helped to shape the way we behave, think and feel. People don’t have sex most of the time because they consciously want to pass on their genes. People don’t find someone attractive because they want a good set of genes for their offspring… they want it because if feels good and natural. The relationship between what feels good and natural and gene survival may not be known to them. Few people think about the fact why things feel right and natural and why our brains have evolved in a way that some things feel good and other things feel repulsive. It are these skills that guided mankind for more than 100.000 years in order to be able to make the best possible choices in order to get offsprings with the best possible chances of survival and to develop very strong bonds between a man and a woman in order to create a safe and stable environment for their children to grow up. This is in perfect agreement with the established theory of “The Selfish Gene” (Richard Dawkins, 1976). Because of the strong biological drive and the synergy between the mutual complementarity of the DNA, this effect gets constantly reinforced. Couples are passionately attracted to each other and a basis for a long and fertile relationship is formed. The more different some specific variations in the DNA, the stronger and healthier the offspring will be and the more likely the chance for a successful reproduction. 3.1.3 The concept By determining the degree of complementarity of those specific variations using state of the art biotechnological methods for DNA analysis, we are able to select out of a population those combinations that have the highest chance for maximal attraction, for a successful relationship and which maximizes the chance for healthy children.

This is an added value and a clear differentiator to the standard matching using occupational and recreational preferences. This enables people to make an informed decision upfront of meeting a person and will dramatically increase the chance of meeting the right partner. 3.2 The sales concept. 3.2.1 The product/service combination of GenAppeal The product we are selling consists of: The GenAppeal profile: based on the analysis of the DNA coming e.g. from a hair or a mouth swap of a person, GenAppeal will determine the variations in the DNA. This service is GenAppeal’s core business. The customer pays for this service and is then able to compare his or her own result with all the other results in the database in order to find the perfect complementary match. The GenAppeal dating website: Through GenAppeal’s dating website, the customers are able to compare and match their result with other people’s result. Along with ordinary criteria such as salary, education, hair color, sport, etc. which are common on most dating sites, GenAppeal offers a unique advantage to select also those partners that would be also based on biology a good match, whom they, based on smell, would not find repulsive, but more appealing, more attractive, more stable. GenAppeal guaranteed gender check: A big problem on many dating sites is that men subscribe to these sites as being a woman and vice versa, in order e.g. to learn the tricks of others... The lack of knowledge of who people are really talking to is a big problem on current dating sites. Recent publications on the subject (Washington Post, Sunday, June 4, 2006; Page B03) call for more regulation and protection of people against fraud and false