A message from our Co-Founders

Our commitment to innovation

To our customers and partners: 

Since the earliest days of 10x Genomics, we have had one overriding goal: to fuel innovation for the scientific community.

We started this company because we believed we could do meaningful work, take on really hard problems and bring valuable tools to researchers around the world. That’s what 10x is all about. 

And that’s why it has been so painful to watch the integrity of our mission and our company called into question. The narrative portraying 10x as impeding scientific progress could not be further from the truth. We are not here to stifle innovation; we are here to fuel it. We’re here to accelerate scientific discovery. 

You often hear us talk about what we innovate: the groundbreaking products that help you revolutionize science. We also want to share why and how we innovate: 

• What propels us is our mission. We are passionate about advancing science and improving human health. We love working with people across academia and industry who share this ambition. Your work inspires and drives our team every day.
  

• We strive for exponential impact. We promised ourselves – and our customers – that we would never settle for incremental advances. We seek opportunities to make an exponential impact (it’s in our name). This means we take on ambitious projects, often several in parallel, to find the best solution to each problem. Our high level of ambition requires a high level of investment. We have invested more than $1.5 billion in research and development to bring you products that have consistently outperformed alternatives. And, while these investments have yet to turn a profit, we see them as investments in the future – our future, your future and the future of biological research.
  

• We do hard things and embrace the hardest challenges. When developing new-to-world products, the path is one of long odds, of problems with no easy or known solutions and of intensely stressful hard work. That’s why patents exist: to encourage and reward people who take on the hardest challenges.
  
  
• We get patents to protect innovation. Each of the thousands of patents and applications that 10x has represents an idea that started with scientists and engineers working on a problem and coming up with a novel solution for our customers. These are not just legal documents; they are milestones of human ingenuity. Patents are central to building a sustainable business. It would be irresponsible of us if we did not protect these inventions and safeguard the hard work of everyone who has contributed to our mission to bring you innovative, groundbreaking products.
  
  
• It’s the people of 10x who make the magic happen. We are immensely proud of our team, who have worked extremely hard to give you one great product after another. More than 380 past and present 10x employees have their names on our patents and applications. Our team has never taken any shortcuts, and we have always held ourselves to the highest ethical standards.
  
  
• We believe good ideas come from anywhere. We respect the hard work of the pioneers that came before us. When we see outside technologies that fit within our strategy, we diligently work to bring those capabilities into the company the right way, whether through licensing or acquisition. We then invest years of our own ingenuity and effort to build these inventions into best-in-class commercial products. One of the most rewarding experiences as an entrepreneur is to see your idea come to life in a form that you know will have a long-lasting impact on scientific research. We take real pride in helping fellow innovators realize the full potential of their inventions. 

Unfortunately, not every company in our industry takes such a rigorous approach to product development. Some knowingly and repeatedly seek to exploit the work of others. We welcome and encourage all companies who commit to innovate the right way; however, we cannot allow other companies to take our inventions. 

The decision to enter litigation is not one we take lightly. It’s not done with the intent to hurt others; we do it to protect our right to our intellectual property and to preserve our ability to invest in continued innovation. We have been diligent in following both the spirit and the letter of the law. In fact, we use patents in precisely the way they are meant to be used: to fuel innovation. 

There is no greater source of inspiration to us than the discoveries made by the scientific community every day. We know your time and resources are precious, and your work is essential to transforming the world’s understanding of health and disease. We want your research to be successful, and we will be here to support you and keep your important work moving forward.

This is our commitment to you: we will continue to champion innovation, ensuring that our collective future is one filled with discovery and progress. We will continue to push the limits of what's possible, because that’s when we are at our best. And we will continue to support your work and your success, celebrating the incredible advances you make toward understanding and improving human health.

Together, we have made remarkable strides, and we are not slowing down. We are so grateful for your support, your collaboration and your shared belief in the power of innovation to change the world. 

Sincerely,

Your input is valuable to us so please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected].