Tech Trend 247

Theranos, the blood-testing startup that was once the darling of Silicon Valley, is cutting hundreds of jobs and closing its clinical labs and wellness centers.

The announcement came Wednesday in an open letter from Elizabeth Holmes, the company's embattled CEO. 

"After many months spent assessing our strengths and addressing our weaknesses, we have moved to structure our company around the model best aligned with our core values and mission," she said. 

"We have decided to close our clinical labs and Theranos Wellness Centers, which will impact approximately 340 employees in Arizona, California, and Pennsylvania."

Holmes started the company in 2003 after dropping out of Stanford. Theranos skyrocketed to fame in 2014 with the promise of incredibly low-cost blood tests that could be conducted with a simple finger prick. 

The hype led to countless magazine covers and a deal with Walmart stores across the country. Then came an investigation from The Wall Street Journal, which questioned the company's technology and business practices. Later, a damning report from federal regulators, an SEC investigation, and the termination of its Walmart deal brought the startup crashing back to earth. 

In 2015 Forbes estimated Holmes' net worth at $450 million. One year later, it lowered that valuation to "nothing."

After Wednesday's news, not many people on social media seemed to be shedding tears for the company, including John Carreyrou, the investigative reporter who broke the Theranos last year. 

Holmes said the company was shifting its focus to "miniaturized, automated laboratories capable of small-volume sample testing."