Grail
A company that develops tests for cancer detection, whose merger with Alumina was forcibly unwound by regulators.
First Mentioned
1/7/2026, 3:41:39 AM
Last Updated
1/7/2026, 3:42:21 AM
Research Retrieved
1/7/2026, 3:42:21 AM
Summary
Grail is a healthcare and biotechnology organization headquartered in Menlo Park, California, that specializes in early cancer detection through the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and population-scale clinical studies. The company is at the center of a landmark regulatory case involving its acquisition by the life sciences giant Illumina (referred to as "Alumina" in some transcripts). This merger was ultimately unwound following aggressive intervention from global regulatory bodies, including the FTC, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. This forced divestiture is frequently cited by industry analysts, such as those on the All-In Podcast, as a primary example of the "chilling effect" on M&A activity and venture capital exits, signaling a shift in the startup ecosystem toward capital efficiency and profitability over large-scale acquisitions.
Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
Mission
To detect cancer early when it can be cured
Industry
Healthcare and Biotechnology
Headquarters
Menlo Park, California, USA
Core Technology
Next-generation sequencing (NGS)
Primary Disciplines
Computer science, data science, engineering, and medicine
Operational Locations
Washington, D.C.; North Carolina, USA; United Kingdom
Timeline
- The All-In Podcast discusses the forced unwinding of the Illumina-Grail deal as a major event stifling venture capital exits. (Source: d6ad65b4-1ee6-41ad-b655-1afeb7fa17c9)
2023-12-22
- Regulators from the FTC, EU, and UK successfully force the unwinding of the merger between Illumina and Grail. (Source: d6ad65b4-1ee6-41ad-b655-1afeb7fa17c9)
2023-12-01
Wikipedia
View on WikipediaHoly Grail
The Holy Grail (French: Saint Graal, Breton: Graal Santel, Welsh: Greal Sanctaidd, Cornish: Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miraculous healing powers, sometimes providing eternal youth or sustenance in infinite abundance, often guarded in the custody of the Fisher King and located in the hidden Grail castle. By analogy, any elusive object or goal of great significance may be perceived as a "holy grail" by those seeking such. A mysterious "grail" (Old French: graal or greal), wondrous but not unequivocally holy, first appears in Perceval, the Story of the Grail, an unfinished chivalric romance written by Chrétien de Troyes around 1190. Chrétien's story inspired many continuations, translators and interpreters in the later-12th and early-13th centuries, including Wolfram von Eschenbach, who portrayed the Grail as a stone in Parzival. The Christian, Celtic or possibly other origins of the Arthurian grail trope are uncertain and have been debated among literary scholars and historians. Writing soon after Chrétien, Robert de Boron in Joseph d'Arimathie portrayed the Grail as Jesus's vessel from the Last Supper, which Joseph of Arimathea used to catch Christ's blood at the crucifixion. Thereafter, the Holy Grail became interwoven with the legend of the Holy Chalice, the Last Supper cup, an idea continued in works such as the Lancelot-Grail cycle, and subsequently the 15th-century Le Morte d'Arthur. In this form, it is now a popular theme in modern culture, and has become the subject of folklore studies, pseudohistorical writings, works of fiction, and conspiracy theories.
Web Search Results
- Holy Grail - Wikipedia
In the anonymous prose Perlesvaus, another but markedly different continuation of Chrétien's Perceval, the Grail is a holy blood relic creating mystical visions and appearing in the form of a hovering chalice, apparently as inspired by the works of de Boron. It a religious militant work where its hero Perlesvaus (i.e. Perceval) punishes infidels and conquers the Grail castle in an allegory for establishing the Kingdom of Jerusalem. [...] A mysterious "grail" (Old French: graal or greal), wondrous but not unequivocally holy, first appears in Perceval, the Story of the Grail, an unfinished chivalric romance written by Chrétien de Troyes around 1190. Chrétien's story inspired many continuations, translators and interpreters in the later-12th and early-13th centuries, including Wolfram von Eschenbach, who portrayed the Grail as a stone in Parzival. The Christian, Celtic or possibly other origins of the Arthurian grail trope "Trope [...] In Parzival, the author Wolfram von Eschenbach, citing the authority of a certain (probably fictional) Kyot the Provençal, claimed the Grail was a gemstone, the sanctuary of the neutral angels who took neither side during Lucifer's rebellion. It is called lapis exillis (other forms lapsis, lapsit, exilis), which in alchemy is the name of the philosopher's stone. In Wolfram's telling, the Grail was kept safe at the castle of Munsalvaesche (mons salvationis), entrusted to Titurel, the first Grail
- Grail - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms - Vocabulary.com
SKIP TO CONTENT /greɪl/ IPA guide Other forms: grails A grail is some valuable thing you search for or pursue. A golfer's holy grail might be a hole in one. [...] While the object of any serious pursuit is commonly described as a "holy grail," many who use the term might not know its origin. The original Holy Grail is a valuable chalice, cup, or plate — often made of gold — that's sought in medieval and Arthurian legends. The influence of Christianity makes the grail "holy," originally because it was said to have been used at the Last Supper. Grail has a Medieval Latin root, gradalis, "flat dish." Definitions of grail 1. noun [...] the object of any prolonged endeavor see moresee less type of: aim, object, objective, target the goal intended to be attained (and which is believed to be attainable) 2. noun (legend) chalice used by Christ at the Last Supper synonyms: Holy Grail, Sangraal see moresee less example of: chalice, goblet a bowl-shaped drinking vessel; especially the Eucharistic cup Cite this entry Style: MLA MLA APA Chicago Copy citation
- GRAIL - LinkedIn
population-scale clinical studies, and state-of-the-art computer science and data science to overcome one of medicine’s greatest challenges. GRAIL is headquartered in Menlo Park, California, with locations in Washington, D.C., North Carolina, and the United Kingdom. It is supported by leading global investors and pharmaceutical, technology, and healthcare companies. For more information, please visit grail.com. Community Guidelines: [...] Our mission is to detect cancer early, when it can be cured. We are working to change the trajectory of cancer mortality and bring stakeholders together to adopt innovative, safe, and effective technologies that can transform cancer care. We are a healthcare company, pioneering new technologies to advance early cancer detection. We have built a multi-disciplinary organization of scientists, engineers, and physicians and we are using the power of next-generation sequencing (NGS),
- CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: The Holy Grail - New Advent
The name of a legendary sacred vessel, variously identified with the chalice of the Eucharist or the dish of the Pascal lamb, and the theme of a famous medieval cycle of romance. In the romances the conception of the Grail varies considerably; its nature is often but vaguely indicated, and, in the case of Chrestien's Perceval poem, it is left wholly unexplained. [...] The poem of Chrestien, regarded by many as the oldest known Grail romance, tells of Perceval's visit to the Grail castle, where he sees a Graal borne in by a damsel. Its accompaniments are a bleeding lance and a silver plate. It is a precious vessel set with jewels, and so resplendent as to eclipse the lights of the hall. All the assembled knights show it reverence. Mindful of an injunction not to inquire too much, Perceval does not ask concerning the significance of what he sees, and thereby [...] The early history of the Grail is intimately connected with the story of Joseph of Arimathea. When he is cast into prison by the Jews, Christ appears to him and gives him the vessel, through which he is miraculously sustained for forty-two years, until liberated by Vespasian. The Grail is then brought to the West, to Britain, either by Joseph and Josephes, his son (Grand St. Graal), or by Alain one of his kin (Robert de Boron). Galaad (or Perceval) achieves the quest; after the death of its
- Holy Grail | Definition, Meaning, & Origins | Britannica
Holy Grail, object sought by the knights of Arthurian legend as part of a quest that, particularly from the 13th century, had Christian meaning. The term grail evidently denoted a wide-mouthed or shallow vessel, though its precise etymology remains uncertain. [...] Also called: : Grail See all related content The legend of the Holy Grail came to form the culminating point of Arthurian romance, and it was to prove an enduring and fruitful theme across the arts, present in numerous works as disparate as Richard Wagner’s opera Parsifal, James Russell Lowell’s parable The Vision of Sir Launfal, Jay Z’s album Magna Carta Holy Grail, and the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. This article was most recently revised and updated by J.E. Luebering. [...] The legend of the Grail possibly was inspired by Greek, Roman, and Celtic mythologies, which abound in horns of plenty, magic life-restoring caldrons, and the like. The first extant text to give such a vessel Christian significance as a mysterious holy object was Chrétien de Troyes’s late 12th-century unfinished romance Perceval; ou, le conte du Graal, which introduces the guileless rustic knight Perceval, whose dominant trait is innocence and who quests for the Grail. In this poem, the
Wikidata
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Location Data
Grail, Καστράκι, Δήμος Μετεώρων, Περιφερειακή Ενότητα Τρικάλων, Περιφέρεια Θεσσαλίας, Αποκεντρωμένη Διοίκηση Θεσσαλίας - Στερεάς Ελλάδος, 422 00, Ελλάς
Coordinates: 39.7257884, 21.6212799
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