Celera Genomics was a private company founded in 1998 by <a href="/article/j-craig-venter">J. Craig Venter</a> with the ambitious goal of sequencing the human genome faster and cheaper than the publicly funded <a href="/article/human-genome-project">Human Genome Project</a>. Its competitive approach significantly accelerated genomic research and sparked crucial debates about data sharing and commercialization in science.