Orig3n Partners with Karate Combat to Bring Personalized DNA Testing to the New Professional Full-Contact Karate League

BOSTON and NEW YORK, April 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Orig3n Inc., a Boston-based biotech company pioneering the future of wellness through genetics and regenerative medicine, announces a unique partnership with Karate Combat, a professional combat sports league that is revolutionizing martial arts with its revitalization of karate for the 21st century worldwide.

Orig3n will act as the league's exclusive DNA partner, powering athletes' understanding of their genetics and how it might impact their performance during fights. Over 100 Karate Combat athletes from over 30 countries will learn about their genes linked to muscle strength, power performance, exercise recovery, intelligence, and more so they can fine-tune their skills based on their genetic information. Athletes' individual results will also be highlighted on screen during each Karate Combat broadcast ? via their innovative Heads-Up Display ? to help viewers around the world discover more about their favorite karate fighters, and engage with the action as it unfolds.

"We saw an opportunity to apply personalized DNA testing to Karate Combat's goal of bringing martial arts into the future," said Robin Y. Smith, CEO of Orig3n. "We're excited to provide these exceptional athletes with access to their genetic information so they can be empowered by those traits that their genes indicate may be strengths and learn how to optimize their training for traits that may be weaknesses."

The partnership launches for the first time this Thursday at the Karate Combat: Inception fight in Miami ? the league's first event in the U.S. The invitation-only fight will be streamed live to a global audience at www.karate.com beginning at 9:30 pm EDT. Top karate fighters competing include: Elhadji "Black Magic" Ndour (USA) vs. Andras Virag (Hungary), Josh Quayhagen (USA) vs. Adham Sabry (USA) and Alexandre Bouderbane (France) v Dionicio Gustavo (Dominican Republic). Karate expert and former MMA star Bas Rutten will announce the event, along with Sean Wheelock.

"Karate Combat is the first professional league to ever display biometric, nutrition, training, and DNA-based data in real-time," said Michael DePietro, CEO of Karate Combat. "We're pleased to be working with Orig3n to give fans unprecedented insight into how genetics may impact each fighter's strengths and weaknesses in competition, and we're looking forward to the future of professional martial arts."

About Orig3n Inc.
Orig3n exists at the intersection of biological science and emerging technology on a mission to create a better tomorrow for the future of medicine. Orig3n has two sides to its business: regenerative medicine and consumer DNA tests. Orig3n's regenerative medicine business focuses on cutting-edge cellular science to develop personalized therapies for repairing tissue damage and disease. Orig3n's DNA test business is focused on providing consumers direct, affordable access to information about their genes to help them make educated, proactive and personalized choices that may impact their well-being. For more information, visit www.orig3n.com.

About Karate Combat
Karate Combat is a premier Karate brand which operates a professional full contact karate league. The Company seeks to evolve the traditional sport of Karate via KARATE.com, the World's Gateway to Karate, and branded mobile apps.  The firm is headquartered in New York City with satellite offices in Calabasas, CA and Budapest. For more information visit www.karate.com.

SOURCE Orig3n Inc.