I’ve known Othman Laraki for 20 years, since he was a student at Stanford and President of Stanford BASES. (I was on the Board of BASES for nine years, since its inception in 1995.) After the announcement of our bioengineering practice, Othman and I started having discussions about the strategic fit on both sides for CRV and Color.
I was very excited that they could bring the knowledge of health vulnerabilities to all people at a low cost through workplace, consumer and other channels. The company’s proven success in the genetic-testing market and major interest among employers and health plans to cover these services, has enabled them to differentiate by moving more broadly into long-term preventative health.
Color is the only player in the consumer genetics market today that has the potential to become an iconic and lasting company. They are also the only company that can provide clinical-grade genetic testing at a cost-effective price for payors to screen entire populations. Population-wide genetic screening will allow health systems to target their prevention and detection efforts at the most appropriate sub-populations, resulting in considerable economic benefits and increased chances of survival.
We are thrilled to be a part of Color’s $80M Series C and welcome them to the CRV family!
— George Zachary
