Color Health
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Healthcare |
| Founded | January 1, 2015 in Burlingame, California, United States |
| Founder | Elad Gil, Nish Bhat, Taylor Sittler, Othman Laraki |
| Headquarters | Burlingame , United States |
Key people | Othman Laraki (CEO) |
| Products | Virtual Cancer Clinic, genetic testing services, COVID-19 testing programs (historical) |
| Website | color |
Color Health, Inc.—initially known as Color Genomics—is a healthcare firm based in the United States that concentrates on delivering cancer care services. It manages a Virtual Cancer Clinic that offers comprehensive solutions in cancer prevention, early detection, screening, diagnosis, and ongoing survivorship care.
History
Established in 2015 by Elad Gil, Nish Bhat, Taylor Sittler, and CEO Othman Laraki in Burlingame, California, Color raised $100 million in a Series E funding round led by General Catalyst in November 2021.
By 2023, the company transitioned its primary focus from population genomics and COVID-19 diagnostics to cancer care delivery through the introduction of its Virtual Cancer Clinic—a fully integrated platform designed to provide early cancer detection, oncology treatment coordination, and survivorship services as part of employer-sponsored health benefits.
Cancer Care Model
Debuting in 2023, the Virtual Cancer Clinic offers services including cancer risk evaluation, early identification, treatment planning, and survivorship management. These services are delivered by oncology-specialized clinicians, primary care providers, and genetic counselors licensed across all 50 states.
Initial participation among eligible individuals generally ranges between 20% and 30% within the first year. Screening adherence rates have improved to as high as 77%, while the interval from screening to diagnosis has been shortened by up to 55%.
Color has trialed artificial intelligence technologies to create standardized cancer screening and diagnostic protocols aimed at minimizing missed evaluations. The clinic also incorporates behavioral health resources, a nationwide imaging network, and patient advocacy services.
In 2025, Color shared findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference regarding telehealth-driven colorectal and lung cancer screening initiatives that utilize at-home testing kits and virtual evaluations to broaden access to early detection.
Partnership
- American Cancer Society (ACS): Collaborating with ACS, Color promotes cancer screening through employer and union channels by integrating ACS guidelines with its Virtual Cancer Clinic to enhance access to evidence-based oncology care.
- MSK Direct – Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: Through the Virtual Cancer Clinic, Color connects employees across the country with MSK’s expert oncology resources.
- Carrum Health: This alliance combines early detection efforts, patient navigation, and post-diagnosis support with Carrum’s Centers of Excellence framework to improve clinical outcomes and reduce costs associated with cancer care for employers.
- Collective Health: Members gain access to Color’s Virtual Cancer Clinic via the My Collective™ platform, facilitating coordinated care delivery alongside eligibility verification and reporting capabilities.
- University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and OpenAI: In partnership with UCSF and OpenAI, Color helped develop an AI-driven “Cancer Copilot” tool designed to assist clinicians in adhering to clinical guidelines; initial testing demonstrated over 95% agreement with standard care protocols.
COVID-19 Testing Programs
In response to the pandemic in 2020, Color redirected its laboratory capabilities and logistical infrastructure toward COVID-19 testing operations. It maintained a CLIA-certified laboratory alongside some of the largest testing sites nationwide.
Color supported testing initiatives for entities such as San Francisco’s CityTestSF program, Alameda County Health Services, academic institutions like the University of Southern California, and corporate clients including United Airlines.
Following millions of tests conducted nationwide by 2022, diminishing demand led Color to reduce its COVID-19 testing activities.
Genetics
Color initially focused on delivering cost-effective genetic testing services targeting hereditary cancer. Its laboratory, accredited by both CLIA and CAP, continues to offer comprehensive genomic analyses alongside expert genetic counseling.
The company’s testing portfolio examines genes associated with hereditary cancer syndromes, including BRCA1, BRCA2, and an additional 27 genes linked to cancers such as breast, prostate, colon, uterine, stomach, melanoma, pancreatic, and ovarian.
Research
Since 2018, Color has operated as a genome center for the NIH’s All of Us Research Program, which seeks to sequence the genomes of over one million Americans to propel advancements in precision medicine. In 2019, Color was designated as the exclusive provider of genetic counseling for this initiative.
Prominent research collaborations include:
- All of Us Research Program (NIH): Serving as one of three Clinical Validation Laboratories and the sole genetic counseling provider, Color facilitates the return of health-related genetic information to participants to support precision medicine efforts.
- FLOSSIES Cohort: In partnership with Mary-Claire King and the University of Washington, Color contributed sequencing data for this collection focusing on hereditary cancer variants in elderly women.
- Color Data: A publicly accessible database compiling genetic and clinical information from 50,000 individuals tested by Color to support genotype–phenotype correlation studies and drug development.
- MAGENTA Study: Working with the Stand Up To Cancer Dream Team, Color delivered genetic testing and remote counseling services for individuals at elevated hereditary cancer risk.
- WISDOM Study: Acting as the exclusive genomic testing collaborator for this large-scale trial involving 100,000 participants that compares annual mammography screening with risk-based approaches; led by the University of California system and Sanford Health.
- PROMISE Study: Providing clinical genetic testing for a registry examining how inherited mutations influence prostate cancer outcomes; conducted by Johns Hopkins University and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
- GENtleMEN Study: Offering genetic testing and counseling services to men with advanced prostate cancer in collaboration with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington to improve accessibility.
- Cleveland African American Prostate Cancer Project (CAAPP): Collaborating with Case Western Reserve University to deliver hereditary cancer testing and counseling within community environments targeting African American men.
- Genetic Information and Family Testing (GIFT) Study: Supporting family-oriented genetic testing among cancer patients and their relatives alongside the University of Michigan and Stanford University to investigate factors influencing participation in hereditary cancer prevention.
Furthermore, Color submits anonymized variant data to ClinVar, a publicly available repository maintained by the NIH’s National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).