WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced on Tuesday that Stamford innovator Sema4 has been named “Innovator of the Month.” Founded in 2017 after being spun off as a stand-alone company from the Mount Sinai Health System, Sema4 is a patient-centered health intelligence company with a mission to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.

Sema4 currently delivers genomic solutions to hundreds of thousands of patients every year to support women’s health and precision oncology care. The company is working to more accurately identify women who are at risk of dangerous pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia, so that early action can be taken to care for the mother and child. The company also supports health care providers in delivering precision oncology care to patients based on a vast knowledge base of cancer treatments that have been effective for thousands of patients with very similar genetic, molecular, and lifestyle characteristics.

From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sema4 has looked for ways to help Connecticut manage this crisis. Earlier this month, Sema4 announced a formal partnership with the state to be a COVID-19 testing provider for Connecticut residents. Sema4 is providing viral and antibody testing for state employees, first responders, long-term care facilities, and primary care facilities in Connecticut. 

“Sema4 is the perfect example of why Connecticut is one of the best places in the world to start a company. In a little over three years, Sema4’s innovative, patient-centered approach to health care has helped hundreds of thousands of people,” said Murphy. “Sema4 has also stepped up in a major way to help Connecticut tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. As our state continues to safely reopen, Sema4’s viral and antibody testing will be key to getting Connecticut’s frontline workers back to work. I’m thrilled to name Sema4 as my Innovator of the Month, and I applaud their team for all their hard work during this pandemic and dedication to expanding their business in Connecticut.”

“Sema4 is honored to be named Innovator of the Month by Senator Murphy,” said Eric Schadt, PhD, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sema4. “Connecticut’s strong pool of talent and business-friendly environment have been key factors in our substantial nationwide growth over the last few years. We are proud to support the State of Connecticut in the fight against COVID-19 and to couple that work with our innovative approach to healthcare across women’s health, oncology, and biopharma. We look forward to continuing to expand and innovate, applying artificial intelligence and big data analytics to further meet our mission of improving the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.”

The company has also developed other innovative approaches to combat COVID-19. Sema4 has put together back-to-work solutions for COVID-19, including digital tools like a web portal and a custom app called Sema4 Works, data analysis, and viral and antibody testing. The customizable offerings are designed to help large businesses and health care providers nationwide reopen their workplaces and keep employees safe.

Sema4’s over 900 employees are spread between their headquarters in Stamford, lab in Branford, and office space in New York, NY. The company is looking to expand this year by opening a new 70,000 square foot facility in Stamford. After construction is completed, it will include a state-of-the-art lab, as well as offices, housing hundreds of employees. 

Murphy believes entrepreneurship and innovation are the building blocks for a strong economy. In the U.S. Senate, he has introduced two bipartisan pieces of legislation to incentivize angel investors to put more money into startup companies – the Angel Tax Credit Act and the Helping Angels Lead Our Startups (HALOS) Act. Startup companies create an average of 2 million jobs each year.

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