Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets medicines to treat patients with serious or life-threatening diseases. Founded in the mid-1970s, Genentech became part of Roche, the largest pharmaceutical company, in 2009.
The history of Genentech, which pioneered biotechnology and developed the world’s first recombinant insulin, revolutionizing pharmaceuticals, began in 1976. The company was founded by Bob Swanson and Herbert Boyer. The first was a chemist and talented manager, and the second was a geneticist and molecular biologist.
The partners found the first investors and began recruiting scientific staff from the best laboratories in the country. This is how a talented and ingenious team was formed. In 1980, Genentech had an IPO that raised $35 million. By 2015, Genentech already employed more than 15,000 people, and annual revenue had crossed the $17 billion line.
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche Holding AG and U.S. biotechnology company Genentech Inc. announced a merger in March 2009. After the merger, the combined company became the seventh-largest player in the US pharmaceutical market.
In 2023, Roche’s subsidiary Genentech agreed with Kronos Bio to develop novel oncology therapies. Genentech will have the exclusive right to further preclinical and clinical development and commercialization of any candidate agents.
In the same year, 2023, it was announced that Nvidia Corporation was teaming up with biotech giant Genentech in a planned multi-year collaboration in which the two companies would accelerate drug discovery research by utilizing the most advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, including generative AI.
What is Genentech?
Genentech is the name of an American biotechnology company that has been part of the Roche Holding group of pharmaceutical companies since 2009. Genentech has expanded Roche’s access to innovation and new technologies to further develop the company’s commitment to more targeted therapies.
In terms of visual identity, Genentech is very quiet and stable. The laconic logotype of the company represents its strong professional qualities and creates a confident symbol of excellence and innovation approach.
The Genentech logo is composed of just one element, a title case inscription, written in medium-thick blue bars against a transparent background. The typeface of the lettering looks very elegant due to the small sharp ends of some lines, and stable and strong due to the slightly extended contours of the characters. The simplicity of the composition points to the professional qualities of the company and its fundamental scientific approach.
The title case lettering from the primary Genentech logo is executed in a modern sans-serif font, which is quite similar to such commercial typefaces as PODIUM Sharp, Hype Vol 1 or Vol 2, or Rogue Sans No a, but with significant modifications of the characters’ contours.
As for the color palette of the Genentech visual identity, it is based on a calm yet intense shade of blue, which is usually associated with reliability, safety, and professionalism.