Icahn School of Medicine spinout Sema4 has completed a reverse merger with CM Life Sciences to begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.
Sema4, a US-based health information company based on research at health system Mount Sinai Health System’s private college Icahn School of Medicine, has completed a reverse merger with special purpose acquisition vehicle (Spac) CM Life Sciences.
The combined business is now trading its common stock and warrants on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbols SMFR and SMFRW, respectively. Shares are trading at $11.19 as of the time of writing.
The merger provided Sema4 with approximately $500m in cash proceeds.
Telecoms group SoftBank’s SB Management, Casdin Capital, Corvex Management, Fidelity Management & Research, Counterpoint Global, Perceptive Advisors, funds and accounts advised by T Rowe Price Associates, Viking Global Investors and existing investors including fund and accounts managed by Blackrock and Deerfield Management provided $350m in private investment in public equity (Pipe) financing.
Founded in 2017, Sema4 offers screening services to help diagnose, treat and prevent disease. It started out by producing models for reproductive health but later also added precision oncology and Covid-19 to its capabilities.
It will use the money gained through the reverse merger to fund its operations and accelerate business growth through strategic acquisitions.
Sema4 received $121m in a series C round led by Blackrock in July 2020, when Deerfield, Moore Strategic Ventures, Blackstone, Section 32, Oak HC/FT, Decheng Capital and Connecticut Innovations also invested.
Blackstone, Section 32, Oak HC/FT, Decheng Capital and Connecticut Innovations injected $120m in series B financing in 2019.
Mount Sinai supplied a “substantial investment” at the time of Sema4’s incorporation.