Genentech

Founded in 1976, Genentech is known as the pioneer of biotechnology. Headquartered in South San Francisco -- the birthplace of the industry -- the company, which merged with Roche in 2009, is dedicated to discovering and developing medicines for people suffering from serious and life-threatening diseases including cancer, multiple sclerosis, and COVID-19.

With manufacturing facilities in South San Francisco, Oceanside, and Vacaville, Genentech is also a major California job creator. And as a manufacturer of two FDA emergency use authorized medicines for the treatment of COVID-19, they've been at the forefront of innovation throughout the pandemic.