Colossal’s AI Blueprint for Bringing Extinct Species Back

Colossal Biosciences is applying machine learning and genetic engineering to biological research through a de-extinction program that has become one of venture capital’s most closely watched frontiers. The Dallas-based biotechnology enterprise reached unicorn status after surpassing a valuation of $1 billion, combining multiplex gene editing, synthetic biology, and computational genomics to pursue the revival of lost species and their return to natural habitats.

The company’s active projects center on three species: the woolly mammoth (*Mammuthus primigenius*), the thylacine or Tasmanian tiger (*Thylacinus cynocephalus*), and the dodo bird (*Raphus cucullatus*). Colossal’s scientific framework does not seek to produce exact biological replicas, but to construct functional proxies capable of performing key ecological roles in fragile ecosystems.

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Ben Lamm co-founded Colossal in September 2021 with George Church, the world-renowned Harvard Medical School geneticist. Before moving into synthetic biology, Lamm spent more than two decades launching and building enterprise technology businesses. He founded software design firm Chaotic Moon Studios, acquired by Accenture in 2015; conversational technology platform Conversable, acquired by LivePerson in 2018; and artificial intelligence firm Hypergiant, whose enterprise software division was acquired by private equity firm Trive Capital in 2023.

Lamm used venture-backed software scaling models in deep-tech life sciences to secure $150 million in Series B funding for Colossal in January 2023. That round brought the startup’s total capital raised to more than $225 million. Backers include Thomas Tull’s US Innovative Technology Fund, Breyer Capital, Arch Venture Partners, United States defense technology venture firm In-Q-Tel, and private investors Peter Thiel and Victor Vescovo.

Artificial intelligence is used throughout Colossal’s genomic workflows. Ancient DNA recovered from preserved specimens is frequently degraded and fragmented, so researchers use machine learning algorithms to reconstruct complete genomic sequences. Computational models align ancient DNA fragments with the genomes of living species, including comparisons between woolly mammoth sequence data and the Asian elephant (*Elephas maximus*), which shares roughly 99.6 percent of its genetic code with the mammoth.

Predictive software also examines complex gene variants and identifies traits associated with Arctic survival, including cold tolerance, dense hair cover, subcutaneous fat accumulation, and altered hemoglobin. Researchers then use the software to guide CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tools, carrying out dozens of multiplex genetic modifications simultaneously in living cells rather than relying on years of manual laboratory testing.

The use of AI and gene-editing technologies in wild ecosystems has generated debate among biologists, conservationists, and environmental policy experts. Critics from traditional conservation organizations say high-budget de-extinction initiatives could pull financial capital and public policy attention away from thousands of extant species facing immediate extinction threats from habitat loss, poaching, and climate change.

Proponents point to scientific spin-offs from de-extinction research that assist living endangered species. Colossal’s work involving induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), artificial incubation mechanisms, and biobanking is being used to help species on the brink of collapse. Its elephant genomics team has also used its genetic research to develop treatments and mRNA vaccines for Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV), a lethal virus responsible for high mortality rates among young Asian elephants in captivity and the wild.

The technical mechanics behind Colossal’s pipeline and the debate over whether bioengineering is a viable conservation tool or a costly diversion will be discussed at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Lamm, Colossal’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, is scheduled to lead the fireside chat “Can We Engineer Nature’s Comeback?” at Moscone West in San Francisco on the conference’s dedicated Real World AI Stage.

The engineered-nature discussion arrives as machine learning applications extend beyond virtual environments and software tools toward physical and biological systems. TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 will run from October 13 to October 15 at the Moscone Center West in San Francisco, with more than 10,000 founders, venture capital investors, operators, and researchers expected to attend. The event will feature more than 250 thematic sessions, while its Real World AI Stage will focus on advanced computation interfacing with material sciences, robotics, environmental management, and modern biology.