Colossal Foundation Doubles Funding to $100M, Accelerating Genetic Rescue on Six Continents

The nonprofit arm of Colossal Biosciences adds $50M to scale biotech-driven conservation—advancing AI wildlife monitoring, an EEHV vaccine for elephants, genetic rescue for amphibians, toxin-resistant quolls, and species reintroduction efforts worldwide.

BY Micah Hanks

Colossal Foundation has added another $50 million to its conservation war chest, doubling total funding to $100 million and expanding projects that now span six continents. The nonprofit arm of Colossal Biosciences is deploying advanced genomics, AI-enabled monitoring, and field partnerships to protect and restore more than 40 species.

Highlights from the Foundation’s 2025 impact work include:

  • Elephant health: real-world protection signals from the first mRNA vaccine targeting EEHV, with vaccinated calves at Cincinnati Zoo avoiding illness after natural exposure.

  • Acoustic science at scale: 48 autonomous sensors across Yellowstone have captured 7,000+ verified howls over 200,000 hours—fueling AI models to interpret wolf communication and behavior.

  • Genetic rescue for amphibians: a new $3M program with the University of Melbourne to develop nanobody-based defenses against chytrid fungus, plus new amphibian cell lines and delivery systems.

  • Toxin-resistant marsupials: progress toward cane-toad–resistant northern quolls, including identification of a single protective genetic change and creation of the species’ first iPSC line.

  • Rewilding at speed: launch of the Species Reintroduction Fund with Re:wild to provide catalytic financing and technical support for global returns to the wild.

  • Conservation infrastructure: integration of Viagen’s world-class animal replication, cryopreservation, and biobanking capabilities, strengthening BioVault-style genetic preservation.

With expanded resources and an enlarging network of Indigenous, academic, and conservation partners, Colossal Foundation is positioning biotechnology as a force multiplier for traditional conservation—moving practical tools into the hands of field teams fast enough to matter.

Read the full feature at The Debrief.