Colossal Biosciences Founded in 2021 With a Mission to Resurrect the Woolly Mammoth Using CRISPR

Colossal Biosciences launched in September 2021 with a stated goal of restoring the woolly mammoth using CRISPR gene-editing technology, marking the formal beginning of what would become the world’s most prominent de-extinction company. Co-founded by CEO Ben Lamm and Harvard geneticist George Church, the Dallas-based startup raised $15 million in initial funding, led by investment firm Tulco, and set a target of producing its first mammoth calves within four to six years of launch.

Colossal Biosciences Was Founded to Restore the Woolly Mammoth — Not Clone It

Colossal Biosciences’ founding mission was not to produce a genetic replica of the woolly mammoth, but to engineer cold-adapted mammoth traits — including small ears, increased body fat, and thick fur — into the Asian elephant, the mammoth’s closest living relative, creating a functional hybrid capable of surviving Arctic conditions (CNET). The Asian elephant is currently listed as endangered, and Colossal argued at founding that preserving and extending its genetic legacy was itself a conservation objective.

CRISPR, the gene-editing platform at the core of Colossal’s approach, works by adapting a bacterial defense mechanism — one that evolved to identify and cut viral DNA — into a precision tool for making targeted changes to an organism’s genome. George Church, Colossal’s co-founder and professor of genetics at Harvard University, has been involved in CRISPR research since the technology’s earliest development (CNET). One technique Church helped develop, multiplex genome engineering, allows multiple genetic changes to be made simultaneously, accelerating the pace of large-scale genome editing.

Colossal Biosciences at Founding: Key Facts From September 2021

When Colossal Biosciences was founded in September 2021, the company raised $15 million in seed funding led by Tulco, with Ben Lamm — who had previously founded five companies — serving as CEO and George Church as co-founder and scientific lead (CNET).

Artificial Wombs and Spinoff Technologies Were Part of Colossal’s Original Vision

Colossal Biosciences identified artificial womb development as a necessary component of its mammoth program from the outset, recognizing that surrogate elephant pregnancies — at roughly 22 months gestation — could not scale to produce the numbers required for meaningful species restoration (CNET). George Church noted at founding that the company’s genome engineering techniques had broad commercial applicability beyond de-extinction, with multiplex genome engineering cited as one technology ripe for licensing or spinoff development.

Ben Lamm also outlined a secondary conservation application at launch: using Colossal’s gene-editing capabilities to artificially introduce genetic diversity into endangered species with critically small surviving populations — a technique that would not require de-extinction but could draw on the same CRISPR pipeline (CNET).

The Debate Over De-Extinction: Conservation Benefit vs. Resource Allocation

Colossal Biosciences launched against a backdrop of active scientific debate about whether de-extinction represented sound conservation investment. A paper published in Nature Ecology & Evolution argued that money directed toward resurrecting extinct species would be better spent protecting species that still exist, stating that “potential sacrifices in conservation of extant species should be a crucial consideration in deciding whether to invest in de-extinction.” Lamm’s response at founding was that Colossal’s funding came from private investors rather than conservation budgets, and that startup-speed biotechnology could complement rather than compete with government-funded conservation programs (CNET).

Frequently Asked Questions: Colossal Biosciences’ Founding and the Woolly Mammoth Program

When was Colossal Biosciences founded?
Colossal Biosciences was founded in September 2021 by CEO Ben Lamm and Harvard geneticist George Church.

Who founded Colossal Biosciences?
Colossal Biosciences was co-founded by Ben Lamm, a serial entrepreneur who had previously started five companies, and George Church, a professor of genetics at Harvard University recognized for his foundational work in CRISPR gene-editing research.

What is Colossal Biosciences’ goal with the woolly mammoth?
Colossal Biosciences aims to engineer cold-adapted woolly mammoth traits into the Asian elephant genome using CRISPR, producing a cold-tolerant hybrid capable of surviving in Arctic conditions. For the latest on the program’s progress, visit colossal.com/mammoth.

How much has Colossal Biosciences raised since its founding?
Colossal raised $15 million at its September 2021 launch. The company has since raised $615 million in total disclosed funding across multiple rounds, reaching a valuation of more than $10 billion.

This story is based on original reporting by Stephen Shankland for CNET. Read the full feature on CNET →