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Colossal Biosciences—

Colossal Biosciences

De-extinction, dire wolf, woolly mammoth

US$10B privateest. 2021colossal.com (opens colossal.com)Checked 25 Sep

The brief

Analyst view
  • Apr 2025: announced three pups cloned from gray wolf cells with 20 edits in 14 genes chosen from ancient dire wolf DNA.
  • Many scientists, including the IUCN wolf and dog experts, say they are modified gray wolves, not dire wolves.
  • Reported in Jul 2026 to be raising at a $20–30B valuation, up from $10.2B in Jan 2025.

Technical approach

As reported
Ancient DNA

Read DNA from fossils

Read DNA from fossils (e.g. a 13,000-year-old dire wolf tooth) and compare it with living relatives to find genes behind key traits.

Multiplex editing

Edit the closest living animal

Make many CRISPR edits at once in cells of the nearest living species (gray wolf, Asian elephant) for coat, size and cold tolerance.

Cloning

Clone with a surrogate

Put the edited cell's DNA into an egg and grow the embryo in a surrogate (dogs for the wolves). Mammoths need elephant mothers or artificial wombs.

Birds

Germline cells for dodo and moa

Birds can't be cloned this way, so Colossal grows early egg and sperm cells that can be edited and put into host embryos.

Programs

Colossal Biosciences, two programs

Updated 7 Apr 2025
Woolly mammothAn effort to make a cold-tolerant Asian elephant with mammoth traits like thick hair, extra fat and small ears, which Colossal says could help restore Arctic grasslands.ResearchNextEdited elephant embryos and a pregnancyUpdated 1 Mar 2025View program →Dire wolfGray wolf cells were edited at 14 genes (20 edits) to match dire wolf size, coat and color, then cloned using dog surrogate mothers.ProtoUpdated 7 Apr 2025View program →
Research · Proto · Pilot · Deploy · Scaling

Research & demos

2 items

Open technical problems

Open · Active · Partial
  • What counts as de-extinctionOpen

    A few edits recreate some traits, not the extinct animal's genome, behavior or role in nature; the claim is disputed.

  • Elephant reproductionActive research

    Asian elephants are endangered and pregnant for ~22 months; lab-made elephant cells and artificial wombs aren't ready.

  • Animal welfare and ecologyOpen

    Raising social animals without natural parents, and any release into the wild, raise questions no rules cover yet.

Upcoming catalysts

Company-wide
  • 2028Target birth of first mammoth-trait calfWoolly mammothby ~27 mo

Company & funding

2 rounds · as reported
Valuation
$10Bprivate
Raised
$350Mdisclosed private rounds
Last round
Series CJan 2025
HQ
US
Founded
2021
DateRoundAmountPost-moneyLead
Jan 2025Series C$200M$10BTWG Global
Jan 2023Series B$150M—US Innovative Technology Fund

Partners & customers

2 partners · 1 investor

People

Key people
Primer