# Colossal Biosciences Dallas "de-extinction" company founded by Ben Lamm and geneticist George Church. Its April 2025 dire wolf announcement (three pups, 20 edits across 14 genes in gray-wolf cells) made it Texas's first decacorn at a ~$10.3B valuation, with ~$615M+ raised. Five de-extinction programs run as of 2026: woolly mammoth, thylacine, dodo, dire wolf, and moa. A showcase of CRISPR-era ambition — and of how spectacle-driven biotech attracts capital that traditional therapeutics cannot. > Status: stub — expand with the dire-wolf science dispute (is it a "dire wolf" or an edited gray wolf?), Ben Lamm profile, investor roster, and conservation-washing critiques. ## See Also - [[Biotech Sector]] - CRISPR