When it was first announced a DFW-based company was attempting to revive the woolly mammoth, many thought it was a joke. While some were making ‘Jurassic Park’ comparisons, the company continued to move forward, gaining investments from all over the world, including from some big name celebrities. Now, the US Government is getting behind the project as well, as it was recently announced the CIA is now investing in Colossal Biosciences as well.
Through their nonprofit VC investment arm, In-Q-Tel, the CIA recently invested an undisclosed amount in the DFW company, Colossal Biosciences. In-Q-Tel’s mission is to keep the CIA on the cutting edge of “innovative and impactful technologies coming out of Silicon Valley and beyond,” and in recent years have become increasingly interested in biosciences. “Strategically, it’s less about the mammoths and more about the capability. The next wave of progress in synbio will lead to advances in our ability to shape both form and function in organisms at the macroscopic level,” said In-Q-Tel SVP of Technology Kevin O’Connell and Senior Partner Eugene Chiu.
According to Dallas Innovates, Colossal Biosciences is also working on reviving the Tasmanian tiger, and a new spinout. With the CIA behind them, the company is taking another step forward in making their goal a reality.
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