‘De-extinction’ startup Colossal Biosciences makes its first acquisition: a company that clones pets

The cloning industry is contracting—ironically, perhaps.

On Tuesday, Colossal Biosciences announced that it has acquired ViaGen Pets and Equine, an animal cloning firm, marking Colossal’s first acquisition since it launched in 2021. 

Texas-based Colossal Biosciences is best known for its controversial “de-extinction” endeavors, which involve efforts to recover species that have died out. Earlier this year, the company claimed to have “brought back” dire wolves, an assertion that was disputed by some experts, as the animals were created by modifying the DNA of existing gray wolves.

The company has also sparked debates about the ethics of bringing species back from extinction, or if what it’s doing is in fact “de-extinction” at all.

Either way, Colossal has attracted significant interest from high-powered investors, recently raising $120 million to try and resurrect the dodo. Its acquisition of ViaGen adds even more genetic firepower to its arsenal.

“Colossal is thrilled to welcome ViaGen, the world’s leading cloning company, into our portfolio,” said Ben Lamm, founder and CEO of Colossal, in a statement provided to Fast Company. “No other company comes close to what ViaGen has achieved. Their unmatched expertise and cloning technology stack have become the world’s standard and their application of these critical and proprietary technologies to endangered species conservation makes them an invaluable partner in advancing our global de-extinction and species preservation mission.”

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Access to breakthrough technologies

ViaGen, a Texas-based company founded in 2002, will continue to operate under its existing leadership and expand its endangered species cloning activity.

Perhaps the most interesting element at play is ViaGen’s exclusive licensing and access to the breakthrough technologies developed by the Roslin Institute of Edinburgh—such as those that cloned Dolly the sheep, the first cloned mammal.

“Partnering with Colossal Biosciences presents an extraordinary opportunity to apply our advanced cryopreservation and cloning techniques to the ambitious goals of de-extinction and species restoration,” said Dr. Shawn Walker, Ph.D., ViaGen’s chief science officer and known cloning expert, in a statement.

Colossal has also attracted a stable of celebrity investors. Retired NFL star Tom Brady, for instance, worked with the company to clone his family’s dog, and said in a statement that he is “excited how Colossal and ViaGen’s tech together can help both families losing their beloved pets while helping to save endangered species.”

The potential to save endangered species is something that has others excited, too. Colossal shared a statement from filmmaker Peter Jackson, who said, “These two companies together give humanity a real shot at saving the planet’s biodiversity.”

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