The de-extinction startup is reportedly in talks to raise new capital, successfully pricing an animal that does not currently exist at roughly the gross domestic product of Iceland.
De-extinction startup Colossal Biosciences is reportedly in talks to raise new capital at a $20 billion to $30 billion valuation, successfully pricing an animal that does not currently exist at roughly the gross domestic product of Iceland.
The Dallas-based firm, which aims to resurrect the woolly mammoth, the dodo, and the Tasmanian tiger, told investors the massive cash injection is necessary to fund the next phase of its roadmap. According to a leaked memo, the $30 billion figure reflects the immense total addressable market of wealthy individuals willing to pay for the concept of seeing a Pleistocene-era proboscidean at some point in the 2030s, provided the company can resolve a series of biological hurdles in its elephant DNA edits.
Industry analysts noted that Colossal’s ability to command software multiples stems entirely from its lack of a physical product. Without a living, breathing mammoth requiring tons of daily forage, specialized veterinary care, or complex zoning permits, the startup remains unburdened by real-world logistics. Analysts praised the firm's strategy of aggressively valuing a creature that currently consists of nothing more than an ambitious pitch deck and a vial of Asian elephant stem cells.
As long as the mammoth remains in beta, we are a high-growth tech platform; the moment we actually ship one, our valuation drops to that of a regional zoo.
To justify the new price tag, executives outlined plans to heavily monetize the eventual megafauna, suggesting the genetically engineered beasts could be deployed as a proprietary defense against legacy biotech competitors. The memo also detailed a strategy to lock the resurrected dodo into a closed ecosystem, ensuring that any researchers wishing to interact with the 17th-century bird would have to pay an annual licensing fee.
Reached for comment, lead investors confirmed they were eager to close the funding round before the startup accidentally produces a real animal and ruins the unit economics.