On Sept. 29, 2021, Colossal, a de-extinction company that is combining the science of genetics with the business of discovery was founded to bring the Woolly Mammoth back to life. The company was co-founded by CEO Ben Lamm and Lead Genetics Advisor Dr. George Church. Chief Science Officer Beth Shapiro leading the executive science core.

The research is getting a boost, as a new company is working with Church’s lab at Harvard on the project. The biotech company, called Colossal, launched with $15 million in seed funding and 19 full-time employees. Colossal, which counts Church as a cofounder, is based in Dallas but plans to open an office in Austin and its own lab in Boston.

While the research is a long way from reality, Church said the project’s biggest challenge since its beginnings in the mid-2000s had been funding — until now.