Colossal says its efforts could help boost "the U.S. high-tech advantage." Its gene editing technologies "will make waves across sectors—in agriculture with new biofuels and preserving biodiversity, as well as in human health through improved gene therapy and vaccine development," the company said.
Dallas Innovates and D CEO celebrated 68 honorees and revealed the winners of our fourth-annual Innovation Awards at an event held at On the Levee in the Dallas Design District.
Here's a full list of winners and finalists.
Now in its fourth year, the program from Dallas Innovates and D CEO honors 68 disruptors and trailblazers driving a new vision for innovation in North Texas.
Finalists will be recognized in the January/February issue of D CEO magazine and online at DallasInnovates.com. Winners will be revealed at an exclusive awards event in January.
The Central Intelligence Agency has invested in Colossal through its nonprofit VC investment arm, In-Q-Tel, reports The Intercept. Named in honor of Q—the tech genius from the James Bond novels and movies—the VC firm was founded in 1999 to keep U.S. intelligence agencies on the cutting edge of "innovative and impactful technologies coming out of Silicon Valley and beyond."
So why Colossal? "Strategically, it’s less about the mammoths and more about the capability," In-Q-Tel says.
In this week’s North Texas deal flow, you’ll also find news about crowdfunding platform Harvest Return landing $2.5M; Supply’s acquisition by Foundry Brands; Moss Adams acquiring local CPA firm Kurtz & Company P.C.; Tri Global Energy being acquired for $270M by Canada's Enbridge; and more.
Dallas-based Colossal Biosciences, the de-extinction company behind plans to bring back the woolly mammoth and thylacine, developed its own software solution "after reviewing everything available on the market." Now it's sharing the platform with the launch of Form Bio.
The spinout's technology tools can help drive the “entire molecular revolution” that is occurring in the life sciences and biotech space, in addition to bolstering the Lone Star state as a hub for the industry, says Chief Strategy Officer Claire Aldridge.
Colossal is already working to "de-extinct" the woolly mammoth via a mammoth-elephant hybrid project. Now the Tasmanian tiger—which went extinct nearly 100 years ago due to human hunting—is the second species Colossal is seeking to bring back.
"We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Andrew Pask and the University of Melbourne to restore this amazing animal to Earth," said Ben Lamm, Colossal's co-founder and CEO.
What companies are finding funding or having a big exit? From startup investments to grants and acquisitions, Dallas Innovates tracks what’s happening in North Texas money.
The Eos—a refrigerator-sized green energy solution powered by machine intelligence—captures and sequesters carbon from the atmosphere using algae. Hypergiant founder Ben Lamm, who's trying to bring back the woolly mammoth with his new startup Colossal, looks back at the development of Eos, and what it could mean for the world.
It's not "Jurassic Park," but it's almost as amazing. Hypergiant founder Ben Lamm is launching a new biosciences and genetics startup—Colossal—with $15 million in private funding. The goal: Use genomics to "de-extinct" the woolly mammoth and re-wild it on the Arctic tundra. Lamm's co-founder, Harvard geneticist Dr. George Church, says this "grand vision" could lead to big opportunities in conservation, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and more.
Software executive Mike Betzer will lead the next phase of Hypergiant's growth, including a rollout of the industry's first system that provides open AI integration for building AI models.
Founder Ben Lamm, who launched Hypergiant from stealth in 2018, will pursue "the most pressing issues of our lifetime": AI for good, climate change, and the positive impact of technology. "This is where the world needs my time and attention," he says.
A fleet of mini-satellites working together in space will update actions and tasks ‘on the fly’ based on emerging scenarios and mission needs, says CEO Ben Lamm. That’s something that’s never been done before.
That ability to update, collect, and share data in space—in real time—is an evolution for defense and commercial use cases.
The startup, spun out of Hypergiant Sensory Sciences, plans to use the funding to power its "first-of-its-kind" Extended Reality environment, which can be used to build AI-models to give businesses and organizations a new way to view their physical world.
The device, called the Eos Bioreactor, is one of the company’s initial efforts focused on fixing the planet’s environment problems. It captures and stores carbon from the atmosphere.
With his new role on the Executive Advisory Board, Nye is looking to develop AI systems in two areas he deeply cares about: climate change and space exploration. "We need to think big," he said, "and I'm very optimistic about what AI can do to make the world quite a bit better."
Ready to embark on an adventure? Texas Parks and Wildlife is giving you the chance to explore the Lone Star state, capture memories, and even win prizes with its latest Texas State Parks Photo Contest....
Another downtown Dallas skyscraper is looking to add apartments to its mix—and this one’s a whopper.
The 60-story Comerica Bank Tower could have 20 of its office-space floors converted into apartments and a luxury hotel, according to a report by Steve Brown in the Dallas Morning News. ...
Plano-based Alkami Technology Inc. announced the launch of a podcast series, FIsionaries, to provide regional and community banks and credit unions with insights, tips, and strategy to elevate their digital banking game....
Ready to embark on an adventure? Texas Parks and Wildlife is giving you the chance to explore the Lone Star state, capture memories, and even win prizes with its latest Texas State Parks Photo Contest....
Another downtown Dallas skyscraper is looking to add apartments to its mix—and this one’s a whopper.
The 60-story Comerica Bank Tower could have 20 of its office-space floors converted into apartments and a luxury hotel, according to a report by Steve Brown in the Dallas Morning News. ...
Plano-based Alkami Technology Inc. announced the launch of a podcast series, FIsionaries, to provide regional and community banks and credit unions with insights, tips, and strategy to elevate their digital banking game....