Colossal spinout Astromech raises $20M at $3.8B valuation as AI biotech heats up
MaxUnfried · x · 2026-08-21
Astromech, a spinout of Colossal Biosciences (valued at $12B), announced a $20M raise at a $3.8B valuation. In an interview, CEO Ben Lamm discussed woolly mice, dire wolves, and AI-driven biotech, predicting a "Precambrian explosion" of AI-designed drugs and therapies, and calling Colossal "one of the most undervalued companies in the world."
The thesis rests on a biological gap: up to 50% of biodiversity could be lost in 25 years, and while Asian elephants get cancer at 2–3%, humans do at 24–25%. Colossal has raised $635M total, with every round 2X oversubscribed per Lamm.
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