DALLAS, Texas — Colossal Biosciences, the world’s first de-extinction company, announced the acquisition of Viagen Pets and Equine, the global leader in animal cloning and genetic preservation. The Texas-based company provides cloning and cryopreservation services for pets, equine, livestock, and endangered species. Under the new structure, Viagen will continue operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Colossal while expanding its endangered species cloning platform to additional threatened species and regions worldwide.
The acquisition marks Colossal’s first corporate purchase, following the successful incubation of its spinoffs, Breaking and Form Bio, since its 2021 launch.
“Colossal is thrilled to welcome Viagen, the world’s leading cloning company, into our portfolio,” said Ben Lamm, Founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences. “No other company comes close to what Viagen has achieved. Their unmatched expertise and cloning technology stack have become the global standard, and their application of these proprietary technologies to endangered species conservation makes them an invaluable partner in advancing our de-extinction and species preservation mission.”
Founded in Austin, Texas, in 2002, Viagen has evolved from a livestock and genetic preservation firm into a world leader in animal reproduction and conservation science. The company holds exclusive licensing rights to groundbreaking cloning technologies developed by the Roslin Institute of Edinburgh, famed for creating Dolly the sheep. Viagen has achieved numerous scientific milestones, including cloning 15 animal species—among them the black-footed ferret and the Przewalski’s horse—with the Grevy’s zebra currently in gestation. The company’s success rates approach 80 percent across multiple species, vastly exceeding the global average of about 2 percent.
“Joining forces with Colossal—the only de-extinction company and a leader in biotechnology—gives Viagen the scale, resources, and shared vision to expand what we can do,” said Blake Russell, President of Viagen. “Together, we can accelerate breakthroughs in genetic preservation, animal health, and endangered species recovery through biobanking and cloning at a scale that simply wasn’t possible on our own.”
Viagen’s achievements also include the cryopreservation and reanimation of frozen cells, a process that allows for the long-term preservation and revival of genetic material. The company successfully cloned two critically endangered Przewalski’s horses, one in 2020 and another in 2023, from tissue cryopreserved at the San Diego Zoo in 1980—a milestone that underscores the role of cryotechnology in species recovery.
“At Colossal we believe cryopreservation and cloning are essential tools to preserve, revive, and restore biodiversity,” said Matt James, Chief Animal Officer and Executive Director of the Colossal Foundation. “Viagen’s proprietary technology will fuel Colossal’s de-extinction efforts and allow us to restore more endangered species populations while preserving their genetic diversity in Colossal’s Bio Vaults.”
“Partnering with Colossal Biosciences presents an extraordinary opportunity to apply our advanced cryopreservation and cloning techniques to de-extinction and species restoration,” added Dr. Shawn Walker, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer of Viagen. “Colossal’s innovative approach aligns perfectly with our mission to preserve genetic diversity and support global conservation efforts.”
In addition to its cloning expertise, Viagen has expanded into advanced equine reproductive technologies, including Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), and holds exclusive North American rights to Sexed Semen Technology from ST Genetics. The company and its 25 employees will continue to operate from their Texas headquarters while integrating their technologies and expertise into Colossal’s broader de-extinction and species preservation platform.
