De-Extinction Company Colossal Biosciences Has Resurrected the Dire Wolf, Validating Its $10.2 Billion Valuation

• On Monday, Colossal Biosciences announced that it had successfully created three dire wolf puppies

• The biotechnology and genetic engineering company received a $10.2 billion valuation, placing it in the “decacorn club

• This resurrection achievement is a massive step in validating that valuation

Colossal Biosciences, a biotechnology and genetic engineering company that focuses on de-extinction, announced Monday that it had successfully resurrected the dire wolf, CNN reports. In January, the company secured $200 million in Series C funding, earning it a valuation of $10.2 billion. This price tag places it in the elite “decacorn” club, the nickname given to privately held companies with valuations north of $10 billion.

Founded in 2021, the company’s banner project is bringing back the woolly mammoth, the large prehistoric elephant-like creature that roamed millions of years ago. While there is still quite a ways to go before that goal is accomplished, Time reported that the company is making notable progress and has successfully bred woolly mice.

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And while plenty doubt the company’s ability to actually resurrect the woolly mammoth and thereby prove their valuation, Colossal Biosciences just took a major step in proving them wrong.

The dire wolf was a top predator that once roamed North America. Larger in size than modern grey wolves, thes carnivores died out some 12,500 years ago. Now, Ben Lamm, Colossal’s CEO and co-founder, told CNN the company used DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000 year old skull to make healthy dire wolf puppies. “This massive milestone is the first of many coming examples demonstrating that our end-to-end de-extinction technology stack works,” he said.

The three puppies, which were carried by domestic dog surrogates, are living on an undisclosed  2,000-acre site. Their habitat is enclosed by 10-foot tall zoo grade fencing, and they are continuously monitored by security personnel, drones, and live camera feeds. Their living space has reportedly been certified with the American Humane Society and registered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Prior to the announcement, Colossal had not publicized its work on the dire wolf. Perhaps, this was in part because it was worried about the criticisms the project may have garnered. Christopher Preston, a professor of environmental philosophy at the University of Montana, discussed the concerns people have had about Colossal’s work with CNN, namely that the money it’s investing could be better used elsewhere and that these resurrected animals could imperil existing species.