Animal Capital, Alongside Partner Josh Richards, Spurs Thomas Tull's Colossal Stake

Animal Capital, the first Generation Z-focused venture capital fund, alongside partners Josh Richards and Marshall Sandman, among others, spurred billionaire Thomas Tull to lead a seed round in Colossal, a bioscience and genetics company co-founded by the world-renowned geneticist and serial biotech entrepreneur George Church, Ph.D., and Ben Lamm.

What Happened: Colossal, a firm looking to advance the field of species de-extinction, launched Monday after a $15-million oversubscribed seed round lead by Thomas Tull.

Participation by Animal Capital, among others, spurred Tull’s investment to bring life to a new chapter in genetic engineering.

“Never before has humanity been able to harness the power of this technology to rebuild ecosystems, heal our Earth and preserve its future through the repopulation of extinct animals,” said Lamm, who is the CEO and co-founder of Colossal.

“In addition to bringing back ancient extinct species like the woolly mammoth, we will be able to leverage our technologies to help preserve critically endangered species that are on the verge of extinction and restore animals where humankind had a hand in their demise.”

Why It Matters: In exclusive statements to Benzinga, Josh Richards explained how he, alongside funds like Animal Capital, was able to entice capital allocations and the involvement of the likes of Billboard president Julian Holguin, Paramount Pictures’ Michael Ireland, and the Winklevoss Capital.

“It’s surreal that a 19-year-old talent from a small town in Ontario could be a key player in a company that is changing the world and will help save the animal kingdom,” Richards said. “This mission is nothing short of monumental and I hope that we can play an integral part in the fight to create a better world.”

Animal Capital’s Sandman, who is a former strategy, venture and business development executive for WarnerMedia and previously an investment banker at Goldman Sachs Group Inc GS, added: “The Animal Capital team is thrilled to be one of the first and biggest investors in Colossal. Ben and George’s mission goes so far beyond re-populating the earth with woolly mammoths; its core focus will be around fighting climate change and disease through technology.

“Colossal is the future and we’re just happy to have seats in front of the train.”