Billionaire Ben Lamm and geneticist George Church launch AI startup Astromech to predict evolution

Billionaire Ben Lamm and geneticist George Church launched Astromech, an AI startup predicting evolutionary changes in biological systems, announcing a $20 million funding round that values the company at $3.8 billion. The spinoff uses datasets from Colossal, Lamm's de-extinction firm, to model gene changes over time, aiming to improve crop breeding, drug discovery, and disease threat identification. Initial focus is on mapping 46 longevity-related genes, with new capital primarily funding research teams. Astromech's total funding now reaches $60 million, led by Arch Ventures co-founder Bob Nelsen. Lamm claims Colossal's unique geographic and temporal data gives the startup an edge over competitors in biological modeling.