Five years. That’s the magic number, isn’t it? The Holy Grail. The question every startup founder gets cornered with, as if they’re supposed to have a crystal ball stashed somewhere between their pitch deck and their over-caffeinated dreams. “Where do you see your company in five years?” It’s the investor equivalent of a first date asking about marriage. Failing to come with a good answer usually ands up with no VC-check. Too ambitious? You get humiliated all the way to the parking lot.
That was the drumbeat at the 17th annual SXSW Pitch competition. It always is. But honestly? The real story wasn’t in the five-year forecasts. It was in the raw, unfiltered ambition of the present, the ideas that are already shifting the way we live, work, and interact with technology. This year’s batch of startups proved one thing: AI isn’t just a buzzword; it ’s starting to be a force reshaping everything from security to accessibility to, yes, even Hollywood dubbing.
Take Polygraf AI. We live in a world where deepfakes are getting scarily good and data breaches are as common as spam emails. Polygraf is stepping in to make sure companies can use AI without falling into a privacy nightmare. Because in this era, knowing what’s real and what’s AI-generated isn’t a luxury, it’s survival. Then there’s Glidance. Imagine an AI-powered, self-guided mobility aid for the blind and visually impaired. No more white canes, no more guesswork. Just seamless navigation with a tech-powered sidekick. If there’s ever been a time to redefine independence, it’s now.
Contoro. Not every AI breakthrough is sexy, but unloading non-palletized boxes from trucks? That’s the kind of grunt work that makes logistics actually function. Contoro merges AI with human intelligence to make it happen, because someone has to, and it’s better if it’s not us. Meanwhile, NeuralGarage is fixing something that’s bugged me for years: the awkward lip-sync mismatch in dubbed movies. Ever watch a foreign film and get distracted by the words not matching the actors’ mouths? Their generative AI fixes that. It’s a tiny detail, but let’s be honest—seamless experiences are what make or break immersion. A must have for DCO dubbing 😊.
Some of these startups are tackling small inconveniences, but others are swinging for the fences. Helix Earth, for instance, took NASA-level tech and found a way to make rooftop ACs 50% more efficient. Less power, lower costs, happier planet. And then there’s Xatoms, which is using quantum chemistry and sunlight to purify water. If science fiction can give us space travel, it sure as hell should be able to give us clean drinking water. Knead Technologies is taking on global food insecurity by turning food waste into food reuse, proving that one person’s leftovers can be another’s lifesaver. And MabLab, a student startup, is out here creating rapid tests to detect lacing agents in substances before tragedy strikes. It’s real-world impact in real-time. So yeah, five-year plans are cute. But SXSW reminded me that the real magic happens in the now. Some of these companies will go on to change the world. Others will pivot, evolve, or disappear entirely. But the ones that succeed? They’ll do it not because they planned for five years ahead, but because they refused to wait for the future to start building.
And that? That’s the kind of innovation worth betting on.
Colossal’s De-Extinction Dream Becomes Reality
Once more, ballroom D of the Austin Convention Center rocked. We got a jolt of Jurassic-sized excitement when Colossal Biosciences took the stage for a keynote that felt part science fair, part sci-fi blockbuster. On stage was Ben Lamm – co-founder and CEO of Colossal – accompanied by actor Joe Manganiello, whose star power added a Hollywood flair (and a few hilarious quotes) before ceding the spotlight to the real stars of the show: woolly mammoths, Tasmanian tigers, and dodo birds. Yes, you read that right. Colossal’s mission is nothing short of de-extinction: using cutting-edge gene editing to resurrect creatures long lost to history. The SXSW audience oscillated between awe and skepticism as Lamm laid out Colossal’s latest breakthroughs, bold plans, and the big questions they raise.
Lamm wasted no time reminding everyone how quickly Colossal has gone from wild idea to serious enterprise. Founded in 2021 with the audacious goal to “bring back the woolly mammoth,” the company has since expanded its de-extinction roster to include the Tasmanian tiger (thylacine) and the dodo bird. In just a few years, Colossal has attracted massive investor interest – raising over $200 million and reaching a valuation of about $10 billion – proof that this once-sci-fi idea is now big business. Lamm proudly updated that their three flagship revival projects are all on track, with the thylacine “actually ahead of schedule”. The crowd broke into applause at that news – the notion that a creature extinct since 1936 might roam again in our lifetime clearly struck a chord.
The timeline Lamm sketched out for us is, well, mind-bending: Colossal aims to have viable mammoth, thylacine, and dodo populations by 2028. That’s just three years from now. Yep. Sooner than the rebuilding of the Austin Convention center. Skeptics might raise eyebrows at such an ambitious deadline, but Lamm came armed with evidence that progress is real. Colossal’s scientists have already created “woolly mice” – genetically engineered mice carrying woolly mammoth DNA traits. These tiny furballs sport the long, shaggy hair and boosted fat metabolism of an Ice Age mammoth, courtesy of a few mammoth genes spliced into their genome. These mice are, of course, a far cry from an eight-ton mammoth, but they serve as critical proof of concept. And, bou, I’m not a big mouse fan…. But they are beyinf cute. If CRISPR can give a mouse a mammoth’s winter coat, imagine what it can do for an elephant. De-extinction might actually work in practice, not just in theory.
Gene Editing Wizardry: CRISPR, AI, and Artificial Wombs
How exactly does one bring back a long-dead species? Lamm dived into the science, which wowed the technophile crowd. At the heart of it is CRISPR gene editing , a technology that allows precise “cut and paste” edits to DNA. Colossal’s team isn’t just snipping one gene at a time; they’re deploying multiplex genome editing, introducing dozens of edits in parallel to turn an Asian elephant’s genome into a woolly mammoth’s. To manage this complexity, Colossal leans on advanced computation, countging of course on AI to help mix the gene edits. “We’ve done all the ancient DNA assembly… now we’re using those targets in our AI to actually go make those edits,” Lamm explained, describing how machine learning models assist in designing and executing the vast number of genetic changes required.
Another major topic was the challenge of gestation. Editing DNA in a lab is one thing; eventually you need to birth a living animal. For now, Colossal plans to use surrogate mothers from closely related species for all its de-extinction attempts (an elephant mother for a mammoth calf, a dog-like marsupial for a thylacine pup). But long-term, they hope to take mothers out of the equation with high-tech artificial wombs that could carry embryos to term. Lamm revealed they already have a 17-person team working on ex-utero gestation technology, a fact that drew murmurs of wonder (and a few “wait, really?” looks) from the audience.
He painted it as a logical next step: artificial wombs could not only help bring back extinct species, but also aid critically endangered ones and even transform human fertility science one day. It’s an ambitious goal, yet Colossal is investing heavily in it – they’ve ramped up funding and staff to make artificial wombs a reality.
Beyond Jurassic Park: The Why Behind De-Extinction
Any time someone talks about resurrecting lost creatures, the specter of the Jurassic Park saga looms large. (Indeed, Joe Manganiello couldn’t resist joking, “I’ve seen this movie – it doesn’t end well,” to laughter.) Lamm addressed the dino-sized question head-on, making one thing clear: Colossal isn’t hatching raptors for a theme park; it’s focused on ecosystem restoration. The goal is to bring back species in a way that heals the planet, not wreak havoc.
Take the woolly mammoth. Colossal’s vision is to deploy herds of mammoth-like elephants in the Arctic tundra to combat climate change. It sounds wild, but the science is intriguing. In prehistoric times, mammoths were ecosystem engineers : trampling snow and knocking down trees, they helped maintain vast grasslands called the “mammoth steppe.” Without these giants, the Arctic has become mossy tundra and forest, and the permafrost beneath is thawing. Lamm claims that reintroducing mammoth proxies could lower permafrost temperatures by up to 10°C, slowing its melt and the release of greenhouse gases. By knocking down trees and churning up snow, these shaggy pachyderms would restore reflective grassland and keep the ground colder, helping curb global warming.
The Tasmanian tiger (thylacine), is a marsupial predator eradicated by humans less than a century ago. Its return could help rebalance ecosystems in Tasmania and Australia, where its absence left a void. Colossal’s thylacine project isn’t just about correcting a historical wrong; it’s also about re-establishing a mid-sized predator to control pests or invasive species. Recent breakthroughs have brought the thylacine closer than ever: scientists have now assembled 99.9% of the thylacine’s genome. This means they have an almost complete genetic blueprint for the species.– I had a “this is really happening” moment. And then there’s the humble dodo, extinct since the 17th century. Reviving the dodo is tied to restoring a lost island ecosystem. The dodo was a key seed disperser in Mauritius , some tree species literally depended on dodos to spread their seeds. Lamm painted a picture of future Mauritius where dodos once again waddle under ebony trees, fulfilling their old ecological role.
Scientific Breakthroughs and Spinoffs
One reason this keynote captivated the crowd is that Colossal’s work isn’t just about those headline-grabbing species; it’s driving innovation that could ripple across biotechnology and conservation. The tricky process of de-extinction has forced Colossal to pioneer new tools and techniques , with benefits far beyond bringing back one lost creature.
For example, to revive a mammoth or a dodo, you need ultra-high-quality genomes of both the extinct animal and its closest living relative. Often, such data didn’t exist, so Colossal helped create it – partnering with initiatives worldwide to sequence endangered elephants, rare marsupials, exotic pigeons, and more. These genomic efforts are a goldmine for conservation biology, providing insights that can help protect species still with us. Likewise, the company’s advances in multiplex CRISPR (editing dozens of genes at once) can accelerate genetic research for any organism. The potential applications span agriculture, medicine, and beyond. Another intriguing spinoff is in fertility science. Colossal’s exploration of artificial wombs and advanced reproductive techniques could inform new approaches to human infertility. Moonshot projects can yield unexpected cross-disciplinary benefits.
Crucially, Colossal is also using its technology to protect species that haven’t gone extinct yet. Lamm was keen to emphasize this, to counter the notion that de-extinction comes at the expense of current conservation. In fact, many Colossal projects directly aid living wildlife. They’ve helped develop the first-ever vaccine for a deadly elephant virus, engineered resistance to cane toad poison in Australian marsupials, and joined efforts to save the last northern white rhinos with cutting-edge IVF techniques. None of these endeavors involve resurrecting a species, but all leverage the de-extinction toolkit to give endangered animals a fighting chance.
Colossal offers many of these conservation solutions free to partners like zoos and wildlife agencies. That commitment earned a round of applause; it’s not often you hear a $10B startup talk about giving things away. It underscored that Colossal’s mission mixes bold ambition with genuine altruism, they truly want to help nature even as they build a new kind of biotech company.
Ethical Dilemmas and Debates
No venture into “playing God” with species revival can avoid the thorny ethical questions, and the keynote didn’t shy away from them. Lamm tackled them head-on: Just because we can bring back a species, does it mean we should? What are the welfare implications for the creatures we create? Where would these animals live, and who gets to decide? The ethics of de-extinction spark fierce debate. Some critics argue it’s an irresponsible use of resources when so many extant species need help; others believe we have a moral duty to restore species we wiped out if we have the power. Colossal seems to appreciate both sides. They’ve had bioethicists on their advisory board from day one to guide their decisions.
For example, the question of surrogate mothers came up during Q&A: is it ethical to have, say, an elephant carry a mammoth hybrid calf? One audience member bluntly asked about the welfare of the surrogates. Lamm’s response was that they are working with top veterinarians and won’t proceed with an embryo transfer if it poses undue risk to the surrogate. In other words, no animal’s well-being will be sacrificed on the altar of de-extinction – at least in principle. Another ethical angle is the ecosystem impact of releasing a de-extinct species. Reintroducing even a native species into an ecosystem after a long absence is complex; doing it in the modern era of climate change and fragmented habitats is unprecedented. An attendee asked whether bringing back mammoths could have unforeseen consequences for today’s Arctic wildlife. Lamm acknowledged the uncertainty but pointed out that the status quo is already dire (permafrost is collapsing, biodiversity is declining). “If we do nothing, we know the ending – and it’s not a good one,” he said, suggesting that bold interventions might be preferable to watching ecosystems unravel. It turned a tech talk into a reflection on humanity’s role in nature. Are we meddlers, saviors, or something in between? There’s no simple answer, but Colossal’s work forces us to confront these questions in real time.
The company was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential Companies in 2023, so public fascination is high. At SXSW, you could feel that mix of hype and hope. Investors saw a cutting-edge $10B startup; scientists saw a new paradigm in conservation; and the public saw science fiction becoming reality. Honestly, everyone witnessed a narrative – the story of life, death, and rebirth – being rewritten in real time.
By the end of the session, Ben Lamm had the audience equal parts entertained, educated, and existentially stirred. Even Joe Manganiello, who mostly played the amused everyman on stage, looked genuinely impressed (and perhaps a tad relieved that no actual T. rex was about to crash the party).
I was thrilled yet probing: “This is awesome and all, but… are we sure we should do this?” That mix of wonder and caution will likely follow de-extinction every step of the way. In true SXSW fashion, the discussion didn’t end at the ballroom doors; it spilled into hallways and social feeds as people debated what they’d just heard. One thing’s for sure: Ben Lamm and Colossal Biosciences gave us plenty to think about.
