Astromech Raises $20 Million To Build AI Biology That Forecasts Evolutionary Changes
For most of science, biology has been reactive. A disease first emerges before a genome sequence follows. A species is first lost before there’s an extinction study. Astromech raises $20 The post Astromech Raises $20 Million To Build AI Biology That Forecasts Evolutionary Changes appeared first on Ventureburn .
Astromech, a company co-founded by Ben Lamm and Harvard geneticist George Church, has secured $20 million in funding to develop AI models capable of predicting evolutionary changes in living organisms. This investment, led by Bob Nelsen of ARCH Venture Partners, brings the company's valuation to $3.8 billion. Astromech, which initially focused on de-extinction efforts like the Woolly Mammoth, has shifted its attention to "evolutionary forecasting," using AI to analyze genomic data and predict biological changes.
The company's approach involves combining current genomic data with deep evolutionary history to understand the complex interactions within biological systems. With a substantial data wall built on Colossal's extensive genome bank and other proprietary datasets, Astromech can now trace the evolution of traits across thousands of species, providing insights into areas such as longevity, cancer resistance, and cellular repair.
The funding will be used to scale up the company's operations, hire more personnel, and begin testing the technology with partners in health and biosecurity.
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