In the high-stakes world of biotech and de-extinction, Ben Lamm and George Church are household names. The founders of Colossal Biosciences, Lamm and Church are true pioneers of the industry and the company has done what no other bioscience company has done before. They de-extinct the dire wolf, created the controversial woolly mouse and promise to bring the woolly mammoth back from the grave. However, it was discovered earlier this week that a recent, almost silent, filing with the SEC suggests their next frontier is something far more cryptic. A digital breadcrumb has revealed a new, secretive AI startup operating under the name of Astromech.
Unearthed from the dry and opaque world of financial documents, a Form D filing from August 12th, 2025 serves as the first undeniable evidence of the new venture. This single, unassuming document, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, shows that Lamm and Church have already successfully raised a staggering $30 million for the company. The paperwork lists them as co-founders and places the venture squarely in the technology sector, formally registered in the state of Delaware. The filing is a key that unlocks a treasure chest of questions, but provides frustratingly few answers. The de-extinction duo is notoriously public, so their total silence on this new company—a fourth partnership in recent years—is deafening.
What exactly is Astromech? The name itself may be a clue, a nod to the iconic repair droids of the Star Wars universe—compact, automated mechanics like the beloved R2-D2. But what is it they are aiming to repair or navigate?
A minimal website—a neon-drenched fever dream that feels like the opening sequence from a Nintendo video game—offers the only other hints. The site is a barebones portal for job seekers, featuring a mysterious, animated logo of a swirling helix of DNA. Underneath this cryptic imagery is a single, powerful mission statement: navigating the code of life. Given Church’s foundational work in genomics and synthetic biology, this is more than just a tagline; it’s a declaration of intent. Astromech could be attempting to chart a new course in the digital mapping of our biological destiny.
The job titles listed on the website only deepen the mystery. They aren’t for engineers or biologist, but for roles that sound ripped from a sci-fi novel: “Synthetic Data Generation Lead,” “Multi-Agent Coordinator,” “Regulatory Genomics Specialist,” “Emergent Behavior Analyst” and “Robotics Specialized Physical Trainer.” These aren’t just jobs; they’re clues, each one a piece of a larger, still-unseen puzzle pointing to a deeply complex project in advanced AI. When reached for comment, Lamm and a spokesperson for Colossal had a stark, uncharacteristic “no comment,” a phrase that only adds more fuel to the fire. Whatever Lamm and Church are building, they want to keep it in the shadows for now, leaving the rest of the world to wonder: are they building the ultimate co-pilot for biology, or are they laying the groundwork for something bigger?