View source for Ben Lamm

{{Short description|American entrepreneur}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Ben Lamm
| image              = Ben Lamm.jpg
| alt                = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
| caption            = Ben Lamm at studio 2017
| birth_name         = Benjamin Edward Lamm
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1981|12|04}}
| birth_place        = [[Austin, Texas]], U.S.
| death_date         = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (DEATH date then BIRTH date) -->
| death_place        =
| alma_mater         = [[Baylor University]]
| other_names        =
| occupation         = [[Serial entrepreneur]]
| years_active       =
| known_for          = Founding: {{Unbulleted list|[[Colossal Biosciences]]|[[Hypergiant Industries]]|[[Conversable]]|[[Chaotic Moon Studios]]}}
| title              =
| notable_works      =
}}
'''Ben Lamm''' is an American serial entrepreneur best known for partnering with [[George Church (geneticist)|George Church]] on the idea for [[de-extinction]] and founding a venture capital-backed startup known as [[Colossal Biosciences|Colossal]] to support Church's work in the development of genetic engineering and reproductive technology.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Heid |first1=Jason |title=How One Texas Entrepreneur Aims to Transform the World With Artificial Intelligence |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/ben-lamm-hypergiant/ |publisher=Texas Monthly}}</ref>
== History ==
In 2019, Lamm used $15 million in [[seed funding]] to apply genetic technology such as "clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats" (CRISPR) for Colossal's work on [[conservation biology]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/business/technology/2021/09/13/dallas-entrepreneur-ben-lamm-embarks-on-a-new-adventure-bringing-back-the-woolly-mammoth/|title=Dallas entrepreneur Ben Lamm embarks on a new adventure: bringing back the woolly mammoth|publisher=The Dallas Morning News|author=Wolf, Marin|date=13 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Mike |title=Ben Lamm and Hypergiant Want to Bring Space Back to the Future |url=https://www.inverse.com/innovation/ben-lamm-profile |publisher=Inverse |date=March 3, 2020}}</ref> At its launch in 2021, he received media attention for claiming that Colossal would "bring back the [[woolly mammoth]]" within the next decade. Lamm secured investments from public figures such as [[Paris Hilton]], [[Thomas Tull]], [[Tom Brady]], [[Peter Jackson]], and [[Chris Hemsworth]], and has raised more than $235 million as of October 2024.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Zimmer |first1=Carl |title=A New Company With a Wild Mission: Bring Back the Woolly Mammoth |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/13/science/colossal-woolly-mammoth-DNA.html |work=New York Times |date=September 13, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.statesman.com/story/business/2022/03/09/wooly-mammoth-colossal-60-million-ben-lamm-george-church/9442430002/|title=Austin entrepreneur's startup lands $60 million as it tries to bring back the woolly mammoth|publisher=Austin American-Statesman|author=Carlson, Kara|date=9 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-03/-lord-of-the-rings-director-peter-jackson-invests-in-dodo-de-extinction-startup?embedded-checkout=true|author=Isabella Ware|date=October 3, 2024|title=‘Lord of the Rings’ Director Piles $10 Million Into Dodo De-Extinction Startup|work=Bloomberg}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephenpastis/2024/10/03/peter-jackson-puts-10-million-toward-resurrecting-the-dodo-joining-other-celebrities-and-hollywood-business-leaders/|author=Stephen Pastis|date=October 3, 2024|title=Peter Jackson Puts $10 Million Toward Resurrecting The Dodo—Joining Other Celebrities And Business Leaders|work=Forbes}}</ref>
During the 2022 [[South by Southwest]] festival, Lamm was on a panel moderated by [[Richard Garriott]] that made the case for de-extinction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/film/news/sxsw-reveals-new-line-up-of-featured-speakers-for-2022-festival-1235155885/|title=SXSW Reveals Additions to Line-Up of Featured Speakers for 2022 Festival|publisher=Variety|author=Murphy, J. Kim|date=18 January 2022}}</ref>
Lamm founded his first company when he was a senior at [[Baylor University]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2018/02/ben-lamm-has-an-unconventional-approach-to-business-and-it-somehow-works/|title=Ben Lamm Has An Unconventional Approach to Business, And It Somehow Works|publisher=D Magazine|author=Abril, Danielle|date=27 February 2018}}</ref> He sold ventures such as Simply Interactive, an e-learning software company (acquired by Agile in 2010), [[Chaotic Moon Studios]], a mobile app company (acquired by [[Accenture]] in 2015), Team Chaos, a digital gaming company (acquired by [[Zynga]] in 2016), [[Conversable]], a [[SaaS]] conversational bot technology (acquired by [[LivePerson]] in 2018), and [[Hypergiant Industries]], a machine-learning [[artificial intelligence]] (acquired by [[Thrive Capital]] in 2023),<ref>{{cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/22/ai-hypergiant-industries-trive-capital/|author=Aria Alamalhodaei|date=August 22, 2023|title=AI company Hypergiant Industries snapped up by PE firm Trive Capital|work=Tech Crunch}}</ref> for undisclosed sums upon each company's acquisition.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/entrepreneur-says-key-to-business-is-to-be-an-explorer-2019-6|title=This 37-year-old serial entrepreneur's new startup is using AI to explore space — and mix cocktails|publisher=Business Insider|author=De Luce, Ivan|date=10 June 2019}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web |last1=Clifford |first1=Catherine |title=This 39-year-old tech exec has built 5 companies, but there's a price to his ambition |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/06/how-ben-lamm-started-five-companies.html |publisher=CNBC|date=6 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Angell |first1=Melissa |title=Why Creating a Company to Resurrect the Woolly Mammoth Makes Perfect Sense for Ben Lamm |url=https://www.inc.com/melissa-angell/ben-lamm-colossal-five-lessons-learned-over-six-ventures.html |publisher=Inc. |date=January 24, 2022}}</ref>
In late 2022, Lamm co-founded Form Bio, a software company spun out of Colossal Biosciences. The company aims to develop software to improve the working efficiency of scientists. Form Bio was funded through a $30 million investment deal involving Thomas Tull.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Elias |first1=Paul |title="De-Extinction" Company Colossal Launches Form Bio to Maximize Tech |url=https://www.biospace.com/article/colossal-investment-accelerates-de-extinction-of-tasmanian-tiger/ |publisher=Biospace |date=September 27, 2022}}</ref>
Lamm launched Breaking, a [[Polymer degradation|plastic degradation]] and synthetic biology startup, in April 2024. Gestated at Colossal, Breaking discovered X-32, a microbe that is capable of breaking down various plastics in as little as 22 months while leaving behind carbon dioxide, water and biomass.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.builtinboston.com/articles/breaking-colossal-biosciences-launch-20240417|date=April 17, 2024|title=Greentech Company Breaking Launches From Colossal Biosciences|work=Built in Boston}}</ref>
In October 2024, Lamm launched The Colossal Foundation, a [[501(c)(3) organization|501(c)(3)]] that utilizes Colossal Biosciences-developed technology for conservative efforts globally. [[Biobank|Biobanking]] is one of its key focuses.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://dallasinnovates.com/colossal-launches-the-colossal-foundation-with-50m-for-biovault-biobanking-genetic-rescues-and-more/|author=Lance Murray|date=October 1, 2024|title=Colossal Launches The Colossal Foundation with $50M for ‘BioVault’ Biobanking, Genetic Rescues, and More|work=Dallas Innovates}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.iflscience.com/colossal-biosciences-launches-50-million-foundation-to-halt-extinction-crisis-76180|author=Rachael Funnell|date=October 1, 2024|title=Colossal Biosciences Launches $50 Million Foundation To Halt Extinction Crisis|work=IFL Science}}</ref>
Lamm currently is a member of the Board of Trustees for [[The Explorers Club]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newsweek.com/entertainment/celebrity-news/celebs-invest-new-company-colossal-biosciences-1962064|author=Mike Snedegar|date=October 2, 2024|title=Colossal Is The Real Life Blockbuster of 'Jurassic Park' and 'Indiana Jones' With Celebs Like Tom Brady Behind It|work=Newsweek}}</ref>
==External links==
* [https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/02/how-to-stop-sixth-extinction-crisis/ World Economic Forum article]
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lamm, Ben}}
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American businesspeople]]
[[Category:Baylor University alumni]]