Colossal AI spinoff hits $3.8 billion valuation, targets aging with first model

(August 20, 2026 ) by Sasha Richie

Astromech just announced new funding to develop artificial intelligence that can predict biological outcomes.

Astromech, an artificial intelligence venture gestated at Dallas’ resident sci-fi startup, secured $20 million in new funding at a $3.8 billion valuation, the company announced Thursday. Founded by Colossal founders Ben Lamm and George Church, Astromech is developing AI-powered models to forecast biology, with applications in conservation, disease prevention and more.

This funding round, led by Bob Nelsen alongside Peak 6, NeoGenesis Capital, Builders VC and CAZ Investments, brings Astromech’s total purse to $60 million and nearly doubles the $2 million valuation the startup hit in March. The company said it would use the funding to expand its research team, expand its training data sets to new species and scale how it trains its models.