News & Updates
The latest news and updates from companies in the WLTH portfolio.
Colossal Typhoon Champi Paralyzes Taiwan, Nearly 1,000 Flights Cancelled
Almost all of Taiwan came to a near standstill as Typhoon Champi bore down on the island, forcing the cancellation of nearly 1,000 flights and threatening coastal and mountainous communities with ferocious winds and torrential rain. Though the storm has slightly weakened after previously achieving super typhoon status over the Pacific, meteorologists warn that a direct landfall remains entirely possible. According to the transport ministry, all 262 scheduled domestic flights and 669 international flights were grounded. Taiwan's financial markets were also closed for the day, though the north-south high-speed rail network continued limited operations. Massive Wind Radius and Prolonged Threats Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA) reported that Champi was packing maximum sustained wind gusts of around 191 kph (119 mph) near its centre. Positioned roughly 320 km (198 miles) east of Taiwan's southern tip, the storm's projected trajectory takes it just off the island's northeast coast before pivoting north toward the Chinese mainland and eventually tracking into southern Japan. Tragically, the system has already resulted in at least one fatality and left over 90 people injured. In response to the escalating danger, authorities have evacuated nearly 1,300 residents from vulnerable mountainous terrain. While more than 77,000 homes initially lost power, utility crews have swiftly worked to restore electricity to most households. CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng noted that a direct landfall cannot be dismissed because Champi's movement could shift if it begins to "stall, loop, or wobble from side to side" near the island. "The storm's wind radius is quite large, among the bigger ones in recent years," Liu cautioned, explaining that a slower forward speed could expose Taiwan to intense, destructive winds for an extended period. With a sprawling wind radius spanning approximately 320 km (200 miles) -- large enough to blanket almost the entire island -- forecasters warn that the disruptive impacts could persist for nearly two days. Emergency Preparations Across Regions Emergency text alerts flashed on mobile phones across coastal districts, warning residents of ferocious gusts exceeding 150 kph (93 mph). Meanwhile, northern mountainous zones near Taipei brace for rainfall totals approaching nearly a meter (3 feet). * Yilan County: Authorities distributed sandbags while stationing amphibious military vehicles and inflatable rescue boats on standby. Local officials in the port town of Suao -- historically vulnerable to severe flooding -- noted that the military is ready to assist with emergency evacuations if conditions deteriorate. * Taipei: Squally downpours swept through the capital city, where public transport and the metro system continued operating under reduced schedules. * Outlying Islands: The Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands, situated adjacent to the Chinese coast, stood out as the sole region where offices and schools maintained normal operations. Following its passage near Taiwan, Champi is projected to sweep over Yonaguni, Japan's westernmost inhabited island in Okinawa Prefecture, as it continues its destructive path across the Western Pacific.
Anduril and Colossal Team Up for Warhound
The founders of Colossal Biosciences and Anduril, Ben Lamm and Palmer Luckey, have teamed up for a new venture called Warhound. Like the name suggests, the idea is to bring new technology to the field of dogs used for war. The new company has already raised $200 million to get started. On Thursday, a joint venture between Dallas' Colossal Biosciences and defense technology company Anduril announced its emergence from stealth. The startup is called Warhound, and its pitch is that with Colossal's genetic engineering capabilities and Anduril's cybernetic augments, it can create a new generation of working military dogs better suited to, and better protected from, today's advanced battlefields. Warhound, which will based in Dallas, raised $200 million in its seed round led by Sequoia Capital. The release describes Warhound as a "vertically integrated platform, combining Colossal's enhanced genetics platform and secure biobanking capabilities of America's top-performing dog arsenal, controlled delivery through cloning with best-in-class training and animal care." The dogs will then be outfitted with ear and eye protection from Anduril, as well as connected with Anduril's AI and augmented reality Eagle Eye headgear technology, to enable dogs and their handlers better situational awareness in the field. The U.S. doesn't have a lot of war dogs but it does have at least 1,600 according to this Department of War page. Most of the dogs come from overseas breeders but about 13 percent are born here in Texas. The dogs are socialized for several months and at one year they begin basic dog training. At one year they are then evaluated for inclusion into a military training program. These programs are intensive and involve daily training like a full-time job. The Army put together this video showing what the trainers do on an average day. Obviously, not every dog makes it into the training and not every dog who starts the training completes it. Part of what Warhound wants to do is bring the breeding here to the U.S. and also ensure that more of the dogs bred for this program are healthy and fit for purpose. In its launch announcement, the company said that more than 80% of the working dogs used by the U.S. military come from Europe and less than half of them are fit for service. So not only is there a dwindling supply of working dogs for these tasks, but the U.S. has also become increasingly reliant on foreign nations for dogs that play an important role in the U.S. military and in law enforcement. That is key for what Warhound is trying to do. The hope is that Colossal can use its technology to engineer dogs with "characteristics suited to demanding missions," the company said in a press release. Lamm told TechCrunch he met Luckey about a year ago at a conference, where the Anduril co-founder brought up doing more for working dogs in the U.S. military. The two kept in touch, and Lamm did more research, learning about the breeding issues. Many dogs do not make it through training because of genetic dispositions for issues like poor eyesight or the high possibilities of cancer, hip dysplasia, or muscle atrophy. Anduril's role in this partnership will be to provide more advanced technology to keep the dogs safe and also to give their handlers a live view of what they are encountering. Andruil, meanwhile, will provide software and hardware enhancement for items such as dog protection vests and eye goggles to assist the dogs and their handlers with matters like situational awareness and coordination. He said to imagine, for example, bulletproof vests that have data sensors that give information back to the handlers so they can better understand what is happening. "The idea is, if we make the dog safer, make it healthier, make it perform better, it's going to perform better in the line of duty," Lamm said. He added that Anduril's additions aim to make the dogs safer and healthier outside of their genetic components, "on top of the dog, not in the dog." He believes such enhancements will also protect the dogs' human handlers better. It sounds like a good project that could make for dogs that will be even better at doing their jobs for the military. Editor's Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration's bold leadership, we are once again respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
Colossal commutes to the classroom
While the sky is dark and most of his students are still asleep, Trevor Ivan wakes up early to start his day. The Youngstown State University professor had packed his bag the night before and spent an hour getting ready before leaving at 7 a.m. to depart for his 9:30 a.m. class. Why? Because he has to drive 60 miles from his home in Stark County to YSU. While many live close to their jobs, Ivan drives an hour and 15 minutes to and from Youngstown twice a week to get to work. "I don't like to just walk in here and walk into the classroom. I want to spend some time in my office, just getting ready for the day, printing some things out [and] looking at emails," Ivan said. "I try to get here between 8:30 and 8:45 [a.m.]. Some days that's easier said than done." Ivan is not the only YSU professor who makes a long journey to campus every week and experiences additional stressors of construction, gas prices and weather. Jeffrey Tyus, professor in strategic communication and media, lives in Twinsburg and drives an hour to and from YSU twice a week. One of the biggest stressors the professors pointed out is construction. Tyus described the recent construction in Youngstown as a "major headache." "It seemed like when I came over to Youngstown over the summer it's like, 'What's going on over here?'" Tyus said. "It just seemed like everywhere in my attempt to get home, I was finding traffic or reroutes and all those kinds of things. It's been a little frustrating." Ivan said the construction has not added any extra time to his commute, but he does see it as an inconvenience. "This semester has been pretty bad with the construction on [Interstate] 80 especially. I avoid most of it on [Interstate] 680 because it's all south of where I would come. The construction there has not been pleasant this fall," Ivan said. Cryshanna Jackson Leftwich, professor in politics and international relations, said she commutes from Akron, driving an hour to and from Youngstown twice a week. Jackson Leftwich said the first time she drove through the construction on her way to Youngstown, it added 30 minutes to her commute. She grew up in Youngstown before moving to Akron, so Jackson Leftwich said she was always familiar with driving in the area. "I've done the Youngstown-Akron commute, just not for work, basically since I was 12 because my mom lives in Akron and works in Youngstown. We've both done that," Jackson Leftwich said. "The decision for this job was, 'Well, I've done the commute all the time. I have to come to Youngstown anyways because I have to check on my grandmother, so I'll just work there.'" All three of these professors said they find themselves getting gas once or twice a week. Ivan said the recent increase in gas prices is not a huge stressor, but it is a nuisance. "I feel fortunate enough where I don't feel trapped for money in that. I feel like I have a little cushion to not worry," Ivan said. "It's an annoyance. It's frustrating. There's plenty of other things I'd rather spend money on." Later in the year, when the temperatures drop and snow falls, traveling on the slick roads can add strain to long commutes. Tyus said being familiar with online classes helps him deal with unforeseen circumstances. "That's helped me to the point where even when I have classes that meet in the classroom, if something happens, I can take that class online if I need to," Tyus said. "Being able to teach a class online and just continue to move the class along, that's been very helpful for me as someone who commutes regularly." Tyus uses his familiarity with Webex to help him and his students when the weather poses challenges. "If it is icy, if it is snowing really heavily, things of that nature, then once again, I will take my class on to Webex because not only do I not want to put myself in danger, I don't want my students to be placed in danger either," Tyus said. Ivan said there have been times that he was not able to make it home because of weather conditions. "There have been a couple times where I've started on the journey home and I was just like, 'No, I'm not doing this,' and I just go get a hotel room," Ivan said. Tyus and Jackson Leftwich said that even though they live far away, they still feel connected to and involved with the campus community. Jackson Leftwich said she never felt a disconnect because she is from Youngstown. However, Ivan, who has the longest commute of the three, said the distance can make him feel a disconnect, and there are many events that he wishes he could attend. "The rest of my life is all sort of [in Stark County] -- my friends, my community, my connections to other organizations," Ivan said. "It just feels like it's only like an hour or so away, but it feels like you're somewhat in a different world, because you feel like the two worlds don't always cross." The professors said they keep themselves busy on their commutes by listening to music and podcasts and calling friends or loved ones. Jackson Leftwich said with her busy life at home, she doesn't get much time uninterrupted, so she enjoys using her drive as a time for self-care. "I get to just be in my car, and I can listen to all my podcasts and make all my phone calls, talk to my friends uninterrupted. I get all that done, like my me-time," Jackson Leftwich said. Ivan said he also enjoys the feeling of being disconnected on his commute. "You do use that as an opportunity to learn, to have some time to yourself. It's also a time where you sort of feel unreachable," Ivan said. "It's kind of a nice feeling to just take some time to think and have to yourself."
Colossal to Repatriate Rare Moa Egg to Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Colossal secured one of the world's few surviving moa eggs and will entrust it to New Zealand-based moa de-extinction program partners, to ensure the egg returns to its rightful land and people. CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand and DALLAS, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Colossal Biosciences, the world's first de-extinction company, today announced that it has acquired a rare giant moa egg from a private collection in the United States for the sole purpose of returning it to Aotearoa (New Zealand). Colossal plans to present the egg to Professor Te Maire Tau (Ūpoko of Ngāi Tūāhuriri, a hapu of Ngāi Tahu), a distinguished Māori historian, academic leader, and tribal leader in New Zealand based in the Tuahiwi region of Canterbury, South Island. Dr. Te Maire Tau balances roles across academia, tribal governance, and community leadership. According to auction records, the egg was discovered in New Zealand on January 14, 1966, and remained in a private American collection for approximately six decades before Colossal purchased it from Artemis Gallery in Louisville, Colorado, on June 12, 2026, when it resurfaced in the public auction. Auction records indicate that the egg may have originated from a human burial site dating to the Moa Hunter period, around AD 1300, although further research will be required to confirm its provenance. Fewer than 40 sufficiently complete moa eggs are known in public collections worldwide, and only eight retain at least 90 percent of their original shell. Measuring approximately 22 by 17 centimeters, the newly documented egg has been reconstructed from numerous fragments, with additional pieces still to be reattached. Expert conservation and non-destructive analysis could help establish its species, geographic origin and place among the best-preserved known moa eggs once returned to New Zealand. Colossal has made plans to return the egg physically back to New Zealand via private transport to ensure the highest level of safety for the precious artifact and will hold a repatriation ceremony in December. A Taonga Returns to its Rightful Home Moa were flightless birds that lived only in New Zealand. Nine species of moa were native on the islands when the first polynesians settled on the islands between 1250 and 1300 CE. The nine moa species ranged from turkey-sized to the South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus), which stood up to 3.6 meters tall with its neck outstretched and weighed approximately 230 kilograms. Moa went extinct roughly 600 years ago, within two centuries of Polynesian settlement. For Ngāi Tahu, whose earliest ancestors lived alongside moa in Te Waipounamu, the South Island, the birds are recorded in archaeology and in oral tradition, and their remains are taonga: treasured objects that carry the history of the land and its people. While thousands of moa bones have been recovered from swamps, caves, and dune sites across New Zealand, whole eggs are scarce. Moa eggshell is thin, in most cases under two millimeters, and rarely survives intact. Te Papa, New Zealand's national museum, describes its own moa egg as one of only 36 mostly intact moa eggs in the world, expanding a 2005 survey by ornithologist Brian Gill that counted 33 moa eggs complete enough to be measured. According to Gill's survey, all known moa eggs are in public collections: four at the Natural History Museum in London and the remainder in eight New Zealand museums and research collections. The giant moa egg, which is not one of those counted above, measures approximately 22 by 17 centimeters, which is about 1.5 times longer than and nearly double the volume of an ostrich egg. The giant moa egg has been reconstructed from many fragments, with further fragments still to be reattached under the approval and guidance of Ngāi Tahu researchers. "When we launched the moa program we made a clear commitment that indigenous leadership would guide the science and every decision surrounding the project. Securing and transporting this egg back to its rightful home is just part of that commitment. Regardless of when and how it left the country, we strongly feel all recognizable moa bones and remains as well as any other New Zealand artifacts should be returned to the country and its people. To quote Indiana Jones, "it belongs in a museum," a museum in Aotearoa, under the care of the people whose ancestors lived alongside these extraordinary birds. We are honored to help return it home." said Ben Lamm, CEO and Co-Founder of Colossal. Under New Zealand's Protected Objects Act 1975, intact moa remains are protected objects that cannot be exported without permission from the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. This egg left the country before that law was in force. After discovering the egg listed for auction, Colossal immediately acted to procure it so as to ensure its safe return home to be cared for under the direction of the Ngāi Tahu. "Every New Zealander grows up knowing the moa and feeling its loss," said Sir Peter Jackson. "Whenever I've been walking deep in the New Zealand bush, I can't help but keep looking into the thick forest, hoping for a glimpse of the mythic "last Moa" - an amazing bird that sadly no longer exists, no matter how hard you look ... and hope. When we learned that this exceptionally rare Moa egg was being sold outside of New Zealand, we spoke to Colossal, who not only offered to rescue it at their own considerable expense - but to also fly it privately to New Zealand, so it returns home safely. After expert restoration, it will very likely become only the ninth known nearly intact moa egg -- probably one of the five best-preserved examples. More importantly, working with Colossal, and under Ngāi Tahu's guidance, we can return this culturally significant taonga to its rightful custodians, advance research into the Moa, and connect future generations with Aotearoa's extraordinary cultural and natural history. I'm delighted this treasure will now be in the care of Ngāi Tahu." The Egg, the Science and the Partnership Established in 2025 as a joint initiative between Colossal, the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, Sir Peter Jackson and the Canterbury Museum, research partners direct and guide the development of the moa de-extinction program. The partnership aims to bring together Colossal's genomic and reproductive technologies with the mātauranga of Ngāi Tahu research leaders, and other experts within New Zealand. Since the program was announced, the teams have made significant progress. Scientists have joined Ngāi Tahu archaeologist Kyle Davis at cave and subfossil sites across Te Waipounamu to observe and collect samples that will be needed to sequence the genomes of multiple moa species. In May 2026, Colossal also hatched healthy chicks using a shell-less artificial incubation system designed to eventually support eggs approaching the size of a moa's. "In fieldwork and research undertaken across Te Waipounamu, we've often worked with fragments of bone and eggshell that help us reconstruct the story of moa and the people who lived alongside them," said Kyle Davis, a Ngāi Tahu archaeologist and expert in cultural heritage. "To see an egg of this rarity return to Te Waipounamu is extraordinary. It carries information about the moa species that birthed it, the landscape it came from and potentially the people connected to it. Most importantly, it will now be cared for and further researched in collaboration with Ngāi Tahu researchers, where decisions about its future can be guided by tikanga and grounded in the place to which it belongs." Moa eggshell has long been an important source of information for scientists. Published research has recovered ancient DNA from moa eggshell fragments, for example, an eggshell structure and thickness has helped researchers understand how moa nested and incubated their eggs. Future scientific study in New Zealand of the returned egg could include non-destructive imaging or sampling for DNA and/or isotopes to confirm the species and geographic origin of the egg. Whether and when to take on this work will be decided by the Ngāi Tahu in accordance with tikanga. "Fewer than forty whole moa eggs are known, and each one holds information we can get nowhere else - sometimes even their DNA. An egg like this belongs in Aotearoa, in the hands of the people and institutions who study and care for moa, and not in a private collection. That is how we work across the whole moa program: in partnership with the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre and Canterbury Museum, ensuring that every result we generate is returned to New Zealand," said Beth Shapiro, PhD, Colossal's Chief Science Officer. Presentation at SAPE 2026 in Ōtautahi Christchurch The repatriation announcement will be the opening day of the 11th International Meeting of the Society of Avian Palaeontology and Evolution, which runs from October 19 to 23 at the Christchurch Town Hall in Ōtautahi Christchurch. The day opens with a pōwhiri, a formal Māori welcome. The meeting's organizing committee includes Dr. Paul Scofield, Senior Curator Natural History at Canterbury Museum and a collaborating scientist on the moa program, together with colleagues from the University of Canterbury and Flinders University. "It is especially fitting to announce the return of this remarkable egg at our conference with the world's leading experts on ancient birds gathered here in Ōtautahi Christchurch," said Dr. Paul Scofield, Senior Curator of Natural History at Canterbury Museum and collaborating scientist on the moa program. "Moa are central to the natural and cultural history of Aotearoa, and this egg has far greater scientific and cultural value here than it could ever have in a private collection overseas. Its homecoming will create new opportunities for research while ensuring that this extraordinary taonga is cared for in the land -- and by the people -- to which it belongs." Colossal's commitment to New Zealand extends beyond the moa. Through its partnership with the Ngāi Tahu researchers and other New Zealand-based experts, the company has committed to open-sourcing the technologies it develops for conservation under guidance of partners, with aims which include biobanking taonga species across the Ngāi Tahu takiwā, to educational programs for Ngāi Tahu rangatahi and kiwi youth, and to building conservation biotechnology capability within Te Waipounamu towards the future establishment of Colossal Laboratories in New Zealand. ABOUT COLOSSAL Colossal was founded by emerging technology and software entrepreneur Ben Lamm and world-renowned geneticist and serial biotech entrepreneur George Church, Ph.D., and is the first to apply CRISPR technology for the purposes of species de-extinction. Colossal creates innovative technologies for species restoration, critically endangered species protection, and the repopulation of critical ecosystems that support the continuation of life on Earth. To follow along, please visit: www.colossal.com. WEBSITE & SOCIALS Websites: www.colossal.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colossal/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@colossal Twitter: https://x.com/colossal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/colossal/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itiscolossal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@colossal BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/itiscolossal.bsky.social COLOSSAL PRESS CONTACT: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/colossal-to-repatriate-rare-moa-egg-to-aotearoa-new-zealand-302913317.html
Dodo revival: Colossal Biosciences uses AI to identify genetic targets
A US biotech company says it is making progress toward its goal of resurrecting the dodo, the famous flightless bird with a large hooked beak, and returning it to its native Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, where humans drove it to extinction in the 17th century. Dallas-based Colossal Biosciences said on Wednesday it has used a newly developed AI platform to identify genetic changes that may be responsible for the dodo's distinctive craniofacial traits as its scientists pursue gene-editing targets to bring back this lost species. AI platform identifies potential genetic changes Colossal is planning to perform gene-editing to bring dodo traits into the cells of its closest living relative, the Nicobar pigeon. Native to some Southeast Asian islands, the Nicobar pigeon is known for its shimmering green and copper feathers and, unlike the dodo, can fly. The company said it is in the final stages of its analysis of the dodo genome, now filled to 95%. It also said it has made an advance that should shorten the time needed to test whether a genetic edit produces the desired trait. The company did not announce a timeframe for hatching a dodo. Colossal says it is dedicated to "de-extinction" -- resurrecting vanished species. Last year, it said it had genetically engineered the dire wolf by editing the genes of the gray wolf, the extinct Ice Age predator's closest living relative, to add dire wolf traits. Besides the dodo and dire wolf, Colossal has four other species on its de-extinction list: the woolly mammoth; the thylacine, also called the Tasmanian tiger; the bluebuck antelope; and the moa, a large flightless bird. "The dodo is the world's best-known symbol of extinction caused by people. It disappeared within decades of humans arriving on Mauritius, largely because of the introduction of invasive species like rats and other animals they brought. Bringing it back shows extinction doesn't have to be permanent," Ben Lamm, Colossal's CEO and co-founder, told Reuters. "The big hurdles ahead are proving which genetic changes really matter, making many of those edits in a bird and passing them to the next generation, and preparing a safe home for dodos on Mauritius," Lamm said. Dodo's extinction and historical significance The dodo was a ground-nesting bird about 3 feet (1 metre) tall and weighing up to about 50 pounds (23 kg). Having never encountered humans, dodos exhibited no fear of the people who reached Mauritius in the 16th century. Pressured by invasive species and human hunting, the last living dodo was seen in 1662. It has remained alive in popular culture including in Lewis Carroll's book "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." Ancient DNA is always broken into small pieces, so no ancient genome is perfectly complete, including that of the dodo. The new AI platform Colossal built is called GenoMorph. "The challenge was scientists only have one complete dodo genome, making it difficult to distinguish the genetic differences that made the dodo unique from ordinary genetic variation. GenoMorph effectively acts as a 'treasure map' for the dodo genome, narrowing hundreds of thousands of possible genetic changes into the targets most likely to explain its iconic beak and facial structure," Lamm said. Beth Shapiro, Colossal's chief science officer, said GenoMorph finds likely gene-editing targets for species with very little surviving DNA. Normally scientists compare many genomes from one species to find the genes behind a trait, but this is not possible with the dodo, Shapiro said. "So instead, GenoMorph studies how skulls and beaks develop across more than 70 living bird species and learns which genetic switches control their shape. It gave us a shortlist of about 2,300 candidates linked to beak size and shape. These targets are now being validated in the lab," Shapiro said. Nicobar pigeon breeding and Mauritius conservation plans Colossal said it has expanded its colony of Nicobar pigeons in Texas to 36 birds following successful breeding among established pairs. It said this should help in studying Nicobar pigeon development, reproduction and genetics. Lamm said the company is working with Mauritian scientists, conservation groups and the Mauritius government on what bringing the dodo back to its native land might look like. "Getting Mauritius ready for dodos also means removing invasive predators and restoring habitat, which helps the native species living there now," Lamm said. "No release sites will be chosen until the ecological work and community consultation are finalized, but it is Colossal's goal to put our dodos back into their natural habitats in Mauritius." Published on October 15, 2026
