What Revive & Restore does

Revive & Restore is a Sausalito, California-based nonprofit conservation organization founded in 2012 by Ryan Phelan and Stewart Brand to enhance biodiversity through the genetic rescue of endangered and extinct species using biotechnologies. The organization develops and deploys a portfolio of conservation biotechnologies — including conservation cloning, cryopreservation, stem cell technologies, genomic sequencing, portable DNA diagnostics, and the Toxic Male Technique for genetic biocontrol — and operates them as a coordinated suite termed the Genetic Rescue Toolkit. It serves a global network of zoos (Smithsonian's National Zoo, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Chester Zoo), research universities (Stanford, Cornell, Oxford, Macquarie, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Rutgers, Western Washington University), government wildlife agencies (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NSW Department of Primary Industries), and conservation NGOs. Core program lines include the Advanced Coral Toolkit, Wild Genomes, Stem Cell Technologies, the Climate Resilience Fund, Biotechnology for Bird Conservation, and species-specific projects such as Black-footed Ferret Recovery and Przewalski's Horse Conservation.

Technically, Revive & Restore's most consequential achievements are the world's first cloned black-footed ferret (Elizabeth Ann, 2020), the second cloned Przewalski's horse (2023), and the first documented case of a cloned endangered species producing offspring (Antonia's kits Sibert and Red Cloud, June 2024), with 15 ferrets now carrying the founding genetics of Willa, the original cell-line donor, as the eighth effective founder. Methodological contributions include isochoric vitrification for cryopreserving whole coral fragments, a portable low-cost DNA detection kit (Arduino/3D-printed) for coral disease diagnosis, the Poo Zoo cell culture toolkit for non-invasive biobanking from scat, the Ape Atlas forensic genomics platform for tracing confiscated great apes, and the landmark 2025 Animals journal study documenting 56 species and subspecies successfully cloned to date.

Revive & Restore's business model is grant- and donation-funded rather than commercial: it does not sell products or services. Revenue is sourced from philanthropic contributions and competitive grants, with the $2M Bezos Earth Fund AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge award in 2025 as a recent major inflow, and the organization re-grants to research partners (e.g., a $3.4M inaugural Climate Resilience Fund cohort across ten projects). Go-to-market is event- and partnership-driven, with 1–10 employees coordinating 70+ active research projects, leveraging peer-reviewed publications, IUCN policy engagement, and workshops to influence conservation practice worldwide.

Name

Revive & Restore

Legal name

Revive & Restore

Website

https://reviverestore.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Revive & Restore is a Sausalito-based nonprofit founded in 2012 that develops and applies conservation biotechnologies — including cloning, cryopreservation, stem cell technologies, and genomic sequencing — to enhance genetic diversity and recover endangered and extinct species for a global network of zoos, universities, and wildlife agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Biotechnology

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF), Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation biotechnology
• Genetic rescue services
• Conservation cloning programs
• Endangered species genomics
• Coral cryopreservation research

Headquarters

HQ city

Sausalito

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Others, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Revive & Restore operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors who support wildlife conservation and genetic rescue initiatives.
2. Grants and Funded Programs: The organization receives grants for specific research programs including the Catalyst Science Fund, Climate Resilience Fund, and Wild Genomes program. Received $2M from Bezos Earth Fund's AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge and awarded $3.4M to Climate Resilience Fund cohort.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Revive & Restore operates a portfolio of programs under its Genetic Rescue Toolkit to apply biotechnologies for the conservation of endangered and extinct species. Its work includes conservation cloning (e.g., black-footed ferrets, Przewalski's horse), coral cryopreservation via isochoric vitrification, stem cell technologies for endangered species reproduction, reference genome sequencing, and grantmaking initiatives such as the Catalyst Science Fund, Climate Resilience Fund, and Wild Genomes program. The organization funds, convenes, and partners with zoos, universities, and government agencies to translate biotechnology into conservation practice.

Product overview

Revive & Restore is the leading wildlife conservation nonprofit organization promoting the incorporation of biotechnologies into standard conservation practice. Rather than a single unified product, Revive & Restore operates as a coordinated portfolio of programs and funding initiatives centered on the Genetic Rescue Toolkit. The core programs include the Advanced Coral Toolkit (funding coral resilience biotechnologies), Wild Genomes (genomic sequencing tools for conservation), Stem Cell Technologies (reproductive biotechnologies for endangered species), and the Climate Resilience Fund (genetic rescue for marine ecosystems). These programs are complemented by species-specific projects including Black-footed Ferret Recovery, Przewalski's Horse Conservation, and Horseshoe Crab Conservation, as well as strategic initiatives like the Catalyst Science Fund (early-stage research), Intended Consequences Initiative (ethical framework), and Informed Biobanking (genetic material preservation). Together, this integrated approach enables genetic rescue across mammals, birds, marine species, and coral ecosystems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Genetic Rescue Toolkit Comprehensive suite of genetic rescue tools and methodologies designed to enhance biodiversity through genome sequencing, gene editing, cloning, cryopreservation, and biotechnology approaches for conservation of endangered and extinct species. Targeted at zoos, conservation breeding programs, research institutions, and government wildlife agencies.
• Advanced Coral Toolkit Funding program supporting the development and field testing of new biotechnologies, including cryopreservation, point-of-care diagnostics, and thermal resilience research, to enhance coral resilience and restoration. Targeted at marine conservation researchers and coral restoration practitioners.
• Wild Genomes Funding program accelerating the adoption of genomic sequencing for applied wildlife conservation by providing high-quality reference genomes, frozen cell lines, and genomic tools to field scientists and wildlife managers. Targeted at academic researchers and conservation scientists.
• Stem Cell Technologies Exploratory program developing stem cell technology to achieve offspring for endangered species, fight wildlife disease, and engineer resilience through genetic rescue strategies. Targeted at reproductive biology researchers and conservation breeding programs.
• Climate Resilience Fund Grantmaking initiative supporting innovative applications of biotechnology and genetic rescue to marine species and coastal ecosystems facing climate-driven threats, with focus on blue carbon ecosystems and marine microbes. Targeted at marine researchers and climate-focused conservation teams.
• Biotechnology for Bird Conservation Program enabling genetic rescue biotechnologies to help save endangered birds, supporting projects through funding calls for proposals and scientific collaboration. Targeted at ornithological researchers and bird conservation programs.
• Black-footed Ferret Recovery Long-term conservation cloning program to restore genetic diversity in black-footed ferrets through strategic cloning from cryopreserved cells of founder individuals. Targeted at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and AZA-accredited zoos.
• Przewalski's Horse Conservation Conservation cloning program for the world's last truly wild horse species, using frozen cell lines to increase genetic diversity. Targeted at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, ViaGen, and international conservation partners.
• Catalyst Science Fund Funding mechanism supporting early-stage scientific research and development of point-of-care diagnostics and innovative biotechnologies for conservation. Targeted at academic researchers developing new conservation technologies.
• Informed Biobanking Program supporting the collection and preservation of genetic material from endangered species for future restoration efforts. Targeted at zoos, biobanks, and conservation breeding programs.
• Horseshoe Crab Conservation Initiative to develop synthetic alternatives to horseshoe crab blood for drug safety testing, including the Sustainability Scorecard for Endotoxin Testing. Targeted at biomedical and pharmaceutical stakeholders reliant on Limulus Amebocyte Lysate.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 ferrets carrying Willa's genetic material established as eighth founder, breaking the genetic bottleneck
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, flagship and core.

• NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (Australia)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2026Scientists received grant to research genetic editing as tool to help kelp withstand climate change pressures.
• Stanford UniversitystrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026Collaboration with Drs. Bo Wang and Stephen Palumbi on culturing and engineering symbiotic algae for coral restoration.
• Palau International Coral Reef CenterstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026Partner in symbiotic algae research for coral restoration, validating techniques in Palau marine ecosystems.
• Universitat Pompeu FabrastrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026Dr. Tomas Marques-Bonet leads Ape Atlas forensic genomics platform development for great ape conservation and wildlife crime enforcement.
• Rutgers University (Bhattacharya Group)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2026Developed portable low-cost DNA detection kit for coral health monitoring. Funded through Catalyst Science Fund for point-of-care diagnostics.
• Eurafrica Conservation ProjectsstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2025Italian nonprofit performing in situ secretary bird conservation in Tanzania and South Africa, partnering with African universities.
• Western Washington UniversitystrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2025Dr. James Dimond conducted pinto abalone population genetics research spanning 3,700 km range, funded through Wild Genomes Marine program.
• Chester ZoostrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2025Collaboration on The Poo Zoo project sampling elephant, giraffe, okapi, and sun bear scat for cell culture development.
• University of OxfordstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2025Professor Suzannah Williams co-designed The Poo Zoo project and serves on Stem Cell Workshop steering committee.
• Macquarie UniversitystrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2025Dr. Maciej Maselko and Samuel Beach developed Toxic Male Technique for genetic biocontrol, funded by Catalyst Science Fund.
• The Rockefeller UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025AI partnership as part of Bezos Earth Fund $2M award to develop AI tools democratizing genome conservation worldwide.
• Cornell UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025AI partnership as part of Bezos Earth Fund $2M award to develop AI tools democratizing genome conservation worldwide.
• San Antonio ZoostrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 July 2024Co-funded expedition to find Chile Mountains false toad for genome sequencing and conservation planning.
• California Academy of SciencesstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2024Led Xerces Blue butterfly relative project, using genetic sequencing and fieldwork to identify Silvery Blue as ecological stand-in.
• Presidio TruststrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2024Partner in Presidio sand dunes habitat restoration and Silvery Blue butterfly reintroduction to restore ecosystem function.
• Texas A&M University College of EngineeringstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 August 2023Collaboration on isochoric vitrification research with Matt Powell-Palm contributing cryopreservation expertise for coral conservation.
• University of California, Berkeley College of EngineeringstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 August 2023Research collaboration on isochoric vitrification technique with Boris Rubinsky contributing engineering expertise.
• Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstituteflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Long-standing partnership for conservation cloning programs including black-footed ferret recovery and coral cryopreservation research. Hosts cloned ferrets and conducts breeding programs.
• San Diego Zoo Wildlife AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Provides Frozen Zoo genetic material preservation and expertise. Frozen cell samples from Willa (1988) enabled first black-footed ferret cloning success.
• ViaGen Pets & EquinecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 December 2020World's most experienced cloning company providing commercial capacity and expertise for endangered species conservation cloning programs.
• Association of Zoos and AquariumscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Accrediting body for zoos supporting black-footed ferret breeding programs and conservation efforts across member institutions.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Partner in Black-footed Ferret Recovery Program, providing federal oversight and coordination for endangered species conservation cloning initiatives.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: Operates the Frozen Zoo cryopreserved cell collection and is a founding partner of Revive & Restore's black-footed ferret cloning program. Its Wildlife Biodiversity Bank is the most directly comparable genomic biobanking operation in conservation, making it the closest functional peer.
• Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute: Long-term flagship partner of Revive & Restore, hosting cloned ferrets and conducting the coral cryopreservation breakthrough with isochoric vitrification. Operates conservation biology programs that integrate biotechnologies similarly to Revive & Restore's toolkit.
• Frozen Ark: UK-based nonprofit consortium supporting the preservation of genetic material from endangered species. The closest international peer focused specifically on biobanking and cryopreservation for conservation, with overlapping scientific leadership and a complementary UK/EU geographic footprint.

Emerging players

• Colossal Biosciences: Well-funded private biotech pursuing de-extinction and genetic rescue of thylacine, woolly mammoth, and dodo through advanced genome editing and cloning. Overlaps significantly on the core technology stack (cloning, stem cells, cryopreservation) and competes for the same scientific talent and grant dollars in conservation biotech.
• Fauna Bio: Biotechnology company applying comparative genomics and biobanked animal samples to discover novel therapeutics. Shares Revive & Restore's biobanking infrastructure philosophy and demonstrates the commercial translation pathway for conservation-derived genomic resources.

Broad incumbents

• Wildlife Conservation Society: Major global conservation NGO operating field programs across species recovery. A larger, more established incumbent that increasingly incorporates biotechnology tools into species recovery work, competing for philanthropic conservation funding at a similar programmatic altitude.
• Re:wild: Global conservation organization formed from the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation's biodiversity program, focused on protecting and restoring species and ecosystems. Operates at similar organizational scale to Revive & Restore and increasingly engages with biotech-enabled conservation approaches.
• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): The global authority on species conservation status whose November 2025 vote endorsed biotech frameworks. Operates the Red List and convening infrastructure that Revive & Restore's programs plug into; functionally adjacent as the policy and standards layer above Revive & Restore's operational programs.
• NatureServe: Nonprofit that provides the authoritative wildlife conservation data and maps used by federal and state agencies. Operates a parallel track of decision-grade biodiversity data infrastructure that increasingly integrates genomic and biotech outputs from groups like Revive & Restore.

Others

• ViaGen Pets & Equine: Commercial cloning partner for Revive & Restore's ferret and horse programs. While a for-profit services provider rather than a mission-aligned peer, it represents the commercial cloning capacity that Revive & Restore depends on and an obvious potential ecosystem partner or acquirer of conservation-cloning capacity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Revive_Restore
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ReviveRestore
• Facebookfacebook.com/ReviveandRestoreProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/revive-restore
• Instagraminstagram.com/revive_restore_biodiversity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Revive & Restore