Colossal Biosciences Says Scientist Stole Trade Secrets

Colossal Biosciences sued former executive James Kehler, alleging he stole trade secrets and shared confidential research with competing labs after leaving the de-extinction startup. The Texas federal lawsuit, filed Friday morning in Austin, says Kehler transferred company files before his departure and later used protected information at a rival lab.

The Dallas-based company alleges Kehler breached three contracts after he left. Colossal said forensic analysis of his work laptop found that he moved confidential files to a personal cloud account and multiple personal devices before resigning. The company described the alleged conduct as a betrayal of science central to its mission.

Colossal Alleges Kehler Stole Trade Secrets

According to the lawsuit, Kehler had access to sensitive scientific information while serving as Colossal’s vice president of animal sciences and later of BioSynergy. That material included data from its avian programs, including work involving the dodo and moa, a large, wingless bird formerly found in New Zealand.

After resigning, Kehler joined Neion Bio around April 14, 2026, as head of avian sciences. Colossal alleges he used and disclosed its trade secrets and confidential information there. Kehler did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

The suit also links Kehler to Felix Pets, a startup that says it uses gene-editing technology to develop hypoallergenic cats. Colossal alleges that the process depends on research and know-how underlying its de-extinction work. The complaint says unauthorized disclosure to a competitor could allow others to reproduce work that took Colossal years in days or weeks and at a fraction of the cost.

Colossal is seeking damages. Its complaint says protecting proprietary information is central to its competitive advantage and its effort to pursue de-extinction. The company also argues that the alleged disclosure could harm the goals of restoring species and ecosystems affected by their loss.

The Lawsuit Follows Colossal’s Expansion

Colossal says it is working on the woolly mammoth, dodo, thylacine and dire wolf. The thylacine is described in the report as a cat-like carnivore with massive jaws, also known as the Tasmanian tiger. Colossal has said its Dallas lab processes tissue samples from endangered animals, edits genomes and works to reprogram stem cells.

The startup said those efforts aim to undo large-scale biodiversity loss, revive extinct species and preserve endangered ones. The lawsuit places protection of its scientific information at the center of that work, while the claims about Kehler remain allegations.

Colossal raised $200 million in a January 2025 funding round led by TWG Global, which was co-founded by Mark Walter and Thomas Tull. The round valued the company at $10.2 billion. The report says investors include Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones.

The company has raised at least $435 million since its 2021 founding by entrepreneur Ben Lamm and geneticist George Church, a professor at Harvard and MIT. In its complaint, Colossal said confidential information underpins its ability to pursue its de-extinction work.

The allegations add to other disputes covered by Grit Daily, including a shareholder securities lawsuit and a federal case involving a California CEO. The site has also reported a separate alleged server-smuggling case.

The complaint seeks damages over the alleged transfer and use of Colossal’s information. Kehler’s response was not immediately available in the source report.

The lawsuit account describes Colossal’s allegations and its request for damages.