The start-ups dreaming of creating genetically modified babies

"If proven to be safe, we believe preventive gene editing could be one of the most important health technologies of the century." This is how Lucas Harrington explained the goal of his company Preventive: to create genetically modified babies. Trying to intervene on the genome of an already-sick adult "is difficult and usually cannot reverse the damage that has already occurred," argues the 30-something entrepreneur in the statement announcing his project in October 2025. "It is far easier to correct a smaller number of cells before disease progression occurs, such as in an embryo," he states, before revealing a $30 million (€25.6 million) fundraising round.

Based in San Francisco, the young company receives backing from major names in the tech industry. Among them is Brian Armstrong, the head of cryptocurrency platform Coinbase, who has invested in a personal capacity. Also supporting the project is Sam Altman, the co-founder of OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, through his husband Oliver Mulherin, who has invested in the initiative. "I care about research that helps people avoid disease. Sam is supportive, as...