Managed breeding programs for threatened species held across zoo-based networks typically face high economic costs and can be at risk of adverse genetic effects typical of unavoidably small captive colonies. Emerging evidence suggests that biobanking and associated assisted reproductive technologies could address these economic and genetic challenges. We recently developed a modelled scenario, supported by detailed costings, where these technologies are optimized and could be integrated into conservation breeding programs of koalas. Genetic and economic modelling presented in this study suggests that that supplementing captive koala populations with cryopreserved founder sperm using artificial insemination or intracytoplasmic sperm injection could substantially reduce inbreeding, lower the required colony sizes of conservation breeding programs, and greatly reduce program costs. Ambitious genetic retention targets (maintaining 90%, 95% and 99% of source population heterozygosity for 100 years) could be possible within realistic cost frameworks, with output koalas suited for wild release. This presentation will summarise the modelling system and major findings of this study, the viral media campaign following the studies release, and the broad utility of these cost and policy-based arguments as leverage tools to argue for the further development of assisted reproduction and biobanking protocols in threatened species.