Warhound Secures Funding For Engineered Dogs

The U.S. military has long relied on foreign sources for a significant portion of its working dogs, a dependency that has left defense officials concerned about supply stability. To address this gap, a new company called Warhound emerged from stealth mode on Thursday, revealing that it has raised $200 million to genetically engineer dogs specifically for military, law enforcement, and emergency response operations.

The fresh capital came from a group of investors that includes Sequoia, 8VC, and Corner Ventures. The round also featured In-Q-Tel, a venture firm supported by the CIA and other U.S. intelligence agencies. This investment values Warhound at $1.2 billion, signaling strong confidence in its novel approach to creating a domestic supply of high-performance working animals.

Warhound’s dogs do not yet exist in the world, but the company plans to deploy them for tasks that are hazardous for humans or technically difficult for machines. These roles include bomb detection, search operations, and other specialized duties. In its launch materials, the company highlighted that over 80% of the U.S. military’s current working dogs are imported from Europe. Furthermore, less than half of those imported animals are ultimately deemed fit for service, indicating a dwindling and unreliable supply chain.

Ben Lamm of Colossal Biosciences and Palmer Luckey of Anduril founded the venture after meeting at a conference about a year ago. Luckey noted that more should be done to support the military’s canine workforce. Lamm subsequently researched how working dogs are bred and discovered that many fail training due to inherited issues such as poor eyesight, high cancer risks, hip dysplasia, or muscle atrophy.

Lamm believes that dogs can be enhanced for better health, longevity, speed, agility, and even olfactory sensitivity for tasks like bomb sniffing. His team has studied top-performing breeds, including the Belgian Malinois and German Shepherd, to collect cell lines for a biobank. The process involves editing these genes to add traits that improve performance while removing those that cause problems, effectively creating a new type of dog suited for demanding missions.

Anduril will provide the technological hardware and software to assist the dogs and their handlers. This includes equipment such as protection vests and goggles designed to improve situational awareness. Lamm described the concept as bulletproof vests equipped with data sensors that transmit information back to handlers, allowing them to better understand the operational environment. He emphasized that these enhancements are added on top of the dog rather than inside it, aiming to make the animals safer and healthier while also protecting their human partners.

Luckey serves as a partner in the venture but holds no equity, according to Lamm. Colossal Biosciences, known for its de-extinction projects, owns equity in the business and supports it by licensing its gene cloning technology. Viagen, another company owned by Colossal, will partner with Warhound to handle the actual cloning of the animals. Lamm noted that Viagen’s technology has a high success rate, a factor already utilized in Colossal’s efforts to protect endangered species.

The first batch of dogs is scheduled to be cloned and incubated soon, with births expected in early 2027. The company hopes these animals can begin service within two years. While pricing has not yet been determined, Warhound expects to sell to first responders, the Department of Defense, military service groups, and police forces. Lamm stated that the company has already briefed many government groups on its business model and operations.

Regarding civilian safety, Lamm explained that each dog will undergo standard military working dog training and be managed by the purchasing agency. To ensure ethical treatment, the company is working under the guidance of the American Humane Society. The organization will help certify Warhound’s training program. Additionally, the hope is that retired Warhound dogs will enter the Society’s Military Working Dog Reunification Program, which provides homes for retired animals.

The American Humane Society released a statement applauding Warhound and Colossal for inviting the nation’s first national humane organization to collaborate. The Society said it looks forward to working with the startup to ensure that the animals in their care are treated humanely, grounding the partnership in science and ethics.