Warhound Secures $200 Million to Genetically Engineer Military Dogs

A new venture is emerging from stealth to apply advanced genetic engineering to military working dogs, backed by a significant influx of venture capital. Warhound, a collaboration between Colossal Biosciences’ Ben Lamm and Anduril’s Palmer Luckey, has announced a $200 million funding round led by investors including Sequoia, 8VC, Corner Ventures, and In-Q-Tel. This capital infusion values the company at $1.2 billion.

The core objective is to address a shortage of qualified animals for service. Warhound states that over 80% of working dogs currently serving with the U.S. military are sourced from Europe, and less than half of those imported animals pass the fitness requirements for service. This reliance on foreign supply chains creates a bottleneck for units that require canines for hazardous tasks, including bomb detection, search operations, and specialized maneuvers.

Lamm explained that he met Luckey roughly a year ago at a conference, where they discussed the military’s canine needs. Subsequent research into breeding practices revealed that many animals fail training due to inherited health issues such as poor eyesight, high cancer risk, hip dysplasia, or muscle atrophy. To combat this, Lamm’s team has sourced cell lines from top-performing Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds to store in a biobank for the purpose of editing genes to enhance health, longevity, and sensory capabilities.

While the biological component of the project falls under Colossal, the hardware and software support will be provided by Anduril. The company plans to supply equipment such as protective vests and goggles designed to assist handlers with situational awareness and coordination. Lamm described a scenario involving vests equipped with data sensors that relay information back to handlers, noting that these additions are intended to protect the dogs from the outside rather than modifying them internally.

Regarding the timeline for deployment, Lamm stated that the first batch of dogs is currently being cloned and incubated, with births anticipated early next year and potential service commencement ideally within two years. Cloning will be handled by Viagen, a company owned by Colossal, which Lamm noted has a high success rate in cloning technology. Warhound does not yet have pricing established but plans to market the animals to first responders, police forces, and the Department of Defense.

The company is collaborating with the American Humane Society to certify the training program for these new animals. In a statement regarding this partnership, the American Humane Society said, “We applaud Warhound and Colossal for inviting the country’s first national humane organization, which is grounded in science and ethics, to have a seat at the table. We look forward to working with them to help ensure the animals in their care are treated humanely.”