Warhound Launches With $200 Million

Warhound emerged from stealth on Thursday, revealing a $200 million funding round to develop genetically engineered dogs for the U.S. military, law enforcement, and emergency response teams. The startup is backed by Sequoia, 8VC, Corner Ventures, and In-Q-Tel, a venture firm supported by U.S. intelligence agencies. The investment values the company at $1.2 billion. The venture was conceived by Ben Lamm of Colossal Biosciences and Palmer Luckey of Anduril, who met at a conference roughly a year ago and began collaborating on improving military working dogs.

The U.S. currently faces a shortage of suitable working dogs, with more than 80% imported from Europe and less than half of those imports fit for service. Lamm noted that many imported dogs fail training due to inherited issues such as poor eyesight, cancer risks, or hip dysplasia. Warhound plans to address this by engineering dogs with characteristics suited for demanding missions. The team has collected cell lines from top-performing breeds, including Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds, to create a biobank. They intend to edit genes to improve health, longevity, speed, and olfactory sensors for tasks like bomb detection.

Anduril will supply the technological gear for these new canines. The partnership involves providing software and hardware, such as protective vests and goggles, to aid situational awareness. Lamm described the concept as placing enhancements on the dog rather than inside it. For instance, bulletproof vests equipped with data sensors would send real-time information to handlers. This approach aims to make the dogs safer and more effective in the line of duty while also protecting their human partners. Luckey serves as a venture partner but holds no equity, while Colossal owns equity and licenses its technology to the new company.

Colossal is best known for its de-extinction projects, such as efforts to revive the dodo and mammoth. The company utilizes artificial intelligence to clone genes and identify animal traits. For Warhound, Colossal-owned Viagen will handle the cloning process, a technology Lamm says has a high success rate. The first batch of dogs is scheduled to be cloned and incubated soon. Births are expected early next year, with service beginning within two years. The company has not yet set a price for the animals but expects to sell to first responders, the Department of Defense, and police forces.

Regarding civilian safety, Lamm stated that each dog will undergo standard military working dog training and be managed by its purchasing agency. The company is working with the American Humane Society to certify its training program. There is also a goal to place retired Warhound dogs into the Society’s reunification program, which provides homes for retired military canines. The American Humane Society welcomed the collaboration, stating they look forward to ensuring the animals are treated humanely. Warhound has already briefed various government groups about its operations.