Warhound Raises $200 Million To Develop Genetically Engineered Working Dogs
The Texas startup plans to breed and gene-edit dogs for U.S. military and emergency work, with protective equipment and software from Anduril.
Warhound has emerged from stealth with $200 million to develop genetically engineered working dogs for the U.S. military, law enforcement and emergency responders. The Texas startup grew out of a project by Colossal Biosciences cofounder Ben Lamm and Anduril cofounder Palmer Luckey. Its first puppies are expected in early 2027, according to WIRED and TechCrunch.
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Why Warhound is developing the dogs
Warhound aims to expand the domestic supply of dogs trained for demanding work, including bomb detection and searches. In its launch announcement, the company said more than 80% of working dogs used by the U.S. military come from Europe and fewer than half are fit for service, according to TechCrunch. Those figures are the company’s claims, not independently established outcomes of Warhound’s program.
TechCrunch reported that the funding round values Warhound at $1.2 billion and named In-Q-Tel, Sequoia and 8VC among its investors. WIRED also named In-Q-Tel and Sequoia, and listed ARK Invest. According to WIRED, former Department of Defense chief data officer David Spirk is Warhound’s CEO. Lamm and Luckey will not run its day-to-day operations; Lamm sits on the board, while Luckey and Anduril hold no equity. Colossal has an ownership stake.
From selected dogs to protective gear
Warhound has collected samples from high-performing military, police and first-responder dogs, Lamm told WIRED. The company plans to clone selected animals and edit their genes, initially targeting health problems such as hip dysplasia. Lamm said the breeds would be mostly Belgian Malinois, along with some Labrador retrievers and shepherds. TechCrunch reported that another Colossal-owned company, Viagen, will help with cloning.
Lamm described more ambitious possibilities for later stages, including changes intended to improve dogs’ sense of smell. He told WIRED that incorporating olfactory receptor genes from wolves was one idea. Those potential changes are distinct from the company’s initial work on health conditions.
Anduril is expected to provide equipment and software for the dogs and their handlers. Lamm described protective vests and sensors to TechCrunch, and told WIRED that the current plan involves gear such as advanced body armor, not computers implanted in dogs. The first puppies have yet to be born. Lamm told TechCrunch he hopes they could enter service within two years, but that remains a goal rather than a deployment date.
Training and unanswered commercial questions
Warhound says it is working with the American Humane Society on guidance for its program. TechCrunch reported that the company hopes the organization will help certify its training program and that retired dogs may enter a program that finds homes for military working dogs.
Warhound has not set a price for its dogs, TechCrunch reported. Lamm said the company has briefed government groups, but neither report describes a purchase agreement or an approved dog entering service. For now, the launch represents a funded effort to combine animal genetics with equipment for working-dog teams, not a demonstrated replacement for the dogs those teams currently use.
Sources
This story was compiled by AI from the reports below. Read the originals for the full details.