Warhound Launches With $200M For Engineered K9s

The United States military relies heavily on canine partners for high-risk operations, but the domestic supply of these animals is shrinking. On Thursday, Warhound emerged from stealth mode with $200 million in new funding, signaling a major push to engineer a new generation of working dogs for the defense sector.

The startup is backed by prominent investors including Sequoia, 8VC, Corner Ventures, and In-Q-Tel, the latter being a venture firm supported by U.S. intelligence agencies. This funding round values the company at $1.2 billion. Warhound is a joint venture involving Ben Lamm of Colossal Biosciences and Palmer Luckey of Anduril, who met approximately a year ago at a conference and began collaborating on the concept.

Currently, more than 80% of the U.S. military’s working dogs are imported from Europe, and fewer than half are deemed fit for service. Lamm explained that many imported dogs struggle with inherited health issues, such as poor eyesight, hip dysplasia, or a high likelihood of cancer, which can cause them to fail training. Warhound intends to solve this by using gene-editing technology to remove detrimental traits and enhance characteristics like speed, agility, and olfactory sensitivity in top-performing breeds like the Belgian Malinois and German Shepherd.

The dogs will also be equipped with hardware and software from Anduril. This gear, described as being "on top of the dog, not in the dog," includes items like protection vests and goggles designed to aid situational awareness. Lamm noted that bulletproof vests could feature data sensors that transmit real-time information to handlers, improving coordination and safety during missions.

Colossal Biosciences, which owns equity in the venture and licenses its gene-editing technology, will work with Viagen, another Colossal-owned company, to clone the first batch of dogs. Lamm stated that the initial clones are currently being incubated, with births expected early next year. The goal is for these animals to enter service within two years, with sales targeted at the Department of Defense, police forces, and other first responders.

To address concerns about animal welfare, the company is collaborating with the American Humane Society. The organization will help certify Warhound’s training program and aims to ensure that retired dogs enter its Military Working Dog Reunification Program for rehoming. Lamm emphasized that each dog will be trained and managed like any standard military working dog, with the enhancements designed to make the animals safer and more effective in the line of duty.