Warhound Raises $200M to Genetically Engineer Military Working Dogs with Anduril Tech
A New Venture Emerges from Stealth
Colossal Biosciences founder Ben Lamm and Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey have teamed up on an ambitious idea: genetically engineering working dogs for the U.S. military, law enforcement, and emergency response teams. On Thursday, that concept emerged from stealth as Warhound, backed by $200 million in funding from investors including In-Q-Tel, Sequoia, and 8VC. The round values the company at $1.2 billion.
Warhound aims to produce dogs capable of handling tasks that are either too dangerous for humans or too difficult for machines—such as bomb detection, search operations, and other specialized missions.
The Problem: A Shrinking, Foreign-Dependent Supply
In its launch announcement, Warhound highlighted a critical vulnerability: more than 80% of the working dogs used by the U.S. military come from Europe, and fewer than half of those are actually fit for service. This leaves the U.S. with both a dwindling supply of capable working dogs and a growing reliance on foreign nations for animals that play an essential role in military and law enforcement operations.
That gap is central to Warhound's mission. The company hopes to leverage Colossal's genetic engineering technology to produce dogs with "characteristics suited to demanding missions," according to a press release.
How the Partnership Came Together
Lamm told TechCrunch he first met Luckey about a year ago at a conference, where the Anduril founder raised the idea of doing more for working dogs in the U.S. military. The two stayed in touch, and Lamm began researching the breeding challenges facing the working-dog pipeline.
Many dogs fail to complete training due to genetic predispositions toward issues such as poor eyesight, high cancer risk, hip dysplasia, or muscle atrophy. Lamm saw an opportunity to enhance dogs for health, longevity, speed, agility, and even olfactory capability for tasks like bomb detection.
His team identified the top-performing working dog breeds—the Belgian Malinois and German Shepherd—and preserved their cell lines in a biobank. From there, the plan is to edit genes: adding traits that improve performance while removing those that compromise it, ultimately creating "a new type of dog."
Anduril's Role: Technology On the Dog, Not In the Dog
While Colossal handles the genetic engineering, Anduril will contribute software and hardware enhancements—such as protective vests and goggles—designed to improve situational awareness and coordination for both dogs and their handlers. Lamm described, for example, bulletproof vests equipped with data sensors that relay information back to handlers in real time.
"The idea is, if we make the dog safer, make it healthier, make it perform better, it's going to perform better in the line of duty," Lamm said. He emphasized that Anduril's additions are meant to make the dogs safer and healthier "on top of the dog, not in the dog"—and that these enhancements should also better protect human handlers.
Lamm clarified to TechCrunch that Luckey does not hold equity in Warhound and serves only as a partner. Colossal, by contrast, does hold equity in the business and supports it by licensing its technology.
Building on Colossal's Gene-Editing Expertise
Colossal Biosciences is best known for its de-extinction efforts involving animals such as the dodo and the woolly mammoth. As Lamm has previously told TechCrunch, the company has been deploying AI and acquiring and building technology to accelerate gene cloning, as well as the identification and reproduction of animal genes—capabilities that now underpin Warhound's work.
Timeline: First Dogs Expected Early Next Year
According to Lamm, the first batch of dogs is about to be cloned and incubated, with births expected early next year. Ideally, the animals would enter service within the next two years.
As the venture moves forward, Warhound will need to demonstrate that its genetically enhanced dogs can deliver on the promise of healthier, longer-serving animals—while navigating the ethical and regulatory questions that come with engineering the next generation of working dogs.