New England Defense: $200M Poured Into Genetically Engineered Military Dogs

The United States military currently relies heavily on imports for its canine workforce, a dependency that a new Boston-adjacent startup hopes to eliminate through genetic engineering. On Thursday, Warhound emerged from stealth mode after securing $200 million in funding to create a new breed of dogs designed for dangerous military and law enforcement tasks.

The round values the company at $1.2 billion and includes investment from Sequoia, 8VC, Corner Ventures, and In-Q-Tel, a venture firm supported by U.S. intelligence agencies. The venture was co-founded by Ben Lamm of Colossal Biosciences and Palmer Luckey of Anduril. According to the company's launch announcement, more than 80 percent of the U.S. military's working dogs come from Europe, and fewer than half of those are fit for service upon arrival.

Warhound aims to change this supply chain dynamic by engineering dogs with specific traits suited for demanding missions. The dogs will handle tasks that are risky for humans or difficult for machines, such as bomb detection and specialized searches. Lamm noted that many traditional working dogs fail training due to inherited issues like poor eyesight, cancer, hip dysplasia, or muscle atrophy. By editing genes, the team intends to add traits that improve performance and remove those that cause problems, creating a new type of dog based on high-performing breeds like the Belgian Malinois and German Shepherd.

The partnership with Anduril is a key component of the strategy. The defense tech firm will provide hardware and software to assist the dogs and their handlers. This includes items like protection vests and goggles designed to improve situational awareness. Lamm described the concept as adding technology on top of the dog, such as bulletproof vests with data sensors that send information back to handlers. This approach is designed to make the dogs safer and healthier beyond their genetics, which in turn protects the human handlers as well.

Lamm and Luckey first connected at a conference about a year ago, where Luckey expressed concern about the state of the military's working dogs. Since then, Lamm has researched breeding practices and established a biobank of cell lines from top-performing breeds. His team is now editing these genes to enhance health, longevity, speed, agility, and olfactory sensors for tasks like sniffing out explosives. Luckey serves as a partner in the venture but does not hold equity, while Colossal Biosciences owns a stake and licenses its technology to the new company.

Colossal is best known for its de-extinction work, including efforts to bring back animals like the dodo and the mammoth. For Warhound, the company is leveraging its AI and gene cloning expertise. Viagen, another company owned by Colossal, will partner with Warhound to clone the dogs. Lamm stated that the first batch is about to be cloned and incubated, with births expected early next year and service beginning within two years. The cloning technology has a high success rate and is already used in programs to protect endangered species.

The company has not yet determined the price for these engineered dogs but expects to sell them to first responders, the Department of Defense, military service groups, and police forces. Lamm said the company has briefed various government groups about the business. Regarding civilian safety, he explained that each dog will be trained like any standard military working dog and will be managed by the buyer.

To address ethical concerns, Warhound is working under the guidance of the American Humane Society to certify its training program. The goal is for retired military dogs to enter the Society's Military Working Dog Reunification Program or other support programs. The American Humane Society said in a statement that it applauds Warhound and Colossal for inviting the national humane organization to have a seat at the table, looking forward to ensuring the animals are treated humanely.