Warhound raises $200M to engineer war dogs and arm them with Anduril gear

A new company for war dogs

Warhound came out of stealth mode on Thursday. Its founders are Colossal Biosciences CEO Ben Lamm and Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey. The plan is to use gene editing to create better working dogs. These dogs would do jobs that are risky for people or hard for machines, such as finding bombs and searching buildings. Anduril would add tech gear like vests and goggles.

Key numbers and facts

• $200 million in funding from investors including In-Q-Tel, Sequoia, and 8VC
• $1.2 billion company value
• More than 80% of working dogs used by the U.S. military come from Europe
• Less than half of those dogs are fit for service
• The first batch of dogs is expected to be born early next year and enter service within about two years

Why the dogs are hard to get

Many dogs fail training because of genes. Some have poor eyesight or a high risk of cancer, hip problems, or muscle loss. Warhound's team started with two top working breeds, the Belgian Malinois and the German Shepherd. They saved cells from these dogs in a biobank, which is a storage place for biological material. Then they plan to edit genes to keep helpful traits and remove harmful ones. Colossal is already known for trying to bring back extinct animals, such as the dodo and the mammoth.

Why it matters

The U.S. relies on other countries for many working dogs, and there are not enough good ones. If Warhound succeeds, it could give the military and police a steady supply of healthier, stronger dogs. It also raises big questions about editing animal genes. Government approval and the cost of the dogs are still unknown.

What to watch

• Whether the first cloned puppies are born early next year
• Whether the dogs reach service within about two years
• How much the dogs will cost
• Whether government groups approve the plan
• How Anduril's vests and goggles work with the dogs