A new startup launched today with the definitely not terrifying mission of creating genetically enhanced dogs for the United States military, law enforcement, and emergency first responders.
Warhound is the brainchild of Anduril’s Palmer Luckey and Colossal Biosciences cofounder Ben Lamm. The startup has raised $200 million to “rebuild America’s domestic supply of elite working dogs” and reduce dependency on European dog breeders for military canines.
Lamm tells WIRED that Warhound is in the process of gene-editing its first batch of dogs. The startup has already collected blood samples from specific "top-performing” military, police, and first responder dogs in the United States, and its goal is to clone them. Breeds will be “mostly Belgian Malinois, some labs, and some shepherds,” he says. The company anticipates the first round of puppies to be born in early 2027.
The initial rounds of gene-editing will focus on eliminating common health conditions that impact these breeds, like hip dysplasia. Further down the line, Lamm envisions expanding to “really interesting things,” such as incorporating olfactory receptor genes from wolves to “enhance” the military dogs. (Colossal Biosciences is perhaps best known for its work on gene-edited wolves for its so-called Dire Wolf De-Extinction Project.)
Warhound, based in Texas, will also equip its canines with “Anduril’s advanced cybernetic Augments, software, and battlefield situational awareness,” according to a press releaseAsked if this means the dogs will be some kind of cyborgs, Lamm clarifies that the plan right now is to supply them with tools like “advanced body armor” rather than, say, embedding some sort of computer in their dog bodies.
“So no dogs with lasers?” WIRED asked Lamm.
“I can’t comment on what Anduril plans,” he says. “Dog safety and performance, and then helping continue helping to improve the human handler and dog bond, and working as a team—that is what the mission is.”
Neither Luckey nor Lamm will be involved in Warhound’s day-to-day, although Lamm is on the company’s board, he says. David Spirk, a former Department of Defense chief data officer who most recently worked at Palantir, is serving as chief executive, and investors include In-Q-Tel, Sequoia Capital, and ARK Invest. Luckey is not an owner and does not have equity in the company, nor does Anduril; Colossal Biosciences does have an ownership stake.
Luckey and Lamm have been working on the project for over a year, Lamm says, and just recently decided to take the company out of stealth. “Someone said, ‘So it's like the Captain America dog program with the Ironman tech program on top of it,’” Lamm tells WIRED.
Everyone can agree that this is normal, and good, and that when the precision-designed beasts arrive on Earth, they will recognize that we are not the enemy.
The company plans to operate under the guidance of the American Humane Society.