Palmer Luckey Made a Genetically Modified Military Dog Startup
Startup Warhound, founded by Palmer Luckey and Ben Lamm, has raised $200 million to develop genetically enhanced dogs for military and emergency use. The company plans to clone and gene-edit breeds like Belgian Malinois to improve health and performance, with the first puppies expected in 2027.
Why it matters
This venture represents a significant intersection of biotechnology, defense contracting, and animal ethics, raising questions about the future of military technology and genetic engineering.
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.
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