Warhound raises $200M to engineer war dogs and arm them with Anduril gear
Warhound, a new startup backed by $200 million in funding, aims to genetically engineer working dogs for military and law enforcement use. The company plans to enhance traits like health, speed, and olfactory sensitivity to address shortages in high-quality service dogs.
Why it matters
The intersection of biotechnology and defense raises significant ethical questions regarding the genetic modification of animals for military applications.
Colossal Biosciences’ Ben Lamm and Andruil’s Palmer Luckey had an idea to genetically engineer war dogs for the U.S. military, law enforcement, and other emergency response teams. That idea, on Thursday, announced its emergence from stealth as Warhound, armed with $200 million in funding from investors including In-Q-Tel, Sequoia, and 8VC. The round values the company at $1.2 billion.
These are dogs that perform tasks that are dangerous for humans or difficult for machines, like bomb detection, searches, and other specialized operations. In its launch announcement, the company said that more than 80% of the working dogs used by the U.S. military come from Europe and less than half of them are fit for service.
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