Dallas-based Warhound has raised $200 million in seed funding to develop genetically enhanced working dogs for military, police and emergency response teams, extending entrepreneur Ben Lamm’s biotechnology ambitions into defense.
The company outlined the venture in a Friday release. Lamm, chief executive of Colossal Biosciences, conceived the idea through conversations with Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey. David Spirk serves as Warhound’s CEO.
Warhound aims to combine Colossal’s genetics and cloning technology with Anduril’s equipment to improve canine health, protect dogs and handlers, and reduce reliance on overseas breeders, the company said.
“Every day, we ask dogs to put their lives on the line to protect ours,” Lamm said in the release.
Investors include Sequoia Capital, In-Q-Tel, ARK Invest and Franklin Templeton, the company said.
The initial work focuses on Belgian Malinois and German shepherds, Lamm explained in an interview with GamesBeat. Genetic changes would target inherited health problems, including vision loss and hip dysplasia, he said. Those health and performance improvements remain development goals.
The equipment would sit on the dogs rather than inside their bodies. Potential applications include protective armor and technology to share information with handlers, Lamm told GamesBeat.
Colossal licenses technology to Warhound and holds an ownership stake, while Lamm serves on the board. Anduril does not own a stake and will collaborate on technology, he told the outlet.
Warhound also plans to work under American Humane Society guidance. The organization will certify training programs and support retirement arrangements, including reuniting dogs with former handlers and assisting with adoptions, the company said.
The venture adds a defense application to Lamm’s biotechnology work. His earlier collaboration with geneticist George Church sought to develop an elephant with woolly mammoth traits, as The Dallas Express previously reported.
