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On October 23, 2026, Colossal Biosciences founder Ben Lamm and Anduril founder Palmer Luckey jointly launched defense tech startup Warhound, emerging from stealth with a $200 million seed round. The company is based in Texas, and its CEO is former Pentagon Chief Data Officer David Spirk. Warhound plans to preserve genetic samples from, clone, and perform targeted gene editing on trained military working dogs, and to integrate them with Anduril's protective gear and Eagle Eye system. Reports the same day said its early gene editing targets hereditary conditions such as hip dysplasia, with later work potentially drawing on wolf genes to enhance speed, agility, and scent, and the first gene-edited puppies are expected to be born in early 2027. Lamm said the first dogs are expected to be delivered in about two years; the company currently has no signed customers and has not disclosed a per-dog price, and it is discussing a Canine-as-a-Service model with national security experts.
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Palmer Luckey's gene-edited military dog startup WarhoundDevelopments
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Oct 23
The Rundown AI
Palmer Luckey's gene-edited military dog startup Warhound
Ben Lamm of Colossal Biosciences and Palmer Luckey of Anduril have co-founded Warhound, which plans to collect cells from military, police, and emergency response dogs, edit their genomes, and clone high-performance individuals, with a valuation of $1.2 billion. Early gene editing targets hereditary diseases such as hip dysplasia, and later efforts may draw on wolf genes to enhance speed, agility, and scent. Anduril is responsible for developing armor, goggles, and battlefield perception systems. The first batch of gene-edited puppies is expected to be born in early 2027, for future use in search-and-rescue and military/police missions.
Fortune Tech
Palmer Luckey and Ben Lamm Team Up to Found Warhound, Securing $200 Million Seed Round
Colossal Biosciences founder Ben Lamm and Anduril founder Palmer Luckey have co-founded defense technology startup Warhound, emerging from stealth with a $200 million seed round. The CEO is former Pentagon Chief Data Officer David Spirk, and the company is based in Texas. Warhound plans to preserve genetic samples from fully trained military working dogs, clone them, and perform targeted gene editing, while integrating Anduril's protective gear and Eagle Eye system. Lamm said the first dogs are expected to be delivered in about two years. The company currently has no signed customers and has not disclosed per-dog pricing, and is discussing a Canine-as-a-Service model with national security experts.
TechCrunch AI
Warhound raises $200 million to genetically engineer military dogs for the US military and equip them with Anduril gear
Warhound, co-founded by Colossal Biosciences' Ben Lamm and Anduril's Palmer Luckey, has emerged from stealth with $200 million in funding from investors including Sequoia, 8VC, Corner Ventures and CIA-backed In-Q-Tel, at a $1.2 billion valuation. The company plans to use Colossal's gene-editing technology to improve Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds, with Anduril providing protective vests, goggles and other hardware and software; the first dogs will soon be cloned and bred, expected to be born early next year and enter service within two years.