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.
So not only is there a dwindling supply of working dogs for these tasks, but the U.S. has also become increasingly reliant on foreign nations for dogs that play an important role in the U.S. military and in law enforcement. That is key for what Warhound is trying to do. The hope is that Colossal can use its technology to engineer dogs with “characteristics suited to demanding missions,” the company said in a press release.
Lamm told TechCrunch he met Luckey about a year ago at a conference, where the Anduril co-founder brought up doing more for working dogs in the U.S. military. The two kept in touch, and Lamm did more research, learning about the breeding issues. Many dogs do not make it through training because of genetic dispositions for issues like poor eyesight or the high possibilities of cancer, hip dysplasia, or muscle atrophy.
Lamm believed dogs could be enhanced for health, longevity, and “for things like speed and agility or enhance olfactory sensors for bomb sniffing and whatnot,” he said. His team looked at the top-performing working dog breeds — the Belgian Malinois and German Shepherd — taking the cell lines from them and putting them in a biobank. From there, they will edit the genes, adding the ones that will make the dogs perform better while taking out the ones that won’t, to create “a new type of dog.”
Andruil, meanwhile, will provide software and hardware enhancement for items such as dog protection vests and eye goggles to assist the dogs and their handlers with matters like situational awareness and coordination.
He said to imagine, for example, bulletproof vests that have data sensors that give information back to the handlers so they can better understand what is happening.
“The idea is, if we make the dog safer, make it healthier, make it perform better, it’s going to perform better in the line of duty,” Lamm said. He added that Anduril’s additions aim to make the dogs safer and healthier outside of their genetic components, “on top of the dog, not in the dog.” He believes such enhancements will also protect the dogs’ human handlers better.
Luckey doesn’t own equity in the company and is only a partner, Lamm told TechCrunch, clarifying that Colossal owns equity in the business, which it supports with licensing its technology.
Colossal is currently known for its de-extinction efforts of animals like the dodo and the mammoth. As Lamm previously told TechCrunch, the company has been using AI, buying and building technology to help with gene cloning and the identification and reproduction of animal genes.
The first batch of dogs is about to be cloned and incubated and is expected to be born early next year, ideally entering service within the next two years, Lamm said. Another company owned by Colossal, Viagen, is partnering with Warhound to help clone the dogs. Lamm said Viagen’s tech has a high success rate with cloning, and Colossal currently uses it for its program to help protect endangered species.
The startup doesn’t know yet how much it will charge for the dogs but expects to sell to parties like first responders, the Department of Defense, military service groups, and police forces. When asked about government approval, Lamm said the company has briefed many government groups about the business.
In terms of the responsibility and safety of civilians when it comes to releasing genetically enhanced dogs, Lamm said the dog will be trained like any military working dog and will be managed by whoever buys it.
The company said it is working under the guidance of the American Humane Society to help certify Warhound’s training program for the newly created dogs that will enter service. The hope is also that when these new military dogs retire, they will enter the Society’s Military Working Dog Reunification Program, which provides a home for retired military dogs — or another program the society offers to help dogs.
