The short answer: Warhound is a Texas-based defense technology startup that plans to breed, clone and genetically enhance working dogs for the U.S. military, law enforcement and first responders, and equip them with Anduril gear. It was conceived by Colossal Biosciences CEO Ben Lamm and Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, is led by CEO David Spirk, and came out of stealth on October 22, 2026 with a $200 million seed round that TechCrunch reports values it at $1.2 billion.
A company profile from The Pomp Podcast, hosted by Anthony Pompliano. Last updated: October 24, 2026.
Key takeaways
Warhound is a Texas defense tech startup that plans to breed, clone and genetically enhance working dogs and equip them with Anduril gear.
It was conceived by Ben Lamm and Palmer Luckey and is led by CEO David Spirk.
It came out of stealth on October 22, 2026 with a $200 million seed round that TechCrunch reports values it at $1.2 billion.
A note on the name: on the show Pomp calls the company "Warhounds." Its official name is Warhound.
What is Warhound?
Warhound describes itself on warhound.com as "The Advanced Canine Genetics and Cybernetic Platform." According to its launch announcement, it is a new defense technology company that will rebuild America's domestic supply of elite working dogs for the military, law enforcement and emergency first response teams, reducing reliance on a shrinking European supply chain.
The company is based in Texas. Its announcement was datelined Dallas and Costa Mesa, California, the home cities of Colossal and Anduril. Its website says it combines licensed technology from Colossal Biosciences and Anduril, and that it is certified by American Humane.
What does Warhound do?
The dogs do not exist yet, TechCrunch reports. Here is what the company and reporters have described so far:
Genetics and cloning. Warhound uses Colossal's enhanced genetics platform and biobanking of top-performing working dogs, with "controlled delivery through cloning," per the press release. TechCrunch reports the cloning will be done by Viagen, which Colossal owns.
Breeds and edits. WIRED reports the dogs will be mostly Belgian Malinois, plus some Labradors and shepherds, and that the first gene edits target health problems such as hip dysplasia.
Anduril gear. Through a partnership, the dogs will be equipped with Anduril's "cybernetic Augments," software and battlefield situational awareness, the release says. Fortune reports this means items such as eye and ear protection, body armor and integration with Anduril's EagleEye system. WIRED reports it is wearable gear, not implants.
Training and welfare. American Humane will certify Warhound's training programs and support reuniting retired military working dogs with their former handlers, according to the release.
Timeline. TechCrunch reports the first births are expected early next year. Fortune reports the first dogs should be ready for service in about two years and that the company has no signed customers yet.
The problem it is targeting: most U.S. military working dogs come from Europe, and fewer than half make it through training, Fortune reports.
Who founded Warhound?
The company says Warhound was "conceived by" Ben Lamm, co-founder and CEO of the de-extinction company Colossal Biosciences, and Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril Industries. Fortune reports the idea came out of a conversation between the two at Peter Diamandis' Moonshots Summit.
Neither of them runs it. Lamm told Fortune: "Palmer and I don't describe ourselves as co-founders. We developed the concept." He joined the board, and Luckey does not own equity in the business, according to Fortune and WIRED.
The CEO is David Spirk, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was the first Chief Data Officer of U.S. Special Operations Command and of the Department of War, and more recently a senior counselor at Palantir, according to the release. Fortune reports he spent four years advising Lamm at Colossal.
How much funding has Warhound raised?
Warhound raised a $200 million seed round, announced on October 22, 2026. TechCrunch and Axios report the round values the company at $1.2 billion.
Backers named in the press release: In-Q-Tel, Sequoia Capital, ARK Invest, Franklin Templeton, 8VC, USIT, Bob Nelsen, Breyer Capital, CAZ Investments, Neogenesis, Builders VC and Lux Capital, among others. TechCrunch also lists Corner Ventures. In-Q-Tel is the venture firm backed by the CIA and other U.S. intelligence agencies.
What is Warhound's relationship to Anduril?
Anduril is a technology partner, not an owner. Per the release, all Warhound dogs will be equipped with Anduril's cybernetic augments, software and situational-awareness tools, and Warhound's website says it uses licensed technology from Anduril. WIRED reports that neither Luckey nor Anduril holds equity in Warhound. Colossal, by contrast, licenses its technology to Warhound and holds equity, according to TechCrunch.
"Man's best friend deserves man's best tech," Luckey said in the launch announcement, as quoted by The Verge.
Why does Warhound matter?
Supply chain. The company frames working dogs as a national security resource the U.S. has long sourced from abroad, and wants to build that supply at home.
Biotech meets defense tech. It applies Colossal's gene-editing and cloning tools, best known from its dire wolf work, to a defense problem, and pairs them with Anduril hardware and software.
A $1.2 billion seed-stage valuation. It raised $200 million before producing a single dog, a sign of how much capital is flowing into ambitious defense and biotech startups.
What did The Pomp Podcast say about Warhound?
Pomp brought up Warhound on the October 24, 2026 episode with Jordi Visser, "Will Bitcoin Survive Quantum Computing?", while talking about how fast new AI and biotech companies are being built. The segment starts at 43:51. Quotes below are from the episode, with timestamps.
"Warhounds, Palmer Luckey, and this biotech company that's been working on animals. They're collaborating and they are creating Warhounds, which is they're going to create genetically modified dogs to put on the battlefield. And Anduril is going to make them special gear."
"You're going to have genetically modified amazing rabid war dogs that we then are going to put Anduril gear on, including lasers and visuals and packs. I mean, this is where we're going."
"Sharks with laser beams, is that what we're talking about?"
"It's a nice company, Warhounds. Oh, Palmer's being a little crazy, whatever. But wait a second. When you zoom out and you look at these companies, like we are in the economic boom."
"Warhounds, by the way. You want to try to guess the valuation coming out of the gate?"
The two then joked that "the dogs are worth a billion," close to the $1.2 billion valuation reported by TechCrunch. One clarification: Warhound's announcement and press coverage describe Anduril's contribution as protective gear, sensors and software, and report that Luckey and Anduril hold no equity. Lasers were not among the equipment described.
Watch or listen to the latest episode
Will Bitcoin Survive Quantum Computing? | Jordi Visser, released October 24, 2026. The Warhound discussion starts at 43:51.
FROM THE HOST
Put AI to work on your own financial questions.
Silvia is a personal AI CFO, built by investors, for investors. It answers questions about your cash flow, investments and goals using your own financial context, and organizes the details so you can review them. Access is read-only.
Disclosure: Anthony Pompliano is Chairman and CEO of Silvia, Inc. For educational purposes only; not financial advice.
Where can I follow Warhound?
As of October 24, 2026, Warhound's website is its only official channel we could find. We did not find official Warhound accounts on X or LinkedIn yet.
Subscribe to The Pomp Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Frequently asked questions
What is Warhound?
Warhound is a Texas-based defense technology startup that plans to breed, clone and genetically enhance working dogs for the U.S. military, law enforcement and first responders, and equip them with Anduril gear.
Who founded Warhound?
Warhound was conceived by Colossal Biosciences CEO Ben Lamm and Anduril founder Palmer Luckey. Lamm says they are not co-founders. Lamm sits on the board, and David Spirk is CEO.
How much is Warhound worth?
Warhound raised a $200 million seed round in October 2026. TechCrunch and Axios report the round values the company at $1.2 billion.
Does Anduril own Warhound?
No. Anduril is a technology partner that will equip the dogs with gear and software. WIRED reports that neither Anduril nor Palmer Luckey holds equity in Warhound.
When will Warhound dogs be ready?
The dogs do not exist yet. TechCrunch reports the first births are expected early next year, and Fortune reports the first dogs should be ready for service in about two years.
Is it called Warhound or Warhounds?
The company is called Warhound. On The Pomp Podcast, Anthony Pompliano referred to it as "Warhounds."
Sources
Last updated: October 24, 2026
Anthony Pompliano is an entrepreneur, investor, and author who serves as Chairman and CEO of Silvia, Inc (SVIA) and invests through Pomp Investments. He is the host of The Pomp Podcast, where he interviews founders, investors and economists about bitcoin, markets, AI and the economy.
This profile is based on his conversation with Jordi Visser on The Pomp Podcast and on the sources listed above.
Follow Pomp on X.
Subscribe
Get notified for every new Pomp Podcast episode.
Subscribe for free to learn alongside Anthony Pompliano.
This profile is for informational purposes only and reflects reporting available as of October 24, 2026, plus opinions shared on The Pomp Podcast. It is not investment advice. Do your own research before making any investment decision.
