Autonomous Boat Startup Saronic Raises $1.75 Billion to Scale U.S. Shipbuilding
Saronic secures a massive $1.75 billion funding round led by Kleiner Perkins, pushing its valuation to $9.25 billion. The company plans to ramp up production of autonomous surface vessels to meet growing U.S. military demand.
Autonomous ship startup Saronic raises $1.75 billion in a funding round led by Kleiner Perkins, more than doubling its valuation to $9.25 billion. The massive influx of capital reflects a growing shift in defense spending toward unmanned systems that operate at a fraction of the cost of traditional manned vessels.
The company plans to use the new funding to scale its supply chain and expand its shipyard operations, with a goal of building more than 20 ships a year by 2027. Saronic is actively searching for a site for its new shipyard, potentially named Port Alpha, with Texas emerging as a likely location.
This major investment highlights the U.S. military's urgent push to modernize its maritime capabilities and compete with China's massive shipbuilding advantage. By producing autonomous surface vessels like the Spyglass and the Cutlass, Saronic aims to reduce risks to human personnel and help the U.S. reach wartime production levels not seen since World War II.