A new shipbuilding startup called Blue Water Autonomy has emerged from Stealth with the promise to develop a naval vessel without a captain.
The Boston, Massachusetts-based company has raised $14 million seed rounds from Eclipse, Riot and impatience ventures. The startup was founded in 2024 by Irobot, a former member of the US Navy and a leader of Amazon Robotics.
Blue Water Autonomy is on a growing list of startups using their splurge on defence investments. Defense technology funding set new records in 2024, led by Andrill’s $1.5 billion Series F round and Salonick.
The startup says it has developed a full-stack autonomous suite and concept ship design for “less than a year.” The company’s spokesman has already told TechCrunch the 100-ton self-driving test container just outside Boston.
Seed funding will help Blue Water Autonomy expand its engineering team and accelerate testing, according to the release.
“No other companies are addressing this issue at the ship level,” Eclipse partner Seth Winterroth said in a statement. “The team is a rare combination of roboticists and naval veterans, and will position them as key partners in the Department of Defense, the entire Navy, and will have a major impact on the maritime industry.”
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