Saronic raises $1.75B to build autonomous ships at scale

The Corsair autonomous ship from Saronic in the water.

Saronic offers three autonomous vessels, the Corsair, shown above, Mirage, and Marauder. | Source: Saronic

Saronic Technologies today said it has raised $1.75 billion in Series D funding. With the latest round, the company is now valued at $9.25 billion.

Austin, Texas-based Saronic claimed that its ability to produce advanced autonomous ships at scale is critical to preserving the industrial strength required to project power, protect trade, and sustain long-term resilience at sea. The company said it uses an autonomy-first design approach, coupled with modern manufacturing infrastructure, to deliver net-new shipbuilding capacity.

“Over the past decades, the U.S. has experienced a steady erosion of its ability to build ships and manufacture critical maritime infrastructure,” asserted Dino Mavrookas, co-founder and CEO of Saronic. “We are confronting this challenge with a fundamentally new model of American shipbuilding, one that integrates first-principles engineering, advanced manufacturing, and software-defined production to deliver autonomous vessels with unprecedented speed, precision, and scale.”

“The new capital will accelerate Saronic’s ability to bring that model to life, generate entirely new classes of autonomous ships and maritime capabilities, and scale U.S. shipbuilding capacity on a timeline not seen since World War II,” he added.

Saronic to further invest in Port Alpha shipyard

Kleiner Perkins led Saronic’s Series D round. It included participation from Advent International, Bessemer Venture Partners, DFJ Growth, BAM Elevate, and other new partners. Existing investors, including 8VC, Caffeinated Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Elad Gil, and Franklin Templeton, also contributed.

Saronic said an important component of its efforts is the development of the Port Alpha next-generation shipyard, alongside the rapid expansion of its existing production facilities in Louisiana and Texas. It plans to use the latest capital to accelerate the growth and maturation of its shipbuilding enterprise.

“Maritime dominance isn’t just about technology — it requires the production capacity to field it at scale,” said Ilya Fushman, a partner at Kleiner Perkins. “Those two things rarely come together. What makes Saronic special is that they’re building both: autonomous ships designed from Day 1 to push the boundaries of what’s possible, and the manufacturing infrastructure to produce them consistently. That’s what turns a technical breakthrough into an enduring platform advantage.”

Saronic said it also plans to use the investment to continue advancing and growing production of its portfolio of autonomous surface vessels and AI-driven maritime capabilities. In response to growing demand from U.S. and allied customers for platforms with greater range, endurance, and payload capacity, the company plans to scale its family of vessels, from the 24-ft. (7.3 m) Corsair to the 180-ft. (54.8 m) Marauder and beyond.

In addition, Saronic said it will explore solutions that address the full spectrum of challenges in the maritime domain, including those at the intersection of surface and subsurface.

2025 momentum propels autonomous shipbuilder

Saronic cited its momentum from 2025. Last year, the company raised a $600 million Series C at a $4 billion valuation and generated significant growth with the U.S. government, including a $392 million production contract with the U.S. Navy.

It completed the first Marauder hull in less than six months and only than eight months after acquiring the facility to build it.

Saronic acquired its Louisiana shipyard and committed $300 million to its 300,000 sq. ft. (27870.9 sq. m) expansion, which it said would create 1,500 jobs across the region. Furthermore, the company expanded its Austin headquarters to more than 500,000 sq. ft. (46,451.5 sq. m), opened new hubs in San Diego and Washington, D.C., and launched operations in the U.K. and Australia.

With headcount surpassing 1,300, Saronic said its partnerships are driving business across commercial and defense sectors, as well as rapid technological advancement. “Saronic is on track to revitalize American shipbuilding in the era of autonomy,” it added.