Blue Water Autonomy, a Boston-based shipbuilding and technology startup, has raised $50 million in Series A funding to accelerate development of its long-range, autonomous naval vessels. The round was led by GV, with continued support from Eclipse, Riot, and Impatient Ventures. This brings the company’s total funding to $64 million, following a $14 million seed round announced in April 2025.

As part of the raise, GV Managing Partner Dave Munichiello will join Blue Water Autonomy’s Board of Directors. The company plans to use the new capital to build and deploy its first full-scale, ocean-going autonomous ship in 2026.

Responding to Strategic Challenges at Sea

Blue Water Autonomy enters the market at a time when the U.S. faces mounting challenges in maritime defense. China currently holds a shipbuilding capacity more than 200 times that of the United States and continues expanding its naval fleet rapidly. In response, U.S. defense leadership is turning to autonomous vessels as a cost-effective, flexible complement to traditional ships.

“There is an urgent need for autonomous ships designed specifically for maritime security and logistics. This funding gives our team the resources to build long-range autonomous ships from the keel up that will operate on the open ocean for months at a time. Blue Water Autonomy is laser-focused on perfecting a single platform class. This intentional strategy ensures unmatched quality, speed to market, and reliability from day one.”

Rylan Hamilton, CEO of Blue Water Autonomy

Autonomous surface vessels are viewed as essential to bolstering fleet numbers and operational resilience. A recent $2.1 billion Congressional allocation will fund medium-sized unmanned surface vessels, like the kind Blue Water Autonomy is building.

Bringing the First Ships to Life

With this new funding, Blue Water Autonomy will begin production of its first full-scale model—an autonomous vessel roughly half the length of a football field, capable of trans-Pacific missions. Since closing its seed round, the company has quadrupled in size, conducted on-water engineering trials, and secured materials from over 50 suppliers.

The team is focused on building a single platform class to ensure production speed and reliability from the outset. This deliberate approach, the company says, will allow it to deliver highly capable, mission-ready vessels faster than traditional shipbuilders.

From Robotics to the Open Ocean

Founded in 2024, Blue Water Autonomy is led by a team of proven robotics entrepreneurs and Navy veterans, combining deep technical experience with operational insight. CEO Rylan Hamilton previously co-founded a robotics startup acquired by Shopify and also served in the U.S. military.

The company has opened a new office in Washington, D.C., and expanded its team to include shipbuilding experts who have delivered over 30 vessels to the Navy—including advanced destroyers and DARPA’s autonomous NOMARS project.

Blue Water’s integrated approach to ship design brings together hardware, software, and AI to create vessels that can operate independently for months at sea. While its initial focus is military applications, the company also sees opportunities in commercial maritime sectors where unmanned ships can take on hazardous or repetitive jobs.

Backers with Deep Domain Expertise

In addition to GV, returning investors Eclipse, Riot, and Impatient Ventures continue to support Blue Water’s mission. Each brings relevant experience in defense technology and scaling hardware-intensive startups.

“I’ve had the privilege of working with Rylan for nearly two decades, from our time at Kiva Systems through Shopify’s acquisition of his robotics company. At Blue Water, he’s assembled a world-class team to autonomize maritime defense, addressing a mission as urgent as it is consequential.”

Dave Munichiello, Managing Partner at GV

Origianl Creator: Ekaterina Pisareva
Original Link: https://justainews.com/industries/robotics/blue-water-gets-50m-to-build-navy-ready-robotic-ships/
Originally Posted: Tue, 26 Aug 2025 12:40:54 +0000