Blue Water Autonomy sets sail with $14 million investment boost
Blue Water Autonomy announces a revolution in the construction of autonomous ships. The team, composed of former U.S. Navy members and leaders from Amazon Robotics and iRobot, has raised $14 million for technology development.
Blue Water Autonomy, a startup based in Boston, has unveiled its plans to build autonomous ships. The company, founded in 2024 by former U.S. Navy members and leaders from Amazon Robotics and iRobot, secured $14 million from investors, including Eclipse, Riot, and Impatient Ventures, during the seed round, as reported by TechCrunch.
Dynamic development in defense technology
Blue Water Autonomy is one of many startups capitalizing on the investment surge in the defense sector. The company claims that in less than a year, it has developed a complete set of autonomous technologies and ship design concepts. Currently, it is testing a 220,000-pound autonomous test ship near Boston. The funds obtained are intended to help expand the engineering team and accelerate testing.
"Sea power has been the bedrock of America's security and prosperity for centuries," said Rylan Hamilton, co-founder and CEO of Blue Water Autonomy. "We believe the entire maritime economy is in need of transformation — it starts with supporting the U.S. Navy which needs dynamic industrial partners to bring top technology to its sailors, including ocean-going, fully autonomous ships."
Goal: Deterrence
Seth Winterroth, a partner at Eclipse, emphasizes that the team consists of Navy veterans and robotics specialists. Winterroth notes that Blue Water Autonomy's development of autonomous ships is intended to enhance deterrence, especially given the threats posed by China and Russia and the strategic importance of Pacific shipping lanes.
Efforts to make military machines autonomous are not new. A good example is the unmanned HIMARS, not to mention numerous unmanned aerial vehicle projects that play an increasingly important role during conflicts.
