Port Alpha will be a next-generation shipyard to support the U.S. Navy’s hybrid crewed/autonomous fleet. Source: Saronic
Autonomous vehicles aren’t limited to robotaxis, and they are becoming essential to national security. Yesterday, Saronic Technologies announced that it has closed a Series C round of $600 million, bringing its valuation to $4 billion. The company said its valuation quadrupled in the seven months since it attained “unicorn” status in July 2024.
“America’s security and prosperity rely on the freedom of navigation guaranteed by the U.S. Navy and our allies, and the maritime domain has increasingly become a focus of international conflict and economic influence,” noted Saronic. “To stay ahead of our adversaries, now is the time for America to reexamine its historic reliance on exquisite, expensive, and aging manned vessels and the analog industrial base that supports them.
The U.S. Navy has said it needs a hybrid fleet, integrating unmanned systems alongside crewed platforms. Saronic said it is focusing on modernizing shipbuilding and scaling the production of advanced technologies and autonomous systems that can extend the Navy’s operational reach, deter conflict, protect sailors and assets, and be quickly and affordably produced.
The Austin, Texas-based company‘s announcement came after a strong 2024, in which it developed and delivered Corsair, its largest autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) to date. Saronic also acquired a 420,000 sq. ft. (39,019 sq. m) production facility in Austin, raised $175 million in Series B funding, and continued its growth with U.S. government customers.
Corsair is a 24-ft. ASV designed to deliver speed and impact for naval and maritime forces. Source: Saronic
Saronic to build Port Alpha for ASVs
With its latest funding, Saronic said it plans to build Port Alpha, a next-generation shipyard capable of delivering new classes of ASVs at the speed and scale needed for maritime defense. The port will enable the company to expand its ASV fleet into into midsize and large autonomous ships.
Saronic asserted that it is addressing gaps in U.S. shipbuilding capacity and investing in the critical infrastructure to support the U.S. military’s hybrid fleet.
“A core principle of Saronic is that we design our vessels for autonomy from the keel up,” stated Dino Mavrookas, co-founder and CEO of Saronic. “We will take the same approach with Port Alpha, designing a shipyard from the ground up to produce at a speed and scale not seen since World War II.”
“Port Alpha will reflect the apex of America’s shipbuilding past — generating new opportunities for the country’s shipbuilding workforce, forging public-private partnerships to accelerate growth, and bringing innovation and ingenuity to an essential industry,” he added. “We will bring these elements together with a single goal: to rapidly build a fleet of autonomous vessels in America that redefine maritime superiority and guarantees freedom of the seas for generations to come.”
Saronic has invested in expanding manufacturing capabilities for its small ASVs over the past two years. Port Alpha will build on that foundation and design a waterside facility around a first-principles approach to shipbuilding, it said.
This approach will focus on eliminating inefficiencies, optimizing workflows, and creating a production system that maximizes quality, scalability, and speed, according to Saronic. It said it will use processes and best practices from commercial manufacturing “to redefine how ships are built in the autonomy era.”
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Investors look ahead to U.S. hybrid fleet
Elad Gil led Saronic’s Series C round, which included participation from new investor General Catalyst. With this raise, we will invest into the U.S. shipbuilding infrastructure and work with federal and state legislators to establish public-private partnerships. Together, we’ll develop the next-generation shipyard right here in America.
“The last years have seen a degradation in the capacity for the United States to build ships and to manufacture core needs of the country,” said Gil, CEO of Gil Capital. “I am excited to back Saronic and its focus on revitalizing shipbuilding in America, while also building products to defend those interests.”
“At General Catalyst, our mission is to help modernize our nation’s defense and industrial resilience,” added Paul Kwan, managing director of General Catalyst. “The velocity and economics of warfare have fundamentally evolved, and several of our own team have witnessed firsthand how unmanned systems became true force multipliers in Afghanistan and in other theaters of conflict. Saronic represents a paradigm shift for our maritime resilience.”
Existing investors including a16z, Caffeinated Capital, and 8VC also participated.
“As a founder of Palantir and Addepar, and an investor in every funding round at Anduril, I’ve seen many exceptional companies and intense cultures,” said Joe Lonsdale, founder and managing partner of 8VC. “Saronic goes toe to toe with any of these legendary companies on its exceptional talent, intensity of effort, and mission-driven passion. We are proud to have supported Dino from Day 1.”
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