Blue Water Autonomy Announces Emergence from Stealth Mode, Secures $14 Million in Funding
Autonomous maritime technology is gaining significant attention. Recently, Boston-based start-up, Blue Water Autonomy (BWA), which builds autonomous ships for the U.S. Navy, announced $14M in seed funding from Eclipse, Riot, and Impatient Ventures. The company is developing a larger-profile, fully autonomous warship for the US Navy that can remain on mission for extended periods.
Founded in 2024 by former leaders of Amazon Robotics, iRobot, and the U.S. Navy, Blue Water Autonomy has created an autonomy suite, begun salt-water testing, and designed concept ships. The new funding will help expand the engineering team, speed up ship testing, and integrate different payloads. “We conducted the physics analysis and determined that to travel thousands of miles with speed and heavy payloads, a ship-sized form factor is required,” said Austin Gray, CSO and cofounder of Blue Water Autonomy.
Global tensions are driving military buildups; the U.S. Navy needs to maintain deterrence in the Pacific and keep trade lanes open. The Navy is exploring unmanned vessels and hybrid fleets to address this challenge. Autonomous ships can complement the current fleet at a lower cost and restore deterrence. The potential conflict with China in the Indo-Pacific especially has highlighted the need for advanced shipbuilding. China currently possesses the world's largest maritime fighting force.
"Sea power has been America's security and prosperity bedrock for centuries," said Rylan Hamilton, CEO of Blue Water Autonomy. "The maritime economy needs transformation, starting with supporting the U.S. Navy through top technology, including fully autonomous ships."
Blue Water Autonomy's team, which includes Navy veterans, aims to assist the U.S. Navy in innovating and addressing current challenges. Their experience encompasses deploying millions of robots to commercial customers. The Navy will soon operate autonomous warships alongside crewed ships, providing new capabilities. This technology is expected to eventually transform commercial markets such as cargo, offshore energy, fishing, and luxury transportation.
"The U.S. military needs significant improvements to maintain its global status," stated Seth Winterroth, a Partner at Eclipse. "Autonomous ships are essential for securing deterrence against China and Russia and maintaining crucial shipping lanes. We previously supported Rylan at 6 River Systems and observed his ability to scale a technology company. Blue Water, combining roboticists and Navy veterans, is well-positioned to collaborate with the Navy and influence the maritime industry."
President Trump has emphasized shipbuilding since his tenure began, recently signing an Executive Order aimed at enhancing America's maritime capabilities. The Navy has allocated substantial funds for research and development of unmanned surface vessels of various sizes.
Multiple companies are active in the unmanned surface vessel sector, including Saronic, Saildrone, and Havoc AI, although their ships are smaller. Blue Water Autonomy's ships, at approximately 100-150 feet in length and powered by the company's full-stack autonomy suite, are designed to carry heavier Navy payloads, such as missiles or drone fleets, thousands of miles - essential for operations in the Indo-Pacific.
Austin Gray mentioned that BWA’s ships will be significantly cheaper than traditional warships, estimated at $20-30M versus billions. He compared Blue Water’s ship to a "pick-up truck" capable of carrying out attack missions without excessive cost. Gray also noted that these ships are designed to be produced using existing shipbuilding capacity, with substantial partnership interest from established shipyards. This approach allows for rapid scaling of production without the need to develop new manufacturing facilities. The company is already salt-water testing a 100-ton autonomous vessel just outside of Boston. The target year for full operational capability is 2027.