YC-Backed Albacore Secures $6.5 Million Seed Round
Maritime autonomy has primarily focused on surface applications; however, a startup from this year’s Y Combinator cohort is advancing innovation beneath the waves. Albacore, a Philadelphia-based startup specializing in long-range unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), has secured a $6.5 million seed round led by Outlander VC. Participating US funds included BoxGroup, Alumni Ventures, Karman Ventures, and Pioneer Fund, along with defense-focused specialists such as Brave Capital, RSquared VC, and R-G.AI. European involvement included Ukraine-focused UA1 and D3 (marking the firm’s third investment in Albacore) and German firms Heliad and 468 Capital.
Although Albacore initially sought a $3 million seed round, strong investor interest, particularly from those with substantial defense sector expertise, facilitated raising $6.5 million. Notably, the founders of Dive Technologies (acquired by Anduril) and Neros’ co-founder and CEO Soren Monroe-Anderson are serving as angel investors and advisors.
Albacore’s initial product, the Ghostfin, is an autonomous mini-submarine measuring approximately 8 feet in length and weighing 400 pounds. It is designed to carry a kinetic payload of up to 250 pounds, which has undergone successful water testing. The company states that Ghostfin’s portability allows it to be launched by just two operators, although its lead engineer can reportedly lift it without assistance. The primary development objective for Ghostfin is optimal range, achieving distances of up to 1,000 nautical miles.
The company is led by Dante Vaisbort, previously founder of a battery life extension startup for unmanned systems, and John Huddleston, a mechanical engineer with experience in government and commercial unmanned system manufacturing and procurement through Boston Consulting Group. Albacore currently employs 17 full-time staff members.
Vaisbort identified three primary factors driving increased interest from the defense sector in Albacore. First, investors with military backgrounds see significant investment opportunities in autonomous systems. Second, the undersea environment has limited competition and is shifting its technological focus toward “smart torpedoes” rather than traditional endurance-oriented UUVs. Third, Albacore is dedicated to building a long-range, strike-capable loitering munition that can autonomously carry out missions, cover vast areas of the ocean, and engage targets from greater distances.
Vaisbort stated, “Our goal is not to dictate naval strategy, but to provide operational flexibility identified as necessary by the Navy. Our focus is on rapid deployment capabilities rather than limiting ourselves to research and development. Funding will accelerate progress toward operational readiness.”
Having completed prototype and payload water-testing, demonstrations are scheduled for Department of Defense partners in January and at the Balikan military exercise in the Philippines next year, along with other planned tests and demonstrations. Commercial production and sales of the UUV are anticipated following an initial production run in mid-2026. Efforts are being concentrated on finalizing the production design to enable mass manufacturing, ensuring reliability and meeting operator requirements.
Albacore’s ultimate objective is large-scale deployment - placing thousands of vessels in operation, reinforcing American undersea superiority, and contributing to Philadelphia’s industrial resurgence.