Boston startup sails into the future with autonomous ships
Blue Water Autonomy promises a revolution in the construction of autonomous vessels. The team, consisting of former members of the US Navy and leaders from Amazon Robotics and iRobot, has raised 14 million dollars for technology development.
Blue Water Autonomy, a startup from Boston, has revealed its plans for building autonomous vessels. The company, founded in 2024 by former US Navy members and leaders from Amazon Robotics and iRobot, has raised 14 million dollars from investors such as Eclipse, Riot, and Impatient Ventures during a seed round, reports Tech Crunch.
Dynamic growth of the defence technology sector
Blue Water Autonomy joins a growing number of startups tapping into the investment boom in the defence sector. The company claims that in less than a year, it developed a full set of autonomous technologies and ship design concepts. Currently, it is testing a 100-metric-ton autonomous test vessel near Boston. The acquired funds 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."
Objective: Deterrence
Seth Winterroth, a partner at Eclipse, notes that the team is composed of Navy veterans and robotics specialists. He points out that Blue Water Autonomy's autonomous ships are designed to serve as a deterrent, given the threats posed by China and Russia and the critical importance of Pacific shipping routes.
Initiatives 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.
