Saronic Technologies Pushes Forward Autonomous Maritime Innovation

Saronic Technologies, redefining maritime superiority, Dino Mavrookas, Rob Lehman, Vibhav Altekar, Doug Lambert, and the team, has closed $1.75 billion in Series D funding led by Kleiner Perkins and values the company at $9.25 billion. Saronic welcomes Advent International, Bessemer Venture Partners, DFJ Growth, BAM Elevate, and other new partners and recognizes the continued commitment of its existing investors, including 8VC, Caffeinated Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Elad Gil, and Franklin Templeton.

At a critical juncture for global security and economic competition, Saronic is introducing new shipbuilding capacity through an autonomy-first design and modern manufacturing approach. Scalable production of advanced autonomous vessels is key to maintaining industrial strength, safeguarding trade, projecting power, and ensuring long-term maritime resilience.

Dino Mavrookas, Co-Founder and CEO of Saronic, highlighted the long-term decline in U.S. shipbuilding capacity and emphasized a new approach combining first-principles engineering, advanced manufacturing, and software-defined production. This model aims to deliver autonomous vessels with greater speed, precision, and scale, while the new capital will accelerate development of new ship classes and rapidly expand U.S. shipbuilding capacity.

Building Strength Through Industrial Capacity

A core part of Saronic’s strategy is developing Port Alpha, its next-generation shipyard, alongside expanding existing facilities in Louisiana and Texas. This capital will accelerate the scale and maturity of its shipbuilding operations, focused on innovation, scalability, and strategic impact.

“Maritime dominance requires more than advanced technology; it depends on the capacity to produce it at scale,” said Ilya Fushman, Partner at Kleiner Perkins. “Saronic stands out by combining both: autonomy-first vessel design and the manufacturing infrastructure to deliver them consistently, turning technical innovation into lasting platform advantage.”

Delivering Technological Advantage in the Maritime Domain

The new capital will accelerate development and scale production of Saronic’s autonomous surface vessels and AI-driven maritime capabilities. In response to rising demand for greater range, endurance, and payload capacity, the company is expanding its fleet, from the 24-foot Corsair to the 180-foot Marauder and beyond.

Saronic is also exploring solutions across the full maritime spectrum, including capabilities spanning both surface and subsurface domains.

Continuing the Momentum

Saronic builds on strong 2025 momentum, scaling from a leader in autonomous maritime systems to a global force. The company raised a $600M Series C at a $4B valuation, secured major U.S. government growth, including a $392M Navy production contract, and unveiled its 180-ft autonomous vessel, Marauder, completing its first hull in under six months.

To meet growing demand, Saronic acquired a Louisiana shipyard and committed $300M to a 300,000 sq. ft. expansion, creating 1,500 jobs. It also expanded its Austin headquarters, opened hubs in San Diego and Washington, D.C., and launched operations in the UK and Australia. With over 1,300 employees and growing commercial and defense partnerships, Saronic is positioned to help revitalize shipbuilding in the era of autonomy.