A new player in maritime defense technology has surfaced with ambitious plans

Boston, MA — A new player in maritime defense technology has surfaced with ambitious plans to revolutionize naval operations. Blue Water Autonomy, a Boston-based startup, has officially emerged from stealth mode, unveiling its mission to develop fully autonomous, captain-less ships for military use.

The company, founded in 2024 by a team of U.S. Navy veterans and former leaders from Amazon Robotics and iRobot, announced a $14 million seed funding round led by Eclipse Ventures, with participation from Riot and Impatient Ventures.

Blue Water Autonomy is entering a rapidly expanding sector as defense tech investments continue to surge. The startup’s debut follows a record-setting year for defense funding, highlighted by Anduril’s $1.5 billion Series F and a $175 million Series B for maritime autonomy rival Saronic.

In less than a year, Blue Water claims to have developed a complete autonomy software stack and conceptual ship designs. According to the company, it is already conducting saltwater trials with a 100-ton autonomous test vessel off the coast of Boston.

The fresh injection of capital will be used to grow the company’s engineering team and ramp up testing efforts, Blue Water said in a press release.

“No other company is tackling this problem at the ship level like Blue Water,” said Seth Winterroth, partner at Eclipse Ventures. “The team is a rare combination of roboticists and Navy veterans that positions them to be a critical partner to the Navy, the entire Department of Defense, and will have a major impact on the maritime industry.”

With its dual expertise in robotics and naval operations, Blue Water Autonomy is positioning itself at the forefront of the autonomous maritime frontier—where innovation, national security, and next-generation shipbuilding converge.