Artificial Intelligence Warships: Saronic Raises $600 Million to Build Factory

The defense industry often leads the way in implementing new technologies, sometimes well ahead of the mainstream market. It is therefore not surprising that artificial intelligence (AI)-powered warships are already approaching the seas, supported by strong investor confidence.

Became a "unicorn" in 2024

Texas-based startup Saronic recently completed an impressive funding round, raising $600 million to build its Port Alpha autonomous shipbuilding facility. 

According  to  the company's press release, the Series C investment round, led by investor Elad Gil of Gil Capital, raised Saronic's valuation to $4 billion in seven months after the company achieved unicorn status in July 2024. 

General Catalyst has become a new investor in Saronic. Existing backers such as a16z, Caffeinated Capital, and 8VC continue to support the company's growth.

Saronic's AI warship dream

With this injection of funding, Saronic is committed to building a state-of-the-art factory for autonomous warships, dubbed the "Shipyard of the Future." 

The company hopes to start operations within the next five years, but has yet to choose a suitable location for Port Alpha.

The goal of this project is to strengthen US shipbuilding capabilities and catch up with China.

The latest round of funding allowed Saronic to raise nearly $850 million. 

According to the company's founder and CEO, Dino Mavrookas, such success and growth in the company's value are due to the rapid development of new ships and software solutions, which reflects the trend of defense technology to attract large investors.

“We will create a shipyard that will produce at a speed and scale not seen since World War II. Port Alpha will be a pinnacle in American shipbuilding history – providing new opportunities for shipbuilding workers, fostering public and private partnerships, accelerating growth, and bringing innovation to a critical industry. All of these elements will be combined with one goal: to rapidly create a fleet of autonomous ships that will guarantee freedom of the seas for generations to come,” he said.

Other AI achievements in the defense industry

Meanwhile, the Turkish-developed Bayraktar TB3 military armed drone became the first in the world to be able to take off and land on a ship with a short runway. The drone took off from the Baykar Flight Training and Test Center in Keşan, Edirne, and was armed with the ASELFLIR-500 electro-optical reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting system from Aselsan.

In addition to AI warships, the US will also leverage a method developed by its Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) that uses AI to accurately assess drone threats in response to the newly emerging threats posed by low-cost unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or drones.