Saronic Just Raised $1.75 Billion — Here’s Why Investors Are Betting Big on Drone Warships

TLDR

• Saronic Technologies closed a $1.75 billion Series D funding round
• Valuation more than doubled to $9.25 billion from $4 billion
• Round led by Kleiner Perkins with major new and existing investors
• Funds will expand production facilities in Louisiana, Texas, and a new Texas shipyard called Port Alpha
• Company plans to build more than 20 ships per year by 2027

Saronic Technologies, an autonomous shipbuilding startup based in Austin, Texas, has closed a $1.75 billion Series D funding round. The raise more than doubled the company’s valuation from $4 billion to $9.25 billion.

The round was led by Kleiner Perkins. New investors include Advent International, Bessemer Venture Partners, DFJ Growth, and BAM Elevate. Existing backers such as Andreessen Horowitz, 8VC, and Franklin Templeton also participated.

Saronic builds autonomous surface vessels, often called drone boats. Its lineup ranges from the six-foot Spyglass to the 40-metric-ton Marauder, a 180-foot vessel built at the company’s shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana.

In December 2024, the U.S. Navy awarded Saronic a $392 million production contract for its 24-foot Corsair vessel. The Austin facility can now produce several thousand Corsairs per year.

The company says it will use the new capital to expand production facilities in Louisiana and Texas. It is also developing a new Texas shipyard called Port Alpha, described as a “shipyard of the future.”

Saronic plans to build more than 20 ships per year by 2027. The company currently employs over 1,300 people.

Why Defense Tech Investment Is Rising

Investor appetite for defense technology companies has grown sharply over the past year. The Trump administration has signaled it wants to shift more Pentagon funding toward tech-driven firms that can deliver advanced military tools faster and at lower cost than traditional contractors.

Saronic’s raise follows a $1.5 billion funding round by Shield AI earlier this month. Shield AI makes software that allows drones to operate in GPS-denied environments.

For context, Huntington Ingalls, the largest U.S. military shipbuilder, is currently valued at $15 billion and employs 44,000 workers. Saronic, with 1,300 employees, is now valued at more than half that figure.

Autonomous Vessels in Modern Conflict

Conflicts in Iran and Ukraine have demonstrated the effectiveness of autonomous and drone-based equipment. Smaller or less traditionally powerful forces have used drones to challenge opponents with larger conventional militaries.

Autonomous maritime vessels are seen as a lower-cost alternative to traditional naval ships. They can also be built faster, which aligns with U.S. defense priorities.

Saronic’s previous raise of $600 million came in February 2025. That round valued the company at $4 billion. The new $9.25 billion valuation represents more than a doubling in just over a year.

The company’s headcount has grown past 1,300 as it scales up operations across its Texas and Louisiana facilities.

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