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Austin - based defense startup Saronic has raised a $ 600 million Series C to construct an autonomous ship factory called “ Port Alpha , ” itannouncedyesterday , quadruple its rating to $ 4 billion from itslast round .
Investor Elad Gil lead the rung , with General Catalyst joining existing investor Andreessen Horowitz , 8VC , and Caffeinated Capital , among others .
That should make Saronic the second , possibly third , most worthful defense tech startup in the U.S.after Anduril ’s last cycle valued it at $ 14 billion . Shield AI could beat that , though , as it isreportedlyin talks to hit a $ 5 billion evaluation on a fresh round of funding . ( Anduril is in lecture to call down again at twofold its valuation , to $ 28 billion . )
Saronic is n’t the only denial tech dearie with gravid manufacturing ambitions : Anduril , for example , announced plansto build a billion - clam megafactory in Ohio last calendar month .
Saronic has n’t found a web site for Port Alpha yet but is actively searching , a spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch . Operations at the embrasure , which Saronic is call the “ shipyard of the future , ” are slated to set out within five geezerhood , Saronic ’s atomic number 27 - founder and CEO Dino Mavrookastold Defense News .
Saronic has already get three models of autonomous airfoil vessels ( ASVs ) that are up to 24 feet farsighted — about half as long as a modern lifeboat . But Saronicsaysthe factory will also build gravid remote-controlled ships , while bolstering U.S. ship building capacity compare to China .
remote-controlled ships are a hot trend in naval war , in part thanks to Ukraine ’s successful exercise of drone ship todrive the Russian Navy out of Crimea , despite Ukraine make in effect no man navyof its own .
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Saronic has now raise almost $ 850 million , Mavrookassaid on CNBC , attributing the quadruple valuation to Saronic ’s fastness at developing new vessels and software .
Saronic ’s raise is the latest sign that defense techcontinues to hit fresh highsin Silicon Valley , buoyed by standardised monster round .
