HavocAI, a Rhode Island-based defense technology startup, has raised $85 million to accelerate the production of AI-driven unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and strengthen partnerships with the US military and allied defense organizations. Since its founding in early 2024, the company has grown to about 80 employees and amassed nearly $100 million in total funding.
The funding round included notable investors such as B Capital, In-Q-Tel, Lockheed Martin, Hanwha, Taiwania Capital, Vanderbilt University, Up Partners, Island Green Capital, and Zero Infinity Partners, alongside continued support from Scout Ventures and Outlander Ventures. HavocAI retrofits commercial vessels with its proprietary autonomous control software, enabling mission coordination and navigation with limited human intervention, providing an efficient alternative to designing new hulls.
HavocAI’s in-house USVs have gained significant attention, especially during the US Navy’s “Silent Swarm” trials, where the service procured a dozen Rampage USVs (14-foot) for roughly $100,000 each, emphasizing the vessels’ expendable role in combat scenarios. The company is also testing larger vessels including the 38-foot Seahound, 42-foot Kaikoa, and 100-foot Atlas, supporting ongoing contracts with the US Army, Navy, and Defense Innovation Unit.
Partnerships with defense manufacturers are expanding the startup’s footprint. Metal Shark plans to integrate HavocAI’s AI systems into its USV fleet, while Lockheed Martin collaborates to speed up medium USV development for naval operations. Despite Chinese sanctions last year targeting US firms supplying Taiwan, HavocAI continues to grow amid rising demand from the Department of Defense for autonomous maritime platforms, signaling a significant role for AI-driven vessels in modern naval warfare.
