US Startup Strikes Shipbuilding Deal with Conrad for Autonomous Vessels

U.S. technology and shipbuilding startup Blue Water Autonomy has entered a production agreement with Louisiana-based Conrad Shipyard to build its first class of autonomous surface vessels, marking a shift from research and development to real-world deployment.

The announcement comes weeks after the Boston company, which designs highly producible unmanned ships for the U.S. Navy, raised its Series A, bringing total funding to $61 million, and underscores its push to deliver scalable unmanned ships that align with near-term U.S. defense priorities.

Under the agreement, Conrad will assemble Blue Water’s first autonomous fleet using multiple facilities and advanced production techniques, such as automated panel line and welding processes, aimed at parallel builds and rapid throughput.

Blue Water said the milestone highlights its broader strategy to activate underutilized U.S. shipyard capacity, especially small and mid-tier yards capable of adapting quickly to new platforms.

"We're designing for deployment, not just demonstration. Conrad is a world-class shipbuilder with proven capability, and this partnership puts us in a position to deliver ships quickly, while demonstrating the expertise and scale of existing U.S. shipbuilding capacity,” said Rylan Hamilton, co-founder and CEO of Blue Water Autonomy.

"Blue Water Autonomy's design reflects the kind of forward-looking innovation that U.S. shipbuilders are ready to deliver. We're proud to support this program and help bring autonomous naval capabilities to life with the speed, precision, and craftsmanship we've been trusted to deliver for over 75 years across commercial and military shipbuilding,” added Cecil Hernandez, President and CEO of Conrad Shipyard.