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Blue Water Autonomy, a Boston-based startup founded in 2024, has announced a new production partnership with Conrad Shipyard, marking a significant step toward scaling its fleet of autonomous surface vessels. The agreement comes shortly after the company secured $50 million in Series A funding to build and launch its first full-sized, long-range autonomous ship in 2026.
“We’re designing for deployment, not just demonstration,” said Rylan Hamilton, co-founder and CEO of Blue Water Autonomy. “Conrad is a world-class shipbuilder with proven expertise, and this partnership positions us to deliver ships at speed while showcasing the capacity and craftsmanship of U.S. shipyards.”
Under the deal, Conrad will assemble Blue Water’s first class of autonomous ships, leveraging multiple facilities and advanced shipbuilding techniques—including automated panel lines and precision welding—to enable parallel construction and scalable output.
Cecil Hernandez, president and CEO of Conrad Shipyard, emphasized the strategic importance of the collaboration: “Blue Water Autonomy’s design reflects the forward-looking innovation that U.S. shipbuilders are ready to deliver. We are proud to contribute to this program and continue our tradition of precision and reliability across both commercial and military shipbuilding.”
The agreement builds on a series of senior hires by Blue Water to expand its internal capabilities. Earlier this year, the company welcomed Tim Glinatsis, a 25-year veteran of General Dynamics NASSCO and Bath Iron Works, as well as key engineers from DARPA’s NOMARS autonomous ship program, including marine engineering lead Ryan Maatta.
Blue Water says this milestone underscores its broader strategy to revitalize underutilized U.S. shipyard capacity, particularly among small and mid-sized yards that can adapt quickly to emerging platforms.
“Our vessels are modular, producible, and designed to be built nationwide,” Hamilton added. “Working with Conrad is only the beginning. We aim to demonstrate that the U.S. has both the infrastructure and the talent to support autonomy at scale.”
Unlike traditional crewed warships—which often demand years of specialized construction—Blue Water’s platform is designed for rapid production, updating, and maintenance. By working with established shipyards like Conrad, the company hopes to prove that the future of naval autonomy can be realized with speed, flexibility, and precision.
