Saildrone Revenue, Valuation, Funding & Investors
Saildrone is valued at $600M as of May 2025, a 14.0x multiple on its last reported $43M revenue.
Last Saildrone valuation
$600M
Series C · May 2025
Last Saildrone funding round
$50M
Strategic investment · Oct 2025
Saildrone revenue
$43M
Series C · May 2025
Key investors in Saildrone
Lux Capital
Social Capital
Capricorn Investment Group
Tribe Capital
Haystack
Crowley
About Saildrone
Saildrone develops autonomous, wind- and solar-powered unmanned surface vehicles for ocean data collection, maritime surveillance, and defense missions. Founded in 2012 by CEO Richard Jenkins and based in Alameda, California, the company uses patented wing-sail technology and onboard sensors to run missions for government agencies such as the U.S. Navy, NOAA, and NASA as well as commercial clients, charging for data collected rather than selling the vehicles outright. Its platforms, including the Surveyor and Voyager, have logged more than two million nautical miles and have expanded from unclassified maritime domain awareness work into integrated combat systems for the Navy.
Founded
2012
HQ
United StatesWebsite
Status
Privately held
Customer focus
B2B & B2G
Revenue model
Services
Revenue
$43M (May 2025)
Valuation
$600M (May 2025)
Saildrone Valuation
Saildrone is currently valued at $600M, based on its Series C in May 2025.
The $60M round was led by Export and Investment Fund, with participation from Calm Ventures, Crowley, Lux Capital, Washington Harbour Partners, Academy Securities and 3 other investors.
Saildrone's valuation has grown 7.7x from $78M at its Series A in February 2017 to $600M in May 2025, across 3 priced rounds.
Saildrone valuation by funding round
Revenue multiple| Date | Stage | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2025 | Series C | $600M | 14.0x |
| Oct 2021 | Series C | $600M | 14.0x |
| Feb 2017 | Series A | $78M | 1.8x |
Saildrone Revenue
Saildrone's latest recorded revenue is $43M, as of its Series C in May 2025. At a $600M valuation, that implies a 14.0x revenue multiple.
Revenue moved from $43M in February 2017 to $43M in May 2025, while the revenue multiple moved from 1.8x to 14.0x.
Saildrone revenue by funding round
| Date | Revenue * | Valuation | Revenue Multiple | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2025 | $43M | $600M | 14.0x | Series C |
| Oct 2021 | $43M | $600M | 14.0x | Series C |
| Feb 2017 | $43M | $78M | 1.8x | Series A |
* Revenue (or ARR) figures are the values recorded alongside each funding round. Typically run-rate revenue at the time of the deal, or a reported LTM (last 12 months) revenue.
Saildrone Funding History
Saildrone has raised a total of $299M across 7 funding rounds.
Saildrone's first fundraising round was a $3M seed round in December 2015. The most recent completed round was a $50M strategic investment round in October 2025.
Saildrone funding rounds
| Date | Stage | Investors | Raised | Valuation | Deal Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | Strategic investment | Lockheed Martin (lead) | $50M | - | Saildrone, founded in 2012 by CEO Richard Jenkins, develops autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) for maritime missions, including surveillance, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and now lethal capabilities through defense integrations. The company has operated in harsh ocean environments since 2013, logging over 2 million nautical miles in customer missions, and first deployed with the U.S. Navy in 2021, now active in combat theaters. Platforms like Surveyor and Voyager use composites for reliability, endurance, and autonomy, with recent ISO 9001 certification for Voyager. On October 29, 2025, Lockheed Martin announced a $50 million strategic investment in Saildrone to advance USV capabilities for the U.S. Navy, following Saildrone's earlier $60 million round led by EIFO in spring 2025, totaling $110 million in 2025 financing. This partnership equips Saildrone USVs with Lockheed's combat-proven systems like the Quad Launcher (JQL) for air-to-ground missiles and plans for Mk70 VLS launchers and towed arrays on larger vessels under development. Saildrone handles shipbuilding at Austal USA's Gulf Coast facility starting Q1 2026, while Lockheed leads mission integration using open architecture and secure command/control for rapid deployment. The collaboration targets live-fire demonstrations in 2026, transforming Saildrone from civilian and unclassified surveillance (e.g., Rim of the Pacific 2020, Task Force 59 2021) to heavy firepower for naval dominance. Executives highlighted combining commercial de-risked tech with defense payloads for speed, scale, and cost reduction in multi-domain operations like ISR, threat detection, and power projection. |
| May 2025 | Series C | Export and Investment Fund (lead); Calm Ventures; Crowley; Lux Capital; Washington Harbour Partners; Academy Securities; BZH Capital; Pinegrove Capital Partners; What If Ventures | $60M | $600M | Saildrone develops wind- and solar-powered unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) for maritime data collection, operating a mission-as-a-service model where customers pay for data from missions rather than buying vehicles. This B2B approach serves government agencies like the US Navy, NOAA, NASA, and Danish Armed Forces, as well as commercial clients, with pricing based on mission duration, area, and sensors. The vehicles offer major cost savings over crewed ships, operating at about $2,500 per day versus $35,000 for traditional vessels, enabling high margins on deployments for defense, climate science, surveillance, and mapping. In May 2025, Saildrone closed a $60 million financing round led by Denmark's Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO), with participation from investors including Academy Securities, BZH Capital, Calm Ventures, Crowley, Lux Capital, Pinegrove Capital Partners, Washington Harbour Partners, and What If Ventures. The funds support expansion into Europe, starting with deploying four Voyager USVs in the Baltic Sea under contract with the Danish Armed Forces in June 2025. Sacra estimates Saildrone at a $600 million valuation, reflecting a 14x revenue multiple on $43 million in 2024 revenue, up 231% YoY from $13 million in 2023, driven by US Navy contracts for maritime domain awareness in areas like the Arabian Sea. Revenue growth stems from penetrating defense markets amid rising Pentagon spending on maritime autonomy, alongside climate and science budgets. The company has sailed 1 million cumulative nautical miles by 2024 and plans further international growth. Compared to peers like Saronic ($4B valuation on $12.5M revenue), Anduril ($30.5B on $1B), and Shield AI ($5.3B on $267M), Saildrone's metrics position it in the growing unmanned maritime sector, though customer concentration in US government contracts poses risks if budgets shift. |
| Oct 2021 | Series C | Bond (lead); Emerson Collective; Crowley; Lux Capital; Haystack; Sand Hill Angels; Social Capital; Tribe Capital; XN-Ventures; Standard Investment; CCIX Global; Capricorn Investment Group | $100M | $600M | Saildrone, based in Alameda, California, develops autonomous uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) for ocean data collection, mapping, and maritime intelligence, using patented wing-sail technology powered predominantly by renewable energy and equipped with advanced sensors and AI for missions in harsh ocean environments. The company serves defense, scientific research, and commercial sectors by providing high-quality data rivaling traditional survey ships while minimizing carbon footprint and costs. Founded in 2012 by Richard Jenkins, Saildrone had raised approximately $90 million prior to this round, bringing total funding to $190 million post-close. On October 18, 2021, Saildrone closed a $100 million Series C funding round led by BOND, with participation from new investors XN Ventures (or XN), Standard Investments, Emerson Collective, and Crowley Maritime Corporation, alongside existing backers Capricorn's Technology Impact Fund, Lux Capital, Social Capital, and Tribe Capital. Sources confirm matching investor list including Sand Hill Angels and Haystack from prior rounds, though not all re-mentioned here. The post-money valuation was $600 million according to Sacra research. BOND's Noah Knauf joined the board. Proceeds were allocated to accelerate production of vehicles like the Saildrone Surveyor, expand data insight teams, and scale go-to-market efforts amid rising demand for ocean domain awareness in climate monitoring, fisheries, defense, and maritime security. The company highlighted rigorous sea trials meeting International Hydrographic Organization standards and partnerships across industries. This round solidified Saildrone's leadership in autonomous maritime tech, following earlier funding from entities like The Schmidt Family Foundation and Horizons Ventures. Subsequent developments included a $75 million Series C-1 in 2024 at $575 million post-money and further raises totaling over $345 million. Competitive context involves growing USV market challenges like regulatory hurdles and tech reliability. |
| May 2018 | Series B | Horizons Ventures (lead); Lux Capital; Social Capital; Tribe Capital; Capricorn Investment Group; Exor Ventures; The Schmidt Family Foundation | $60M | - | Saildrone is a San Francisco-based company that develops wind-powered unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) for ocean monitoring and data collection. The company operates on a mission-as-a-service model where customers pay for data collection services rather than purchasing vehicles outright, with pricing structured around mission duration, geographic coverage, and sensor complexity. The company works with government agencies including NASA, NOAA, and CSIRO, as well as commercial customers for oceanographic research, climate science, and maritime surveillance applications. In May 2018, Saildrone raised $60 million in Series B funding led by Horizons Ventures, with participation from existing investors including Capricorn's Technology Impact Fund, Lux Capital, Social Capital, and The Schmidt Foundation. The capital was intended to scale up operations, build a new generation of ocean monitoring infrastructure, and accelerate international expansion. The company simultaneously opened a 200,000 square foot advanced manufacturing facility in Alameda, California, to support the creation of a 1,000-strong global fleet of wind-powered drones needed to monitor the world's oceans at six-by-six degree resolution. Saildrone's business model leverages significant cost advantages over traditional crewed research vessels, delivering ocean data at roughly one-tenth the daily cost of conventional ships through wind-powered autonomous vehicles that eliminate fuel and crew expenses. The company's vertically integrated approach encompasses vehicle design, manufacturing, fleet operations, and data processing. The fleet reached 1 million cumulative nautical miles sailed by 2024, and revenue grew substantially to $43 million in 2024 (up 231% year-over-year from $13 million in 2023), primarily driven by penetration of the US Navy and defense markets. |
| Feb 2017 | Series A | Lux Capital; Social Capital; Capricorn Investment Group | $12M | $78M | Saildrone develops autonomous uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) powered by renewable wind and solar energy to collect ocean data, map seabeds, and provide maritime intelligence. The company's saildrones operate in harsh environments with advanced sensors and AI for persistent surveillance and environmental monitoring at a lower cost than traditional research vessels. On February 22, 2017, Saildrone closed a $12 million Series A-1 funding round with participation from Capricorn Investment Group, Lux Capital, and Social Capital, achieving a post-money valuation of $77.96 million. The financing supported the company's capital-intensive operations in building and deploying its fleet of autonomous sailboats. Saildrone's technology has logged over 60,000 nautical miles across major oceans including the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Bering Sea. The firm targets markets like maritime information, valued at billions, and national security surveillance. |
| Sep 2016 | Series A | Social Capital (lead); Graph Ventures; Lux Capital; Haystack; Capricorn Investment Group | $14M | - | Saildrone is an ocean robotics company that develops autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) to collect ocean data cost-effectively. The company operates on a mission-as-a-service model, deploying solar and wind-powered drones equipped with custom sensors to gather data on oceanography, climate, fisheries, and environmental conditions across large ocean areas. In September 2016, Saildrone closed a $14 million Series A round led by Social Capital, with participation from Capricorn Investment Group and Lux Capital. The funding was designated for expanding the company's fleet of sailing drones, developing data processing capacity, and scaling commercial operations. By the time of this round, Saildrone had already demonstrated operational capability, having sailed over 60,000 nautical miles with missions across the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Bering Sea. The company positioned itself as addressing a major market gap: while oceans cover over 70% of the Earth's surface, traditional oceanographic research methods are prohibitively expensive and slow. The data collected supports applications in weather forecasting, fish population monitoring, ocean acidification tracking, and climate change research. |
| Dec 2015 | Seed | The Schmidt Family Foundation | $3M | - | Saildrone develops unmanned wind- and solar-powered surface vehicles to collect ocean data at lower cost than traditional research vessels. Founded in 2012 by Richard Jenkins, the company received early philanthropic support from Eric and Wendy Schmidt through The Schmidt Family Foundation. On December 31, 2015, The Schmidt Family Foundation granted Saildrone $1,404,050 to support development of a prototype ocean-going unmanned surface vehicle. This funding aligned with Schmidt Marine Technology Partners' first project in 2015 to advance scalable ocean technologies. Saildrone's vehicles have since logged extensive sea time for missions including climate modeling, fish stock assessment, and maritime security. |
Who has invested in Saildrone?
24 investors have backed Saildrone across its funding rounds, including Lux Capital, Social Capital, Capricorn Investment Group, Tribe Capital, Haystack and Crowley.
Lead investors include Lockheed Martin, Export and Investment Fund, Bond, Horizons Ventures and Social Capital.
Saildrone Investors
| Investor | HQ | Rounds | Role | First check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | 5 | Participant | Sep 2016 | |
| San Francisco, CA | 4 | Lead | Sep 2016 | |
| San Francisco, CA | 4 | Participant | Sep 2016 | |
| Anchorage, AK | 2 | Participant | Oct 2021 | |
| San Francisco, CA | 2 | Participant | Sep 2016 | |
| San Francisco, CA | 2 | Participant | May 2018 | |
| San Francisco, CA | 2 | Participant | Dec 2015 | |
| San Francisco, CA | 1 | Participant | Oct 2021 | |
| New York City, NY | 1 | Participant | May 2025 | |
 Copenhagen | 1 | Lead | May 2025 | |
| San Francisco, CA | 1 | Participant | Sep 2016 | |
| United States | 1 | Participant | May 2025 | |
| United States | 1 | Participant | May 2025 | |
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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples
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Start Free TrialSaildrone Competitors
Saildrone competitors include listed companies like People & Technology, Swarmer and Red Cat Holdings, and private ones like Echodyne, Hidden Level and Forterra.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | Private | - | - | $528M | - | |
 South Korea | Publicly listed | $542M | $77M | $485M | 1.2x | |
| Syracuse, NY | Private | - | - | $450M | - | |
| Washington, DC | Private | - | $82M | $1B | - | |
| United States | Publicly listed | $310K | ($8M) | $342M | 101.7x | |
| United States | Publicly listed | $41M | ($72M) | $1.1B | 6.6x |
Saildrone Public Comps
Saildrone is still privately-owned, but its public comps include Smith & Wesson, Yuil Robotics, Niewiadów Polish Military Group, Aerostar, Ruger, Officina Stellare, Ashot Ashkelon, Intelligo Technology, Gemtek Technology and Avon Technologies.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $524M | $61M | 1.2x | 1.2x | 10.6x | 9.3x | |||
| $27M | ($16M) | 21.9x | - | (35.8x) | - | |||
| $19M | $1M | 34.5x | - | 499.2x | - | |||
| $138M | $27M | 3.5x | - | 18.1x | - | |||
| $546M | $13M | 1.0x | 0.9x | 41.8x | 12.1x | |||
| $20M | $9M | 28.8x | - | 62.7x | - | |||
| $151M | $30M | 4.2x | - | 21.5x | - | |||
| $50M | $20M | 8.4x | 8.4x | 20.8x | - | |||
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Common questions about Saildrone
| When was Saildrone founded? | Saildrone was founded in 2012. |
| Where is Saildrone headquartered? | Saildrone is headquartered in United States. |
| Is Saildrone publicly listed? | No, Saildrone is a private, VC-backed company. |
| What is Saildrone's valuation? | Saildrone was last valued at $600M in its Series C in May 2025. |
| How much funding has Saildrone raised? | Saildrone has raised $299M across 7 funding rounds. |
| What was Saildrone's last funding round? | Saildrone's last funding round was a $50M strategic investment round in October 2025, led by Lockheed Martin. |
| Who are Saildrone's investors? | Saildrone's investors include Lux Capital, Social Capital, Capricorn Investment Group, Crowley, Haystack, Tribe Capital, The Schmidt Family Foundation, Emerson Collective, Calm Ventures, Export and Investment Fund and 14 others. |
| What is Saildrone's revenue? | Saildrone's latest recorded revenue is $43M (May 2025). |
| What is Saildrone's revenue multiple? | Saildrone's latest valuation implies a 14.0x revenue multiple ($600M valuation on $43M of revenue). |
| Which companies are comparable to Saildrone? | Companies comparable to Saildrone include Echodyne, People & Technology, Hidden Level, Forterra, Swarmer and Red Cat Holdings. |
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