Autonomous underwater vehicle provider Vatn Systems has acquired Crewless Marine, a move that brings advanced acoustic sensing and signal processing capabilities in-house as Vatn scales AUV production to meet growing demand from U.S. and allied naval forces.
Vatn said Wednesday that the deal brings Crewless Marine’s expertise in torpedo acoustics, hydrophone manufacturing and real-time signal processing directly into Vatn’s technology stack. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Why Did Vatn Acquire Crewless Marine?
Vatn framed the acquisition as a strategic move to secure its supply chain and accelerate development, noting that undersea autonomy is redefining naval operations and defense spending.
“With this acquisition, we’re solidifying our leadership position in undersea acoustics and accelerating our ability to deliver high-performance, low-cost torpedo solutions at scale,” said Nelson Mills, CEO of Vatn Systems.
“Acoustic sensing is fundamental to undersea warfare, and owning this capability end-to-end enables us to advance our mission while positioning us to expand into the harbor defense and environment monitoring markets,” he added.
Crewless Marine, founded by former Navy engineers, is currently performing work under a Navy Small Business Innovation Research contract focused on artificial intelligence and machine learning-enabled multi-sensor, multi-target localization.
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Who Is Joining Vatn From Crewless Marine?
In line with the acquisition, Crewless Marine’s leadership team will take on senior technical roles at Vatn.
Co-founder Steve Bordonaro will join Vatn as chief engineer for systems. Bordonaro brings more than 30 years of experience in acoustic signal processing and autonomous systems. He previously served as chief scientist for the Sensors and Sonar Systems Department and led torpedo guidance and control development at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center.
Co-founder Philip Caspers will become director of acoustics at Vatn.
How Does the Acquisition Fit Vatn’s Growth Strategy?
The Crewless Marine acquisition follows a period of rapid expansion for Vatn Systems. In December 2025, the company announced a $60 million Series A funding round, increasing total funding to $76.5 million. The round included participation from strategic and defense-focused investors such as Hanwha, Airbus Ventures and Lockheed Martin Ventures.
Vatn has also secured its first international sale, supporting Singapore’s Defense Science and Technology Agency with underwater capabilities.
