Winning the Seas
Top 5 Learnings From Our Maritime Conference and How Maritime Tech Is Securing America’s Future
200+ maritime enthusiasts and some of the brightest investors and entrepreneurs in maritime gathered at the Newlab for the inaugural “Atlantic Maritime Tech Summit,” co-hosted by Alumni Ventures.
Community is at the core of Alumni Ventures. Our U.S. Strategic Tech Fund backs the next century of American power by uniting top minds to tackle the nation’s biggest economic and security challenges. “This is how we win,” as we say. That was exactly the motivation for us throwing the Atlantic Maritime Tech Summit with our friends at Newlab.
Last week, in the heart of the storied Brooklyn Navy Yard, a hub of American shipbuilding heritage, Alumni Ventures co-hosted a first-of-its-kind gathering: one of the largest startup-focused maritime events in recent NYC history.
The inaugural Atlantic Maritime Tech Conference (AMTC) brought together over 200 attendees from 150+ organizations at Newlab. It united maritime operators, military personnel, investors, and startups to explore the future of maritime innovation. Through panel discussions, fireside chats, and live product demonstrations, we dove into key themes shaping the industry:
- Home
National Security & Innovation
From Lab to D.O.D.: Bridging Maritime Tech & Defense - Home
Autonomy in Shipping
Operationalizing Autonomous Maritime Systems - Home
Global Trade & Resilience
Stormy Seas: Navigating Geopolitical Disruptions - Home
Smart Ports & Logistics
Port 2.0: The Evolution of Next-Gen Harbors - Home
Sustainable Maritime Energy
Unleashing the Next Era of Maritime Propulsion
It was a day of learning, networking, and discovery, bringing together startups, industry leaders, and investors to highlight the extraordinary leaps in maritime innovation. Attendees engaged in forward-thinking discussions and witnessed cutting-edge technologies firsthand, reimagining the future of commercial, defense, and consumer maritime applications.
Live demos from Amogy, HavocAI, Newlight, and Sinkco Labs showcased cutting-edge advances in
- zero-emission propulsion
- AI-driven maritime security
- sustainable shipbuilding materials,
- and next-gen underwater sensing.
Here are our five key takeaways about trends and challenges shaping the future of U.S. maritime innovation.
1. AI Is Reshaping the Battlefield — and the Supply Chain
Artificial intelligence isn’t just a tool for efficiency; it’s becoming a strategic necessity. With peer adversaries ramping up their naval capabilities, AI-driven fleet operations and autonomous platforms are emerging as force multipliers. The defense sector is accelerating the deployment of AI-powered systems for maritime security, from predictive maintenance on warships to AI-enabled collaborative swarms of autonomous vessels.
One speaker noted that AI-enhanced unmanned assets in contested regions have already “moved a U.S. carrier battle group.” The same level of intelligence is transforming commercial supply chains, where ports are integrating AI for cargo optimization, anomaly detection, and automated perimeter security.
2. Autonomy Is Advancing, but Scale Remains the Challenge
The promise of autonomous vessels is becoming reality, but full-scale deployment remains a challenge. While the technology exists — exemplified by AI-powered tugboats and drone ships conducting long-haul voyages — the barriers are regulatory, logistical, and operational. The Navy’s push for “thousands of autonomous vessels” is clashing with the slow pace of shipbuilding and acquisition. Meanwhile, commercial players struggle with port infrastructure compatibility and human oversight requirements.
One participant captured the dilemma: “You can build the robot, but you still need a place to plug it in.” Until scalable solutions emerge for refueling, repair, and regulatory approval, autonomy will remain a supplement, not a replacement, for manned operations.
3. Maritime Infrastructure Is a Bottleneck for Innovation
From smart ports to green shipping corridors, the ability to upgrade infrastructure is outpaced by the speed of technological development. Ports are rapidly integrating automation, yet face hurdles in modernizing legacy systems and overcoming local regulatory patchworks.
A common frustration echoed in the discussion was that securing federal approvals for maritime energy projects can take a decade, while competitors abroad are deploying solutions in real time. The lack of alternative fuel bunkering, streamlined permitting, and scalable testing sites for new vessel technologies is holding back broader adoption. As one panelist put it, “China is building 500 ships a year; we’re debating where to put a fueling station.”
4. Future Fleets Will Be Hybrid: Sophisticated Manned and Attritable Autonomous
Naval and commercial fleets are both shifting toward a mixed force structure: sophisticated manned vessels for core operations and a growing wave of low-cost, attritable, autonomous platforms.
One speaker laid out the shift in stark terms. Today, the Navy operates at roughly “80% crewed, 20% uncrewed,” but the future will need to flip that ratio. The commercial sector faces a similar transformation, with small, low-cost autonomous cargo movers complementing — rather than replacing — conventional shipping fleets. The challenge ahead is integrating these assets into existing maritime operations without disrupting efficiency or escalating costs.
5. Maritime Energy Innovation Is Fragmented — But Gaining Momentum
Alternative fuels, nuclear propulsion, and offshore energy generation are all advancing, but no single solution dominates. Hydrogen and ammonia are proving viable for short-haul operations, and nuclear concepts — ranging from modular reactors to radioisotope batteries — are being explored for deep-sea autonomy and high-endurance platforms.
However, infrastructure gaps and uncertain regulations remain roadblocks. One speaker summed it up bluntly: “We know what needs to be done. We just don’t have the fuel, the facilities, or the policy to do it yet.” The next decade will determine whether the U.S. maritime sector can translate these innovations into real-world deployment at scale.
Get Involved in Backing the Next Century of American Leadership
Alumni Ventures’ U.S. Strategic Tech Fund is committed to securing America’s leadership in critical technology sectors — and maritime dominance is one of the most vital capabilities in homeland security. From protecting supply chains to securing naval superiority, advancements in maritime tech make us safer at home and our allies safer abroad.
If you want to join forces with the U.S. Strategic Tech Fund in shaping the future of American power, this is your call. Join us. And we hope to see you at AMTC 2026.
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Pete Mathias
Partner, U.S. Strategic Tech FundAlumni Ventures' U.S. Strategic Tech Fund is led by Partner Pete Mathias, personally ranked by Business Insider as a Top Defense VC to Watch. Pete joined Alumni Ventures from the $1.5B+ venture capital arm of Bertelsmann, where he was a Senior Director across the European Union, China, and U.S startup ecosystems. Previously a fellow at .406 Ventures and alumnus of the Harvard Innovation Lab, Pete has substantial entrepreneurial and startup operating background. He has an MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth, an MPA from Harvard’s Kennedy School, a Master’s with Distinction from Oxford, and a BA (magna cum laude) from Dartmouth. He has recently been selected as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Pete has a creative core as drummer for the indie rock band Filligar, which has been designated as “Cultural Ambassador” by the U.S. Department of State. He is an avid skier, marathon runner, and ice hockey player.
Drew Wandzilak
Senior Associate, US Strategic Tech FundDrew has worked in high-growth industries as both an investor and operator, focusing on how people and technology interact within organizations. His venture experience began at AV’s Seed Fund, identifying and supporting early stage founders across a variety of industries. This experience led him to join Holistic Industries, a leading private multi-state operator of cannabis cultivation facilities and dispensaries, where he focused on business intelligence, corporate development, and M&A. Prior to rejoining AV, he worked with the founding team of Mirage, an NFT marketplace and view layer for augmented reality assets. Drew has a BS from Northwestern University in Education and Social Policy with concentrations in Learning & Organizational Change and Entrepreneurship. He is also an ambassador of Northwestern’s Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and a member of Chicago Inno’s 25 under 25.
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