$14 Billion Valuation: IMM Investment Backs U.S. Unmanned Surface Vehicle Firm

Participation in Saronic Technologies' Series D Round
Company Valuation Doubles in One Year
Exploring Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Cooperation

IMM Investment has invested in a U.S. company specializing in autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). By investing in a core U.S. physical artificial intelligence (AI) company, IMM is also expected to play a bridging role in Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation.

On June 22, IMM Investment announced that it had participated in the Series D funding round for U.S.-based Saronic Technologies.

The total amount raised in this round is $1.75 billion (approximately KRW 2.6901 trillion). The company's valuation was recognized at $9.25 billion, or about KRW 14.221 trillion. This more than doubled from the approximately $4 billion valuation at the Series C round in early 2025.

The investment round was led by Kleiner Perkins, with existing shareholders 8VC and Andreessen Horowitz participating, along with major venture capital (VC) firms from Silicon Valley and global investors. Among domestic asset managers, IMM Investment was the only participant in this round.

Founded in Austin, Texas, in 2022, Saronic is a physical AI-based ocean autonomy systems company that vertically integrates the design of autonomous USVs, autonomous navigation software, and mass production systems. Its product line ranges from the 24-foot USV "Corsair" to the 180-foot mid-size unmanned surface vehicle "Marauder."

Last year, Saronic signed a USV supply contract with the U.S. government worth about $390 million and subsequently deployed the Corsair to the U.S. Navy. Recently, the Corsair was used in a mission to rescue two U.S. Army Apache helicopter pilots who crashed in waters near Oman.

Saronic is concretizing its goal of revitalizing the U.S. shipbuilding industry for the era of autonomous navigation through the acquisition of a Louisiana shipyard, a $300 million expansion investment, and the construction of a next-generation shipyard called "Port Alpha."

IMM Investment has positioned Saronic as a successor to companies like SpaceX and Palantir. The judgment is based on Saronic's demonstrated technological prowess, mass production capability, and record of securing government contracts in the differentiated field of ocean autonomy systems.

This investment was sourced through Eric Jackson, IMM Investment’s U.S. venture investment partner. Eric Jackson, known as a member of the so-called "PayPal Mafia," was a key early member of PayPal. Leveraging such networks, this is considered a case where IMM proactively discovered and invested in a top-tier U.S. deal that is normally inaccessible to outside investors.

With the $150 billion Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation project "MASGA" underway, IMM Investment also plans to explore potential strategic cooperation between domestic shipbuilders and Saronic.

An IMM Investment spokesperson stated, "We will continue to identify promising U.S. investment opportunities by leveraging our local partnerships and global network."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.