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Kraken Technology Group
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Kraken Technology Group

British maritime-autonomy firm; builds Royal Navy K3 SCOUT USVs, valued at $1bn since July.

Kraken Technology Group raised $175 million on 9 July 2026, crossing a $1 billion valuation days after its K3 SCOUT vessels began sailing toward Hormuz aboard RFA Lyme Bay and after an A400M airdrop trial closed on 8 July.

Last refreshed: 3 August 2026 · Appears in 2 active topics

Key Question

Can Kraken's K3 Scout boats actually detect and neutralise mines in Hormuz?

Timeline for Kraken Technology Group

#11 10 Aug

MoD: no data left the robot boats

Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea
#11 9 Aug

Navy robot boats' cameras called China

Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea
#10 30 Jul

Mentioned in: Ocean Infinity: 13,000 hours, no crew

Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea
#11 13 Jul

Raised $175m and crossed a $1bn unicorn valuation

UK Startups and Innovation: Kraken crosses $1bn on $175m raise
#6 7 Jul

Airdropped the K3 SCOUT USV from an A400M

Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea: A400M airdrops a working robot boat
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Background

Kraken Technology Group is a British manufacturer of uncrewed surface vessels, built around the K3 SCOUT family that equips the Royal Navy's Project Beehive fleet. Its German Arm, Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH, puts series production on the Elbe at the former Blohm+Voss yard rather than solely at UK yards, and brought Rheinmetall in as both manufacturing partner and, later, Series B backer.

The firm has built an international supply network beyond Germany: a production partnership with Canadian shipbuilder Davie, and a trials partnership with US aerial-delivery specialist Capewell.

On 9 July 2026 Kraken raised $175 million in a round led by Digital Transformation Capital Partners, with the NATO Innovation Fund and Rheinmetall, its own joint-venture partner, among the backers, taking the company past a $1 billion valuation.

Key Issues
Naval robotics deployment

Kraken turns naval deployment into a raise

Kraken's K3 SCOUT vessels form part of the Royal Navy's Project Beehive force package that Left Gibraltar on 27 May 2026 aboard RFA Lyme Bay, heading toward a potential mine-clearance mission near the Strait of Hormuz.

Kraken paired its hull with US aerial-delivery specialist Capewell for a six-day drop campaign closing 8 July, proving the vessel survives ejection from an Airbus A400M into Sea state 4 water without a mothership standing by. That gave Kraken a delivery route with no ship in theatre, a capability its Series B pitch could point to a week later when it raised $175 million, led by Digital Transformation Capital Partners with the NATO Innovation Fund and Rheinmetall among the backers.

Common Questions
What is the Kraken K3 Scout and what does it do?
The K3 SCOUT is a crewless surface vessel built by Kraken Technology Group in the UK, used for mine-hunting, surveillance and reconnaissance. Twenty were ordered by the Royal Navy under the £12.3 million Project Beehive contract.Source: UK Defence Journal
Why did the Royal Navy choose Kraken for Project Beehive?
Kraken won a £12.3 million contract in March 2026 to supply 20 K3 SCOUT USVs to the Royal Navy as part of Project Beehive, the service's first sizable uncrewed vessel fleet, now deployed in the Lyme Bay force package.Source: UK Defence Journal
How many Kraken USVs are sailing toward the Strait of Hormuz?
Twenty Kraken K3 SCOUT USVs are part of the RFA Lyme Bay force package that departed for a potential Strait of Hormuz mine-clearance mission in May 2026.Source: Naval News
Is Kraken Technology Group building USVs in Canada?
Yes. Kraken and Quebec's Davie shipbuilder announced a strategic collaboration on 28 May 2026 to produce Kraken autonomous solutions, including the K3 SCOUT, on Canadian soil.Source: Naval News
How was a Kraken K3 Scout airdropped from an aircraft?
On 8 July 2026 Kraken and Capewell completed the world's first extracted-load USV airdrop, releasing a working K3 SCOUT from an Airbus A400M into Sea state 4 waters using Capewell's UMCADS extraction platform, after a six-day trials campaign.Source: Naval News
Why did Kraken and Capewell airdrop a robot boat from an A400M?
The airdrop demonstrates that a K3 SCOUT USV can be flown directly into theatre and dropped into open water, giving the Royal Navy a faster way to get mine-hunting USVs on station without needing a mothership to carry them the whole way.Source: Naval News
How much did Kraken Technology Group raise in its Series B round?
Kraken raised $175 million, valuing the company at $1 billion and making it Europe's newest defence unicorn.Source: event
Who led Kraken Technology Group's $175m funding round?
Digital Transformation Capital Partners (DTCP) led the round, alongside backers including the British Business Bank, the NATO Innovation Fund, and Rheinmetall.Source: event
What is Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH?
It is a Hamburg-based joint venture between Rheinmetall and Kraken Technology Group that runs series production of the K3 SCOUT uncrewed surface vessel.Source: event
Why is Kraken Technology Group's uncrewed boat significant for the Royal Navy?
Its K3 SCOUT vessels equip the Royal Navy's Project Beehive fleet, now deployed toward a potential mine-clearance mission in the Strait of Hormuz.
Source Material
Royal Navy receives first sizable uncrewed vessel fleet (Project Beehive)