Jane Edwards 
Booz Allen Hamilton has invested in Ulysses through its venture capital arm, Booz Allen Ventures, to expand its autonomous undersea offerings for defense and commercial missions.
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Booz Allen said Thursday the investment was made as part of Ulysses’ Series A funding round led by the American Dynamism fund of Andreessen Horowitz, also known as a16z. In January, Booz Allen partnered with a16z to accelerate the integration of commercial technologies into U.S. government and national security missions.
Booz Allen noted that the latest investment marks its first in the maritime sector and enhances its ability to deliver integrated maritime platforms across key mission areas, including mine countermeasures, survey missions, multi-vehicle swarming and operations in high-risk environments.
What Does Ulysses Do?
Ulysses develops autonomous surface and underwater vehicles designed for high-volume deployment in complex maritime environments.
The San Francisco-based company said its platforms combine low-cost hardware with advanced onboard computing to enable next-generation autonomy and mission adaptability. Its systems are designed for environmental monitoring, infrastructure inspection, and search and recovery operations across a range of maritime settings.
What Did Booz Allen & Ulysses Leaders Say About the Investment?
Jennie Brooks, executive vice president at Booz Allen and leader of the firm’s Navy-Marine Corps portfolio, said maritime forces require affordable and scalable undersea systems that can integrate with the Navy’s future hybrid fleet.
“Together, Ulysses and Booz Allen can provide advanced technology solutions for the undersea domain at speed, scale, and cost,” Brooks added.
Brian MacCarthy, managing partner of Booz Allen Ventures, said the investment reflects the firm’s focus on maritime autonomous systems as a long-term domain for advancing maritime capabilities.
“By backing dual-use, venture-backed startups like Ulysses, we are expanding our portfolio into robotics and autonomy and building capabilities that enable deployment at speed across sea, air and land,” MacCarthy noted.
Akhil Voorakkara, co-founder and CEO of Ulysses, said the company is developing autonomous systems to expand access and capability in ocean operations.
“We’re building autonomous systems that change that equation by orders of magnitude—vehicles that can survey, inspect, and protect our oceans at a scale that’s never been possible,” Voorakkara said.
What Other Strategic Investments Has Booz Allen Ventures Made Recently?
Launched in 2022, Booz Allen Ventures has invested in emerging technology firms across space, communications and artificial intelligence-driven defense capabilities. Recent efforts include backing O-RAN Development Co. to advance AI-native 5G and future 6G wireless networks, supporting Portal Space Systems to strengthen space-based mission capabilities, and investing in Hadean to scale AI-powered wargaming and simulation platforms for military training and readiness.
In July 2025, Booz Allen raised its capital commitment to its venture capital arm to $300 million to advance investments in early-stage tech companies and drive innovation in support of U.S. government missions.
