Vatn Systems
Rhode Island-based builder of low-cost, modular autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and acoustic sensing arrays for undersea ISR, mine countermeasures, and electronic warfare, serving the U.S. military and allied navies.
Founded in 2023 by CEO Nelson Mills alongside Frederick Mills (COO) and Geoff Manchester (CTO), Vatn Systems (Bristol, RI) builds modular AUVs — the Skelmir S6 and S12 platforms, the latter blending AUV and lightweight-torpedo form factors — plus hydrophone/acoustic sensing arrays (Eyra 5.1 and 8.0), targeting distributed undersea sensing, ISR, mine countermeasures, electronic warfare, and undersea effects at scale for the U.S. military, allied nations, and commercial customers. In January 2026 it acquired Crewless Marine, which holds a Navy SBIR contract for AI/ML-enabled multi-sensor target localization.
Overview
- Headquarters
- Bristol, RI
- Founded
- 2023
- Employees
- ~65 (est.)
- Total funding
- $76.5M
- Stage
- Series A
- Status
- active
- Domains
- vatn.com
- Website
- www.vatn.com/
Founders4
- FounderNelson MillsCEO and co-founder of Vatn Systems, a Rhode Island-based builder of modular autonomous underwater vehicles for the U.S. military; previously led hull development at Pure Watercraft and held investor roles at Link Ventures, Lux Capital, and Global Founders Capital.
- FounderFrederick MillsCOO and co-founder of Vatn Systems, alongside his brother Nelson Mills; oversees operations and manufacturing.
- FounderGeoff ManchesterCTO and co-founder of Vatn Systems; spent roughly a decade as Director of Engineering at Koop, an electric-boat/hydrofoil builder, before joining Vatn.
- FounderDan HendrixCo-founder of Vatn Systems; former U.S. Special Forces dive team commander, BS from the U.S. Air Force Academy, MA in Military Doctrine and Strategic Management.
Cap table0
Approximate ownership by holder. Indexed holders link to their records.
Raised per round
Percentages marked ~ are not disclosed. Some are a generic VC-pattern model (founders/team weighted heaviest, option pool lightest, other holders evenly) sized to whatever's left undisclosed — a standard industry shape, not this company's actual cap table.
| Holder | Instrument | Ownership |
|---|---|---|
| Preferred (Series A) | ~7.1% | |
| Preferred (Series A) | ~7.1% | |
| Preferred (Series A) | ~7.1% | |
| Preferred (Series A) | ~7.1% | |
| Preferred (Series A) | ~7.1% | |
| Preferred (Series A) | ~7.1% | |
| Preferred (Series A) | ~7.1% | |
| Preferred (Series A) | ~7.1% | |
| Preferred (Series A) | ~7.1% | |
| Preferred (Series A) | ~7.1% | |
| Preferred (Series A) | ~7.1% | |
| Preferred (Series A) | ~7.1% | |
| Preferred (Series A) | ~7.1% | |
| Preferred (Series A) | ~7.1% |
Programs0
No linked records yet.
Frequently asked
- What does Vatn Systems do?
- Founded in 2023 by CEO Nelson Mills alongside Frederick Mills (COO) and Geoff Manchester (CTO), Vatn Systems (Bristol, RI) builds modular AUVs — the Skelmir S6 and S12 platforms, the latter blending AUV and lightweight-torpedo form factors — plus hydrophone/acoustic sensing arrays (Eyra 5.1 and 8.0), targeting distributed undersea sensing, ISR, mine countermeasures, electronic warfare, and undersea effects at scale for the U.S. military, allied nations, and commercial customers. In January 2026 it acquired Crewless Marine, which holds a Navy SBIR contract for AI/ML-enabled multi-sensor target localization.
- Where is Vatn Systems headquartered?
- Vatn Systems is headquartered in Bristol, RI and was founded in 2023.
- How much funding has Vatn Systems raised?
- Vatn Systems has raised $76.5M in disclosed funding.
- What does Vatn Systems specialize in?
- Vatn Systems works across vatn.com.
- Does Vatn Systems hold government contracts?
- Defense Tech Atlas links Vatn Systems to 1 government contract.
Sources & citations5
Each claim links to its underlying source. Confidence reflects how directly the source supports the claim.
- 1
Vatn Systems builds modular autonomous underwater vehicles (Skelmir S6/S12) and acoustic sensing arrays for distributed undersea ISR, mine countermeasures, and electronic warfare for the U.S. military and allied nations
PR Newswire: Vatn Systems Raises $60 Million Series A to Redefine Underwater Naval Warfare at ScaleVerified2025-12-11 - 2
Vatn Systems raised a $13M oversubscribed seed round in November 2024 (total $16.5M) led by DYNE Ventures, with Lockheed Martin Ventures, RTX Ventures, In-Q-Tel, Propeller Ventures, SAIC Ventures, and others participating
Vatn Systems: Vatn Systems Raises $13 Million Seed Round to Advance Autonomous Underwater Vehicles for US DefenseVerified2024-11-01 - 3
Veteran Ventures Capital announced an investment in Vatn Systems as part of its $60M Series A, marking Vatn's entry into VVC's Fund II portfolio
PR Newswire: Veteran Ventures Capital Announces Investment in Vatn Systems, Supporting a New Era of Scalable Undersea AutonomyVerified2025-12-11 - 4
Vatn Systems acquired Crewless Marine in January 2026, which holds a Navy SBIR contract for AI/ML-enabled multi-sensor target localization
The Defense Post: Rhode Island undersea mergerVerified2026-01-08 - 5
Vatn Systems lists its headquarters as Bristol, RI
Vatn Systems: Contact | Autonomous Undersea Systems | VATNVerified2026-08-10