Ghostfin
Expeditionary drone submarine, about 8.5 ft long and 425 lb, with a published 1,000 nmi range, 30-day endurance and up to 200 lb of modular payload (sensing, logistics or strike).
Prototype
Startup · United States
Albacore
HQ Philadelphia, United StatesFounded 202511-50 employees
Philadelphia maker of long-range autonomous underwater vehicles (the Ghostfin drone submarine) built from commercial components for sensing, surveillance and strike missions.
Products1
Newest unveiled first. Open a product for its milestone timeline, components and sources.
Technologies2
| Technology | Role | Maturity | TRL | Notes | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long-range attritable UUVs | Developer | Prototype | — | Ghostfin; Navy contract reported Aug 2026, value undisclosed. | Reported |
| UUV energy storage | Developer | Development | — | Company claim; no independent test data found. | Speculative |
- DeveloperGhostfin; Navy contract reported Aug 2026, value undisclosed.PrototypeReported
Maturity and TRL describe this organization's work; the field-wide maturity is on each technology's page.
Funding1 round · $6.5M
- Disclosed
- $6.5M
- Latest
- $6.5MSeed · Oct 16, 2025
| Announced | Stage | Amount | Valuation | Lead investors | Other investors | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2025 | Seed | $6.5M | — | Outlander VC | 468 Capital, Alumni Ventures, BoxGroup, Brave Capital, D3, Heliad, Karman Ventures, Pioneer Fund, R-G.AI, RSquared VC, UA1 | Reported |
- SeedLed by Outlander VCWith 468 Capital, Alumni Ventures, BoxGroup, Brave Capital, D3, Heliad, Karman Ventures, Pioneer Fund, R-G.AI, RSquared VC, UA1$6.5MOct 16, 2025
Totals add known amounts using recorded USD conversions where available; other currencies are shown separately. A ~ marks an estimated amount.
Government awards & programs1 award
Awards received1
| Announced | Award | Agency | Type | Program | Obligated | Ceiling | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25, 2026 | U.S. Navy procurement of Ghostfin long-range UUVspress:albacore:2026-08-25 | U.S. Navy | Contract | — | Undisclosed | — | Reported |
- Undisclosed
Obligated is what has been committed so far; ceiling is the most the award can reach. Joint values cover all recipients and are excluded from this company’s money totals.
Supply chain1 facility
Facilities1
| Facility | Kind | Location | Status | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albacore Washington Avenue facility | Factory | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Operating · 2026 | Reported |
- Albacore Washington Avenue facilityFactory · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United StatesOperating · 2026Reported
Company metrics
Employee-profile counts reflect LinkedIn profiles associated with the company, not verified headcount. One observation establishes a baseline; it does not establish growth.
Aug 27, 2026NewsAlbacore Secures US Navy Contract for Strike-Capable Subsea DronesThe Defense PostAug 27, 2026NewsNavy Buys Attack Drone Subs Built in a Philly Marble ShowroomDroneXLAug 25, 2026News (high significance)Military drone submarine manufacturer sets up shop in South PhillyWHYYOct 16, 2025NewsExclusive: YC-Backed Albacore Swims Into $6.5M Seed RoundTectonicJul 30, 2025CompanyLaunch YC: Albacore – Autonomous micro-submarinesY Combinator
- Aug 27, 2026NewsThe Defense PostAlbacore Secures US Navy Contract for Strike-Capable Subsea Drones
- Aug 27, 2026NewsDroneXLNavy Buys Attack Drone Subs Built in a Philly Marble Showroom
- Aug 25, 2026News (high significance)WHYYMilitary drone submarine manufacturer sets up shop in South Philly
- Oct 16, 2025NewsTectonicExclusive: YC-Backed Albacore Swims Into $6.5M Seed Round
- Jul 30, 2025CompanyY CombinatorLaunch YC: Albacore – Autonomous micro-submarines
Sources8
Profile3
- 1
Albacore · Supports Organization · name
“Albacore - Undersea Dominance at Scale”
- 2OtherBlack Flag 100.2
Black Flag · Supports Organization
“Albacore builds mass-producible, long-range autonomous underwater vehicles for military use, assembled from commercial components for rapid deployment.”
- 3DatabaseAlbacore — linkedin profile
Linkedin via Bright Data · Supports Organization · logo
“{"logo": "https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D4E0BAQFbWThWXwKu5Q/company-logo_200_200/B4EZ3pxYTJGkAI-/0/1777743529648/albacore_inc_logo?e=2147483647&v=beta&t=AepqfOujVmWg1LlJOyS8QS2K3XzOdenGaV5Yy2LCEls"}”
Products2
- 4
The Defense Post · Aug 27, 2026 · Supports Government award, System
“The US Navy has contracted Pennsylvania-based defense startup Albacore for the procurement of its Ghostfin long-range unmanned underwater vessels (UUVs).”
- 5
Albacore Inc. · Supports Organization, System
“Albacore Inc. builds mass-producible long-range drone submarines.”
Technologies2
- 6
WHYY · Aug 25, 2026 · Supports Facility, Government award, Organization · employee range, Organization · founded year, Organization technology, Role
“Four months ago, Albacore moved into the 20,000-square-foot marble and granite showroom building on Washington Avenue.”
- 7
Tectonic · Oct 16, 2025 · Supports Funding round · amount, Funding round · investors, Organization technology, Role
“announced it has raised a $6.5M seed round led by Outlander VC with participation from Brave Capital, D3, Alumni Ventures, and a whole bunch more.”
Government1
- 8
DroneXL · Aug 27, 2026 · Supports Government award
“No contract value, no program name, no delivery date, and no award announcement from the Navy or the Department of War.”
Each fact on this page is attached to the sources that support it. Archived copies are linked when we keep one.