Albacore Inc.
YC S25Philadelphia, US · Founded 2025 · 18 employees · 4 known investors
Albacore develops mass-producible long-range drone submarines (Ghostfin platform) designed for military autonomous underwater operations. The systems use commercial off-the-shelf components and advanced propulsion technology to enable extended transit and loiter times, with embedded autonomous navigation and analytics for remote mission execution.
Also known as Albacore Ocean Systems, Inc.
Advanced ManufacturingDefense TechHardwareRoboticsDronesMaritimeDefenseUnited States of AmericaAmerica / CanadaPartly Remote
Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (S25)
Albacore Inc. was founded in 2025 by John Huddleston and Dante Vaisbort.
JH
John HuddlestoninCo-Founder & CTOJohn Huddleston holds a mechanical engineering degree from Brown University and previously worked as an advisor on autonomous systems for Fortune 500 aerospace and defense firms and U.S. Navy leadership before founding Albacore.
DV
Dante VaisbortinCo-Founder & CEODante Vaisbort studied Classics at the University of Chicago and has founded multiple defense technology startups, including a prior company that worked on autonomous system-focused power technologies for the Department of Defense. He is now building underwater drone technology at Albacore Inc.
Investors · 4
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements$6.5M disclosed across 1 of 2 rounds · 2025
- $6.5MSeed RoundOct 2025 · 2 sourcesSource ↗
Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.
Competitors · 6
by search overlapAvinc8 shared keywordsAV builds integrated defense systems for allied military operators, including unmanned aircraft, loitering munitions, counter-UAS systems, ISR, directed energy, and autonomy software across air, land, sea, and space domains. The company reports more than 50,000 deployments across over 55 countries.
Saildrone6 shared keywordsSaildrone builds wind- and solar-powered uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) equipped with radar, sonar, AIS, and AI-driven sensor fusion for long-endurance maritime missions. Its platforms serve defense and government customers for applications such as anti-submarine warfare, ISR, maritime domain awareness, counter-narcotics, and ocean mapping.
Anduril5 shared keywordsAnduril builds autonomous systems and software for defense and military applications, including attack aviation, unmanned aircraft, and underwater vehicles, unified by an autonomy platform. It also operates its own defense manufacturing facility.
Ulysses5 shared keywordsThe Ocean Company builds dual-domain systems for coastal ecosystem restoration and maritime infrastructure security. The company serves organizations working in ocean and coastal protection sectors.
Vatn5 shared keywordsVatn designs and manufactures low-cost, modular autonomous underwater vehicles with proprietary autonomy, navigation, and control software for undersea ISR, logistics, sensing, and payload delivery missions. Its systems are used by defense, research, and commercial customers, including U.S. DoD and NATO partners operating in contested maritime environments.
Nauticus Robotics4 shared keywordsNauticus Robotics builds autonomous underwater robots and AI-powered control software for subsea operations, aiming to replace crewed vessels and divers. It serves industries including offshore renewables, aquaculture, port security, defense, oil and gas, subsea mining, and oceanographic research.
Companies competing with Albacore Inc. for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
In the news
Frequently asked questions
- What does Albacore Inc. do?
- Albacore develops mass-producible long-range drone submarines (Ghostfin platform) designed for military autonomous underwater operations. The systems use commercial off-the-shelf components and advanced propulsion technology to enable extended transit and loiter times, with embedded autonomous navigation and analytics for remote mission execution.
- Who founded Albacore Inc.?
- Albacore Inc. was founded by John Huddleston, Dante Vaisbort in 2025.
- Who are Albacore Inc.'s investors?
- Albacore Inc.'s investors include BoxGroup, Brave Capital, Y Combinator, 468 Capital.
- How much funding has Albacore Inc. raised?
- Albacore Inc. has disclosed $6.5M raised across 1 of its 2 known rounds.
- Where is Albacore Inc. headquartered?
- Albacore Inc. is headquartered in Philadelphia, US.