#82 - Meet the Startup Innovating Naval Operations With Uncrewed AI-Driven Ships

9 Dec 2024 · 36 min
Tech Optimist: An Alumni Ventures Podcast

9 Dec 2024 · 36 min

0:00

In this episode of The Tech Optimist, host Samantha Herrick interviews Ryan Musto (Senior Associate at Alumni Ventures) and Paul Nguyen (CEO & co‑founder of Havoc AI). The conversation traces Nguyen’s personal journey—from a refugee from Myanmar to a Naval Academy graduate, test pilot, and defense‑tech entrepreneur—and how that background inspired the creation of Havoc AI, a Rhode Island‑based startup building software‑defined uncrewed surface vessels (USVs). The guests explain the DOD’s emerging demand for cheap, scalable, “attritable” systems, highlighted by the Replicator Initiative, and how Havoc’s manufacturing model leverages the state’s boat‑building ecosystem to mass‑produce modular, autonomous boats without traditional naval‑architectural overhead. Technical details cover a software‑first autonomy stack, human‑machine interface, and the ability to operate squads of ten vessels as networked nodes, enabling use cases such as logistics supply, maritime domain awareness, and find‑fix‑track‑target missions. Geopolitical context is woven throughout, referencing China’s 2027 timeline, the Taiwan flashpoint, lessons from Ukraine, and the AUKUS partnership, positioning Havoc’s fleet as a deterrent and a complement to larger platforms. The episode also touches on the broader defense industry shift toward attritable tech, the potential “demonopolization” of prime contractors, and Havoc’s $11 million seed round backed by Scout Ventures, TrueStyle Ventures, Alumni Ventures, and IBM. The discussion ends with a call for community engagement via LinkedIn and demo days in Rhode Island.

Chapters

More from Mike

27:14
Podcast

#102 - Meet the Startup Transforming CO₂ Into Synthetic Fuels

1y ago
59:31
Podcast

#100 - 100 Episodes of Optimism: A Look Back at Our Best Moments

1y ago
39:05
Podcast

#99 - Three Breakthroughs: Big AI vs Little AI

1y ago
18:28
Podcast

#98 - Meet the Startup Offering Developers a Toolkit To Resolve Their Most Pressing Problems

1y ago
34:40
Podcast

#97 - Three Breakthroughs: The AI Arms Race

1y ago
27:48
Podcast

#96 - Meet the Startup Optimizing Telemetry Data for a More Efficient Future

1y ago
33:31
Podcast

#95 - Three Breakthroughs: The Return of Supersonic Travel?

1y ago
37:13
Podcast

#94 - 3 Big Stories in AI

1y ago
27:49
Podcast

#93 - Meet the Startup Revolutionizing B2B With Revenue Automation

1y ago
37:12
Podcast

#92 - Three Breakthroughs: A Survey of the AI Landscape

1y ago
35:24
Podcast

#91 - Blue Flame Thinkers: Ernest Scheyder

1y ago
See all content