Fleetzero Raises $43 Million Series A from Obvious Ventures, Maersk Growth, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, 8090 Ventures and Others to Scale Shipping Electrification and Autonomy

HOUSTON, Jan. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Fleetzero, a marine technology company building hybrid and electric propulsion systems for ships, today announced a $43 million Series A financing and the opening of a new manufacturing and R&D facility in Houston, Texas.

The capital will be used to expand manufacturing of Fleetzero's Leviathan™ hybrid and electric marine propulsion system, which is being deployed globally on commercial vessels.

"Hybrid and electric propulsion systems are simply cheaper, safer, and cleaner than traditional systems, and the shift in the industry towards electrification is inevitable," said Steven Henderson, co-founder and CEO of Fleetzero.

Fleetzero's new headquarters in Houston will serve as the company's hub for manufacturing and R&D. The facility includes a production line with an initial capacity of 300 MWh/year of marine ESS systems, a marine robotics and autonomy lab, and a marine propulsion R&D center. Fleetzero plans to expand its Houston production capacity up to three GWh/yr over the next five years.

"Houston has the people who know how to build and operate big hardware – ships, rigs, refineries, and power systems," said Mike Carter, co-founder and COO of Fleetzero. "We're pairing that industrial DNA with modern batteries, autonomy, and software to bring back shipbuilding to the US."

The company's Leviathan™ propulsion system can be used on new or existing ships in a hybrid or all-electric configuration and is designed to lower the total cost of ownership of large commercial ships through maintenance and fuel savings.

"We believe that electrification will be an important part of the mix on our journey to reach net-zero," said Morten Bo Christiansen, Head of Energy Transition at A.P. Moller-Maersk. "We're proud to support innovative companies such as Fleetzero." "Their ambitions that go from battery technology to broader infrastructure make them a great partner for Maersk."

The round was led by Obvious Ventures, with participation from new investors Maersk Growth and 8090 Industries, as well as existing investors Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Y Combinator, the New Orleans' Saints owners Benson Capital, Shorewind, and others.

"Fleetzero is making robotic ships a reality today. The team is moving us from dirty, dangerous, and expensive to clean, safe, and cost-effective. It's like watching the future today," said Andrew Beebe, Managing Director at Obvious Ventures. "We backed the team because they are mariners and engineers, know the industry deeply, and are scaling with real ships and customers, not just renderings."

Fleetzero sees electrification as a key enabler of marine autonomy, as well as a strategic opening for US and European shipbuilding to rebound after decades of decline.

"Fleetzero is bringing back maritime technology leadership to this country," said Rayyan Islam, Co-Founder and General Partner at 8090 Industries. "We invested in Fleetzero because we feel they are uniquely positioned to take shipbuilding from a series of custom construction projects to truly high-volume manufacturing…and this is crucial to building back seapower to the US."

Fleetzero media contact:
Matt Mallino, VP of Marketing
Minji Kim, Chief of Staff
[email protected]
www.fleetzero.com

About Fleetzero
Fleetzero is a marine technology company that sells electric and hybrid marine propulsion systems for new and existing commercial vessels. Fleetzero is also developing unmanned cargo vessel technology. Fleetzero is headquartered in Houston, Texas, with operations and partners globally.

About Obvious Ventures
Obvious is an early-stage venture capital firm backing visionary leaders building breakthrough solutions to the world's biggest problems. We invest thematically across planetary health, human health, and economic health. We were founded on a simple belief that the most valuable companies of our time will be the ones scaling these solutions and moving capitalism from scarcity to abundance. That's our world positive purpose.

About Maersk Growth
Maersk Growth is the global partner for external innovation at A. P. Moller – Maersk on a mission to digitise and decarbonise supply chains. Solely focused on Energy Transition, Maersk Growth invests in early-stage startups to support new business models and technologies helping us to achieve our net-zero goals.

About Breakthrough Energy Ventures
Breakthrough Energy Ventures is a purpose-built investment firm that partners with, launches, and scales global companies that are building an emissions-free global economy. We seek true breakthroughs and are committed to supporting these entrepreneurs and companies by bringing to bear a unique combination of technical, operational, market, and policy expertise. Backed by many of the world's top business leaders, companies, and investors, Breakthrough Energy Ventures has raised more than $3.5 billion in committed capital and partnered with more than 110 groundbreaking companies. Breakthrough Energy Ventures is the venture capital arm of Breakthrough Energy, a global network of climate leaders committed to accelerating the world's journey to a clean energy future. The organization funds breakthrough technologies, advocates for climate-smart policies, and mobilizes partners around the world to take effective action, accelerating progress at every stage.

About 8090 Industries
8090 Industries backs today's industrialists building physical foundations of the next century. The firm partners with founders scaling category-defining companies across energy, manufacturing, supply chains, defense and national security. Beyond capital, 8090 harbors and deploys deep industrial relationships and hands-on development support to help build real assets, real infrastructure, and enduring industrial enterprises.

SOURCE Fleetzero