Why This UK Battery Firm Just Landed a Multi-Million-Dollar Deal

Jan de Vries · 2026-08-14

When a maritime tech company decides to invest heavily in a battery specialist, it's usually about more than just keeping the lights on. That's exactly what's happening with SubSea Craft's recent move. The Portsmouth-based company has poured a multi-million-dollar investment into LORILLION, a Coventry-based engineering and R&D firm that focuses on bespoke electrification and clean-energy tech. In exchange, SubSea Craft now holds a 40% stake in the company. This isn't just a financial transaction. It's a strategic play to strengthen the UK's ability to design, industrialize, and manufacture specialized battery systems for defense, marine, and automotive applications. Think of it as building a critical piece of infrastructure from the ground up, rather than relying on outside suppliers. ### A Partnership Built on Sovereign Capability The core idea here is "sovereign capability." That means keeping the know-how and manufacturing within the country's borders. Richie Frost, CEO of LORILLION, put it plainly: the partnership with SubSea Craft will speed up the development of key battery technologies and a dedicated battery-pack manufacturing line. This creates a full, end-to-end capability that didn't exist before. What does that look like in practice? It means a customer can come in with a rough concept, and LORILLION can handle everything from design and development to testing and certified production. No hand-offs to third parties in other countries. No loss of control over the process. Just a straight line from idea to finished product. ### What LORILLION Brings to the Table Founded in 2023, LORILLION is a relative newcomer, but it's already making waves. The company specializes in rapid development of bespoke battery systems for demanding, highly regulated environments. That's not easy work. It requires deep expertise and a willingness to tackle tough problems. Here's what they offer: - Initial concept development - Product design and validation - Certification and compliance testing - Full-scale production services With this fresh capital, LORILLION plans to grow its engineering team to over 70 people. That's a significant jump. They're also accelerating work on their proprietary battery-management technology and setting up a new production facility in the Midlands, which is slated to open next year. ### The VICTA Connection SubSea Craft isn't just an investor sitting on the sidelines. They have a specific need. Their advanced maritime platform, VICTA, is a dual-domain vessel that can travel at high speed on the surface, then quickly transition to a wet, subsurface mode for covert operations. It's built for militaries that need to deliver operators or equipment discreetly. For VICTA, the battery isn't a commodity part you can swap out. It's a mission-critical system. That's why LORILLION is developing a bespoke pressure-tolerant battery for the vessel, designed to operate at depths exceeding 160 feet. That's a serious engineering challenge, and it's exactly the kind of work LORILLION was set up to do. ### Why This Matters for Defense Camilla Martin, CEO of SubSea Craft, summed it up well: "Modern defence capability is only as resilient as the industrial base behind it." She emphasized that this investment isn't just about securing batteries. It's about securing the engineering knowledge, manufacturing capability, and freedom of action needed to develop and sustain strategically important British technology. Having a UK-based design and manufacturing partner working directly alongside their engineers means SubSea Craft can accelerate development, keep control over performance, and build a more resilient supply chain. That's a big deal in a world where supply chains can be disrupted in an instant. ### The Bigger Picture This deal is a clear signal that the UK is serious about keeping critical tech development in-house. It's not just about one company or one product. It's about creating a foundation for future innovation in defense and clean energy. And with LORILLION's expanded team and new facility on the horizon, both companies are positioning themselves for what comes next.