How a UK Battery Startup Just Locked in a Major Defense Deal

Jan de Vries · 2026-08-14

When you think about the backbone of modern defense, you might picture warships, fighter jets, or advanced surveillance systems. But here's the thing: none of that hardware moves an inch without reliable power. That's exactly why SubSea Craft, a maritime technology company based in Portsmouth, just made a multi-million-dollar bet on a relatively young UK engineering firm called LORILLION. LORILLION, founded in 2023 and headquartered in Coventry, specializes in bespoke electrification solutions and clean-energy technology. The company has carved out a niche building custom battery systems for demanding, highly regulated industries like defense, marine, aerospace, and automotive. With this new investment, SubSea Craft has acquired a 40% equity stake in LORILLION, a move that could reshape how the UK approaches sovereign battery manufacturing. ### Why This Investment Matters This isn't just another funding round. The deal is strategically designed to strengthen the UK's ability to design, industrialize, and manufacture specialist battery systems entirely on home soil. For years, critical battery technology has often been sourced from overseas, creating supply chain vulnerabilities. SubSea Craft's investment aims to change that by building an end-to-end sovereign capability in the UK. Richie Frost, CEO of LORILLION, explained the significance: "Our strategic partnership with SubSea Craft will accelerate the development of key battery technologies and a dedicated battery-pack manufacturing capability, enabling a vital end-to-end sovereign capability in the UK." Frost also highlighted that the fresh capital will allow his team to expand significantly. The plan is to grow the engineering team to over 70 people, speed up development of proprietary battery-management technology, and support a new production facility in the Midlands slated to open next year. ### What LORILLION Brings to the Table LORILLION isn't your average battery developer. The company offers turnkey services that span the entire product lifecycle, from initial concept and design to validation, certification, and full production. That's a rare combination, especially for a company that's only been around for a couple of years. Here's what sets them apart: - Rapid development of bespoke battery systems for highly regulated environments - In-house expertise across defense, marine, aerospace, and automotive sectors - A complete route from concept to certified production, all under one roof - Focus on pressure-tolerant and mission-critical battery designs This level of vertical integration is exactly what SubSea Craft needs for its flagship platform, the VICTA. ### The VICTA Connection: A Battery Built for the Deep SubSea Craft's VICTA is an advanced dual-domain maritime platform. It can zip across the surface at high speed, then transition to a wet, subsurface mode for covert delivery of operators or equipment. It's designed for militaries that need to conduct discreet operations in contested environments. But here's the challenge: operating at depths exceeding 50 meters (about 164 feet) puts immense pressure on any electronic system. Standard batteries just won't cut it. That's why LORILLION is now developing a bespoke pressure-tolerant battery system specifically for the VICTA vessel. This isn't a commodity component; it's a mission-critical system that has to perform flawlessly under extreme conditions. ### A Strategic Move for Sovereign Capability Camilla Martin, CEO of SubSea Craft, put it bluntly: "Modern defense capability is only as resilient as the industrial base behind it. Our investment in LORILLION is about more than securing batteries. It is about securing the engineering knowledge, manufacturing capability and freedom of action required to develop and sustain strategically important British technology." Martin added that having a UK-based design and manufacturing partner working directly alongside her engineering teams will accelerate development, maintain control over performance, and strengthen supply chain resilience. That's a huge vote of confidence, not just in LORILLION's technology, but in the broader idea that critical defense tech should be built close to home. ### What's Next for LORILLION and SubSea Craft For LORILLION, this investment is a launchpad. The company is already profitable in terms of client demand, and with a larger team and a new facility on the horizon, it's positioned to become a major player in the UK's clean-energy and defense supply chain. For SubSea Craft, the deal secures a reliable, high-performance battery partner that can grow alongside its own ambitions. The VICTA Class craft is just the first in a series of multi-domain platforms, so this partnership could yield dividends for years to come. In a world where supply chains are increasingly fragile and technological superiority depends on control over critical components, this deal is a smart play. It's a reminder that sometimes the most important investments aren't in flashy consumer products, but in the quiet, essential engineering that keeps everything else running. Whether you follow defense tech, clean energy, or just like seeing smart business moves, this is one to watch. The UK is betting big on its ability to build advanced batteries at home, and LORILLION is at the center of it all.