SubSea Craft has completed a multimillion-pound investment for a 40% equity interest in battery specialist Lorillion, aiming to strengthen the UK’s sovereign capability to design, industrialize and manufacture specialist battery systems for the defense, marine and automotive sectors.
The investment builds on an existing technical relationship between the two companies, combining Lorillion’s battery engineering expertise with SubSea Craft’s maritime platforms. Lorillion provides battery development services across the defense, marine, aerospace and automotive sectors, specializing in the rapid development of bespoke battery systems for demanding, highly regulated applications.
The investment will expand Lorillion’s engineering team to more than 70 people, accelerate the development of its proprietary battery-management technology, and support a new production facility in the Midlands, which is due to open next year.
The partnership centers on the development of a bespoke battery system for Victa, SubSea Craft’s dual-domain maritime platform, designed to operate at depths exceeding 50m and provide special operations forces with a new generation of covert maritime insertion capability. SubSea Craft said the investment will enable it to gain closer control over a critical element of the platform’s performance and supply chain while retaining the ability to adapt the system as requirements evolve.
Camilla Martin, CEO of SubSea Craft, said, “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. For Victa, the battery is not a commodity component. It is a mission-critical system. Having a UK design and manufacturing partner working directly alongside our engineering teams will allow us to accelerate development, maintain control of performance and strengthen the resilience of our supply chain.”
Lorillion CEO Richie Frost said, “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. This investment allows us to expand our engineering team, accelerate our proprietary technology and provide customers with a complete route from initial battery concept through design, development and testing, to certified production.”
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