Umoe Mandal has more than 30 years’ experience designing and building lightweight, high-strength composite vessels and structures at its yard in southern Norway. It built the Royal Norwegian Navy’s high-speed Skjold-class corvettes, constructed from composite materials, and supplies composite mast structures for the Royal Navy’s Type 26 frigates.
The two companies will explore how Umoe Mandal’s expertise in composites and structures could support the development of Kraken’s platforms, along with integration and support in Norway and continental Europe.
They will also look at joint opportunities in defense, maritime surveillance, offshore energy, and critical infrastructure protection—all areas where demand for low-cost, uncrewed maritime capability is growing across Europe.
The agreement follows Kraken’s partnerships with Rheinmetall in Germany and Davie in Canada, and extends its industrial collaboration to fellow Joint Expeditionary Force member Norway, in support of the UK–Norway Lunna House Agreement. Following its $175 million Series B raise and $1 billion valuation earlier this year, Kraken is scaling production to 1,000 vessels per year.
Mal Crease, CEO and Founder of Kraken Technology Group, said: “Umoe Mandal has a long record of building novel and complex naval vessels in Norway. This agreement allows us to explore how we combine our expertise as we support closer UK-Norway industrial cooperation while defending our seas.”
