
New Brighton, MN – February 2025 – Verterra is proud to announce that Captain (ret.) John McGunnigle has joined our Board of Advisors.
Captain McGunnigle brings over three decades of distinguished Naval service and cutting-edge expertise in maritime security, artificial intelligence (AI), and operational technology innovation. His deep knowledge and forward-thinking leadership will play a pivotal role in Verterra’s mission to drive advancements in expeditionary and operational energy security.
"Volturnus Technology stands as a breakthrough in energy generation, delivering unprecedented power availability in austere environments. This innovative system redefines expeditionary energy capabilities, providing intelligent power management and resilient operations where traditional solutions fall short. By enabling sustained operations without conventional fuel logistics, it represents a novel and transformative solution." – Captain (ret.) John McGunnigle
Captain McGunnigle’s illustrious naval career includes commanding the USS New Hampshire (SSN 778), serving as Submarine Squadron Commodore of Submarine Squadron Four, and leading as Director of the Tactical Analysis Group at the Undersea Warfighting Development Center (UWDC). As Chief of Staff at UWDC and Director for Artificial Intelligence, he spearheaded groundbreaking initiatives, including Project Harbinger, an AI-driven program that leverages machine learning for acoustic analysis in the undersea domain. His contributions to AI in defense extend to roles such as Special Assistant for Data and Artificial Intelligence to the Commander of Submarine Forces and Lecturer on AI at the U.S. Naval War College.
Following his military service, Captain McGunnigle continued to innovate in the private sector, serving as Director of Acoustics and Undersea Systems at Saildrone, Inc., where he led the deployment of advanced acoustic technologies on Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs). Currently, he serves as Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Spear AI, Inc., a company dedicated to leveraging AI and data technologies for national defense innovation.
“John’s unparalleled expertise in artificial intelligence and his visionary leadership in operational energy and expeditionary technologies make him an invaluable addition to our Board of Advisors,” said Ted Christopher, CEO of Verterra. “His ability to bridge cutting-edge technology with practical defense applications aligns perfectly with Verterra’s mission, and we are truly honored to work with him.”
With Captain McGunnigle’s guidance, Verterra aims to accelerate its development of next-generation technologies, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities in energy resilience, AI-driven solutions, and operational security.
Verterra is on a mission to harness the power of flowing water in rivers, oceans and canals to produce abundant, reliable power.

Volturnus is a vertical axis turbine that uniquely harnesses the power of flowing water by combining the working principles of centrifugal pumps & hydrofoils with a rugged, hydrodynamic design. Similar to an underwater 3D weather vane, VOLTURNUS works in harmony with the current to dynamically adjust once deployed. When installed in modular arrays, the technology creates scalable, continuous power from small, 100 watt backpack scale, up to multi-MW arrays.
Based in St. Paul, MN Verterra is funded by mission driven investors and a multi-year DoD contract to commercialize the technology for multiple applications.
Phone: 651-315-8884
Website: www.verterraenergy.com
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