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Sharrow Engineering

ApplicationDetroit, MI, USAFounded 2012· One of 411 Application companies tracked by AMPulse

Manufactures the patented Sharrow Propeller, a high-performance marine propeller, using advanced 3D sand-casting technology to enable rapid, on-demand production.

CEO / Founder
Greg Sharrow
Team Size
51-200
Stage
Growth Stage
Total Funding
$30M
Latest Round
Venture Round
Key Investors
Family offices of John H. McFadden and others

Technology & Products

Key Products

Sharrow Propeller; Sharrow MX Propeller line; Sharrow by VEEM inboard propeller

Technological Advantage

Proprietary 3D sand-casting workflow developed in collaboration with Ford Motor Company's Advanced Industrial Technology & Platforms team, leveraging Ford's 20+ years of expertise. This bypasses traditional tooling, slashing lead times by over 85% (130 days to ~14 days) and enabling rapid design iteration for complex geometries.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Reduces propeller production lead time from up to 130 days with traditional investment casting to approximately 2 weeks using a 3D printed sand-casting workflow, enabling faster iteration and scaling to meet surging demand.

How They Differentiate

Competes against traditional marine propeller manufacturers (e.g., Mercury Marine, Brunswick Corporation's propulsion segments) on performance and lead time, not on AM technology. Its primary differentiator is the patented aerodynamic propeller design, with AM enabling its production. The 3D sand-casting process provides a supply chain and speed advantage over competitors reliant on conventional casting.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Recreational boaters, commercial marine operators, defense contractors, and marine OEMs.

Industry Verticals

Marine; Defense; Aerospace

Competitors

Mercury Marine (propeller division); Volvo Penta (propeller division); Michigan Wheel

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Expanded manufacturing footprint in Michigan to a 60,000-square-foot facility in Harper Woods, tripling capacity. Scaling production through Ford collaboration to meet global demand.

Major Milestones

Founded (2012); Launch of Sharrow Propeller; Partnership with VEEM Ltd for inboard propellers (2023); Collaboration with Ford Motor Company for 3D sand-casting production (2026); Expansion into 60,000 sq ft Detroit facility (2025); Launch of SharrowLabs innovation affiliate (2025)

Notable Customers

John G. Harris (Grand Mariner 250 / Mercury 300 hp customer - testimonial)

https://www.sharrowmarine.com

Recent coverage of Sharrow Engineering

Why this company matters

Sharrow Engineering occupies a unique intersection of marine propulsion and additive manufacturing. While most propeller makers rely on traditional investment casting with long tooling cycles, Sharrow has paired its patented toroidal (loop-blade) propeller geometry with a 3D sand-casting process co-developed with Ford Motor Company's Advanced Industrial Technology & Platforms team. The result is a marine propeller that claims significant efficiency and noise reduction gains, produced on-demand in roughly two weeks versus the industry-standard 130 days.

The core technology is binder jetting (BJT) of sand molds, a method Ford has refined over two decades. Sharrow uses this workflow to bypass hard tooling entirely, enabling rapid design iteration and scaling for complex geometries that would be impractical or impossible to cast conventionally. The company's product line includes the Sharrow Propeller, the Sharrow MX series, and the Sharrow by VEEM inboard propeller, the latter produced through a manufacturing and distribution partnership with VEEM Ltd.

Target customers span recreational boaters, commercial marine operators, defense contractors, and marine OEMs. Distribution agreements with Yamaha Marine and Precision Propellers extend market reach, while a 60,000-square-foot facility in Harper Woods, Michigan, triples production capacity. The company raised $30 million from family offices including that of John H. McFadden, and launched an innovation affiliate, SharrowLabs, in 2025.

Sharrow's competitive moat rests on its patented propeller design and the supply-chain speed of 3D sand-casting. Traditional rivals such as Mercury Marine, Volvo Penta, and Michigan Wheel lack both the geometry IP and the AM-enabled lead-time advantage. The open question is whether the toroidal design's performance delta is large enough to justify a premium price across mass-market recreational boating, or whether adoption will remain concentrated in high-value defense and commercial niches.