Vessev has raised $19 million in Series A funding to scale its electric hydrofoiling passenger vessels. Blackbird Ventures led the round, with GD1 and Rypples joining as new investors alongside existing backers K1W1, Icehouse Ventures, Shasta Ventures, NZVC and angels.
The Auckland-based company combines electric propulsion with America’s Cup-inspired dynamic foil systems and onboard software to deliver smooth, high-efficiency, zero-emission water transit. Its VS-9 vessels are already commercially certified and in service in New Zealand, and demand spans five continents.
CEO Eric Laakmann says the fresh capital accelerates in-house serial production of the VS-9 line, expands the global go-to-market team and funds further work on the onboard software and telemetry platform, plus development of larger vessels. A slice of the money also backs US manufacturing plans, with Vessev expanding into New York, Washington, D.C. and Lake Tahoe.
Electric hydrofoils are gaining traction across the maritime startup scene as operators look to cut fuel costs and emissions, with ferry projects underway in Scandinavia, New Zealand and North America. Vessev’s angle is vertical integration: it designs and builds both the vessels and the software that runs them, positioning itself as a systems supplier rather than a boatmaker alone.
