Boundary Layer Technologies pivoted from commercial foiling container ships and ferries to the Valo personal watercraft after the larger-vessel strategy stalled amid macroeconomic pressure and oil-price conditions.
SourcePublic company, workplace, funding, and market signals
Valo (Boundary Layer Technologies Inc.) builds hydrofoil-based marine transportation products, starting with the Valo Hyperfoil electric personal watercraft and related modular hydrofoil systems for boatbuilders and shipbuilders.
Primary product
Valo Hyperfoil, an electric hydrofoiling personal watercraft
Founded
2018
Headquarters
San Francisco, California, United States
Team size
1-10
Industry
Maritime Transportation
Sub-industry
Hydrofoil marine technology
Offices
0 jobs at Valo
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Business model
Stage
Seed
Total raised
$7.1M
Latest round
Seed · Jun 2022
Latest amount
$4.8M
Leadership
Founder and CEO
CTO
Lead GNC Engineer
Founder and Advisor
Investors
Pricing
One-time hardware sale with refundable reservation deposit; public launch pricing targeted at $59,000 with a $1,000 reservation deposit.
Differentiators
Technology
Customers
Competitors
Estimated revenue
≈$1.7M ARR (estimated)
Estimated monthly visits
7.8K
Traffic estimate as of Jul 2026
Boundary Layer Technologies pivoted from commercial foiling container ships and ferries to the Valo personal watercraft after the larger-vessel strategy stalled amid macroeconomic pressure and oil-price conditions.
SourceSF Standard · Jul 2024
Hands-on coverage of the Valo Hyperfoil, including its $59,000 price, demo experience in Alameda, and comments from founder Ed Kearney about the product and company traction.
Marine Business · Feb 2024
Reports Valo as a hydrofoil specialist working with Blue Orca Marine, supporting the company’s push toward hydrofoil vessel systems for recreational and industrial OEMs.
NewMediaWire · Nov 2023
Press-release coverage saying the founders’ edition run was oversubscribed, that preorders were open, and that Valo was developing new product lines for boat builders.
Plugboats · May 2023
Covers the launch and preorders for the Valo Hyperfoil, including pricing, range, charging time, and investor mentions such as Lowercarbon Capital, Mike Schroepfer, and Fifty Years.
TechCrunch · Dec 2022
Explains the strategic pivot from commercial ferries/container ships to the Valo consumer craft and notes the prior $4.8M raise from Lower Carbon Capital, Fifty Years, and Soma Capital.