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Dec 2022Boundary 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.
SourceCompany research
Public company, workplace, funding, and market signals
Overview
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
San Francisco, California 94111 (HQ)
San Francisco, California, United States
Business model
direct hardware sales
reservations and preorders
OEM hydrofoil systems for boatbuilders and shipbuilders
Funding
Stage
Seed
Total raised
$7.1M
Latest round
Seed · Jun 2022
Latest amount
$4.8M
People & investors
Leadership
Founder and CEO
CTO
Lead GNC Engineer
Founder and Advisor
Work & culture
Product & market
Pricing
One-time hardware sale with refundable reservation deposit; public launch pricing targeted at $59,000 with a $1,000 reservation deposit.
Differentiators
- —Electric and zero-emissions
- —Near-silent operation
- —Zero wake / low wash
- —Hydrofoils for higher efficiency and speed
- —Computerized stability control and flight software
- —Publicly described as using up to 15x less energy than traditional boats
Technology
hydrofoil systems
electric propulsion
computerized stability control
Skyride autopilot
flight control software
inertial sensors
actuated control surfaces
carbon fiber hull
SolidWorks
AutoCAD
Segment
Crisp
Customers
boatbuilders
shipbuilders
recreational riders and early adopters
ferry operators
industrial vessel OEMs
Competitors
traditional gas-powered jet skis and PWCs
other electric personal watercraft
conventional non-hydrofoiling boats
Scale & contact
Estimated revenue
≈$1.7M ARR (estimated)
Estimated monthly visits
7.8K
Traffic estimate as of Jul 2026
Signals & risks
Latest news
SF 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.
Jobs and careers at Valo
0 jobs at Valo
No open positions
Check back later for new openings