Solar catamaran builder secures Series A funding
Spanish solar-electric catamaran manufacturer Zen Yachts has successfully closed a €5.5m Series A funding round, sponsored entirely by Ocean Zero.
The Barcelona-based boatbuilder says it will use the funds to continue construction of the first hulls of its Zen50 catamaran. The first four production slots have been reserved.
“Ocean Zero seeks visionaries who have a realistic shot at making a significant leap in scale and impact to change the overall emissions of CO2 and other pollutants incurred by sea shipping, ferries and recreational boats,” says Stephen Petranek, operating partner of the fund.
“Decarbonising sea transport and recreational boating no longer require a leap in imaginative engineering and science. It’s possible right now,” continues Petranek. “And time is running out. Boats produce more atmospheric CO2 each year than all the airlines in the world. This is a massive problem that has solutions that can be adopted immediately. We need innovative companies like Zen Yachts to lead us into the new world of boat electrification.”
Naval architect and Zen50 designer Julien Mélot adds: “Zen50 is the first high-performance luxury catamaran yacht able to operate continuously, day and night, without a single drop of fossil fuel onboard. She is completely self-sufficient, relying only on sustainable sources of energy.”
The boatbuilder says the Zen50 is ‘designed from the keel up to be an exploration-oriented ocean-going solar electric yacht with unlimited range’. It combines solar-electric power with a lightweight carbon fibre structure and a high-tech computer-operated Wingsail, designed by the French company Ayro.
After closing the Series-A funding round and with the first hulls under construction, Zen Yachts says it intends to debut at the International Multihull Show, held from 12-16 April 2023 at La Grande Motte in France.
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