Back to all conversations
SUPERCOOL / EPISODE 111

Boats That Fly: 5x More Efficient Across Four Continents

September 9, 2026 42 min

In this conversation

How do you make boating an extremely efficient form of transportation? You lift the boat out of the water. Vessev’s electric hydrofoils use underwater wings to raise almost the entire boat above the surface, dramatically reducing drag. The result is a new class of commercial passenger vessel that’s three to five times as efficient as a conventional boat, cheaper to operate, and feels like flying. The opportunity goes beyond electrifying today’s boats. Cities around the world are crowded with cars and trains while the waterways they were built around remain largely unused for transportation. Vessev sees a future where waterways become fast, efficient transportation corridors. CEO Eric Laakmann joins Josh to discuss the technologies making electric hydrofoils possible, why commercial boat operators care about lower costs and a better passenger experience, and what happens when a climate solution wins because the product is simply better. Show Notes: Guest: Eric Laakmann, CEO Company: Vessev For more low-carbon innovations now scaling—and the playbooks driving their market adoption—subscribe to the podcast plus our: * Weekly Newsletter * Climate Adoption Playbook * Supercool on Instagram * Supercool on LinkedIn

Open on Transistor
A LITTLE MORE SUPERCOOL

Good stories travel.

How climate innovators are scaling solutions, rewriting the economy, and building the zero carbon future.