11.10.2022 | News
Nefco – The Nordic Green Bank – finances Skipperi to help it pilot its electric boats in the Nordics. The Finnish boating tech company Skipperi offers boat-sharing services that integrate geofencing technology, which helps to protect biodiversity and vulnerable ecosystems.
Founded in 2017 in Finland, Skipperi offers a shared-use boating service to make boating possible for everyone with no need to own a boat and to maintain it, contributing to the promotion of circular economy. “In 2018, we started with shared-use rowing boats in Espoo and just a year later we introduced Skipperi Fleet – a shared-use boating service with a monthly fee,” says Anna-Leena Raij, co-founder of Skipperi.
Aiming to make boating more sustainable, Skipperi has introduced its first electric boats to the service in Finland and Sweden. To accelerate its piloting activities with electric boats in the Nordics and gather information on user behaviour for a future expansion, Skipperi has received financing from the Green Recovery Loan Programme.
“Skipperi’s shift to electric boats is leading the way towards a more sustainable boating sector by reducing GHG emissions and pollution compared with combustion engine boats. We are pleased to contribute to the growth of companies that include digital systems to protect the environment, like Skipperi does with geofencing,” says Meeri Kaurissaari, Investment Officer, Nefco.
Solutions for more sustainable boating
Skipperi’s electric boats have a zero-emission propulsion system which cuts down CO2 emissions and other pollutants to the air. The risk of oil spills in the water derived from the use of fossil fuels in the motor engine is minimised as is the noise generated by motorboats, which reduces the disturbance to marine wildlife.
All Skipperi boats offer a fully digitalised subscription to help customers boat in a more efficient way and minimise their impact on the environment. All the boats include geofencing technology, which is used to protect marine habitats and vulnerable ecosystems.
“What is unique about Skipperi is our strong focus on technology. We are bringing the digital experience to customers in real time. Skipperi’s geofencing feature is used to inform boaters about speed-limited and sensitive wildlife areas, whereas the Destination feature helps users to plan shorter trips for more sustainable boating,” says Raij.
Nefco’s Green Recovery Loan Programme offers financing for Nordic small and medium-sized companies to support international growth outside the Nordic countries and accelerate the scale-up of Nordic green solutions.
For further information, please contact:
Meeri Kaurissaari, Investment Officer, Nefco
meeri.kaurissaari@nefco.int, +358 10 6180 682
Helena Lähteenmäki, Investment Director, Nefco
helena.lahteenmaki@nefco.int, +358 10 6180 633
Elia Koski, Business Controller, Skipperi
elia@skipperi.fi, +358 45 111 0830
About Skipperi
Skipperi is a Finnish boating tech company founded in 2017 in Finland. Based on a peer-to-peer boat rental platform and a shared-use boating service with a monthly fee, Skipperi develops easy and sustainable ways to make boating accessible and affordable for all people to have a unique experience on the water. The company is formed by experienced software developers, designers, marketing and sales persons who share their passion for sailing and the sea. Five years after its foundation in Finland, Skipperi is now available in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden,New Zealand and Canada and is expanding to new markets globally. Read more: www.skipperi.fi
Skipperi’s shared-use boats include geofencing technology, which helps to protect marine ecosystems. Photo: Skipperi