Flying Electric Boat Startup Candela Secures Backing from TED Curator Chris Anderson

Flying Electric Boat Startup Candela has received financial backing from Chris Anderson, the curator of TED Conferences LLC.

FREMONT, CA: Swedish tech company Candela Speed Boat AB that makes the world's first all-electric hydrofoil speedboat that significantly reduces energy consumption and boasts a nearly 60-mile range has received significant financial backing from Chris Anderson, the curator of TED Conferences LLC.

"Were at a crucial moment on the journey toward a clean, sustainable future," Anderson said. "All forms of transport need to switch to clean energy. It looks like electrification of cars has gathered unstoppable momentum. Boats are lagging, but perhaps not for much longer. I was thrilled to discover Candela, a company which, after five years of intense R&D, is delivering beautiful boats with the elusive combination of both speed and range" all electric" thanks to an ingenious hydrofoil design. Im incredibly excited at the potential of this technology over the coming years."

"I am proud and grateful to have Chris on board," states Gustav Hasselskog, Founder and CEO of Candela. "He is a great humanist, visionary and promoter of ideas for a better world who also happens to be an accomplished entrepreneur. This investment will allow us to greatly accelerate our R&D activities and help speed up the transition away from fossil fuel on our lakes and oceans."

The company's first product is the Candela Seven, a 25-foot speed boat that flies above chop and swells thanks to hydrofoils small wings under the hull. At 17 knots, the hydrofoils lift the entire hull above the surface, which reduces energy consumption by 80 percent compared to traditional, planing boat hulls. At a cruise speed of 20 knots, the Candela Seven can travel 57 miles on one charge two times further than any other electric boat on the market and with only one-third of the battery capacity.

Candela uses software, sensors and computers to enhance stability, efficiency, and seakeeping. Traditional hydrofoils are static, but the Candela 7 uses seven sensors to assess the position, velocity and acceleration of the boat. The information is fed to proprietary flight control software, and the wings are automatically adjusted to maintain the best height, roll and pitch.