Technology start-up MobyFly has been awarded a prize in the HackOsaka competition, which pre-selects innovative ideas for the 2025 World Expo in Japan.

Based in Collonges (canton of Valais), technology company MobyFly has set out to develop hydrogen or electric transport boats. The latter are equipped with foils to be able to navigate out of the water in order to gain in performance.

According to the start-up, its boats would be able to carry passengers comfortably and quickly, at more than 70 km/h, while using 70% less energy than a combustion engine boat.

HackOsaka, an international start-up competition, was held in Osaka, where ten finalists, all of whom are winners, were selected. Among them, only one Swiss start-up, and a Valais-based one at that, was selected : MobyFly.

“We did it ! Congratulations to our incredible team who worked very hard to achieve this,” emphasized Sue Putallaz, co-founder of MobyFly, in a LinkedIn post. “We are excited to contribute, through our hydroboats, to the transition towards zero emission mobility.”

This award will allow the start-up to collaborate with the World Expo organization, which will be held in 2025 in Osaka. It will also allow the company to continue working with Jetro, the Japanese foreign trade organization, the Swiss consulate in Osaka and the scientific exchange network Swissnex.

MobyFly expects that its boats will be used to transport visitors to the exhibition in Osaka Bay.

Photo credit: Felix Moesner, Swissnex