Ambit represented Czech startup KeelCraft s.r.o., led by David Miklas, in securing an investment from strategic investor Jaroslav Hornof.
KeelCraft was developing a luxury electric boat with a mahogany hull. Jaroslav Hornof also joined the project as a business partner and, alongside funding, was expected to contribute his experience in maritime shipping.
An electric boat with a mahogany hull
KeelCraft was developing an electric boat for customers seeking a luxury vessel. Its design paired a mahogany hull with a battery-powered electric motor. The company's website describes drawing inspiration from classic mahogany sport boats of the 1940s and combining their design with modern technology.
In May 2019, the first boat was still under development. According to a CzechCrunch article published at the time, its hull was being built in eastern Slovakia, and Miklas planned initial testing on Austrian lakes for the summer of that year.
Investment to complete the first boat
E15 reported the investor's involvement on May 21, 2019. In addition to funding, Jaroslav Hornof was expected to contribute his experience in maritime shipping and participate in the project as a strategic business partner.
According to Miklas, most of the investment funding was intended to go toward completing the first vessel. Batteries were the largest cost item at the time. KeelCraft planned to unveil a demonstration boat later in 2019 and focus subsequent production on small, limited runs.
The boat was on the water by fall
On September 29, 2019, Seznam Zprávy published a report on a trip aboard a KeelCraft electric boat. It featured a completed mahogany boat measuring more than six meters in length. The report also described charging from a power outlet at the harbor and how cruising speed affected how long the batteries lasted.
