Post #75: Venture Spotlight - Hyke
- henry belfiori
- Aug 1
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 8
"The Most Efficient Electric Ferries Ever?!"
Every so often, a venture comes along that makes us question why we’re building the same kind of boats at all.
This week, I’m spotlighting Hyke, a Norwegian systems-level rethink of how we use urban waterways for clean, smart, flexible transport. They're not the usual pre-seed, early stage start-up I tend to cover, but I found the venture too cool not to explore.
I came across Hyke during the NOA2025 programme with Narwhale Ventures, and they are now also on their In-Blue accelerator. Their approach challenges the inertia we’ve come to expect in public transport - particularly in the maritime space, where innovation is often stuck behind steel, ports, and policy.
With cities worldwide crying out for low-carbon, fast, and smart mobility solutions, and coastlines brimming with underused transit potential, Hyke’s vision of an electric ferry system feels not just viable — but futuristic.
Hyke is currently seeking distribution partners across Europe, Asia, and the GCC — especially those with strong networks in urban mobility or public sector innovation.
If that sounds like you, get in touch!
1. The Problem - Fossil Dependency & Static Ferry Systems
Urban ferry transport has barely evolved in decades.
Most vessels still run on diesel, locked into fixed routes that serve stiff commuting patterns. Infrastructure is clunky, costs are high, and city planners often view maritime mobility as a headache — not an opportunity. Even in coastal capitals, ferries tend to be afterthoughts in the wider urban mobility mix.
Meanwhile, millions of short-distance travellers default to cars or even short-haul flights because there’s no viable water-based option. Ironically, in many cities, rivers and harbours cut through the heart of the population — yet they’re overlooked as transport arteries.
Despite growing political and public appetite for net-zero mobility, cities often hesitate to invest, deterred by the perceived cost of new vessels and supporting infrastructure.
Layer on top the public sector’s reluctance to adopt unfamiliar systems, and you get the stalemate Hyke is aiming to disrupt.
Hyke is stepping in as a first mover, challenging the inertia of the maritime mobility status quo — but as with many infrastructure shifts, funding remains the biggest bottleneck. Most agree on the need; few are ready to write the first cheque. That’s why strong partnerships and well-placed networks are essential to unlock adoption.
2. The Solution – Hyke’s Smart, Flexible Electric Ferry System
The Hyke "Shuttle" ferries are compact, modular, and fully electric, offering a clean alternative to noisy, fossil-fuelled vessels. But the real shift lies in the system design: Hyke is a mobility platform that combines flexible routing, autonomy-ready operations, and seamless integration with existing infrastructure.
Key features include:
Smart Autonomy, Built In: Each vessel is powered by Zeabuz’s advanced autonomy stack — enabling situational awareness, remote operations, and a smooth transition from crew-assisted to fully autonomous navigation. This future-proofs cities as maritime regulation evolves.
Flexible Deployment: Ferries can be repositioned based on demand — serving events, rush hours, or underserved areas without fixed infrastructure. This challenges the fixed-route limitations of traditional ferry networks.
Zero-Emission Design: With a high-efficiency electric drivetrain, thermal management, and optional rooftop solar, Hyke ferries deliver ultra-low operational emissions and reduced energy costs over time.
Plug-and-Play Access: No need for custom docks or expensive retrofits. The vessels work with standard CCS charging and are built for rapid urban integration — either via leasing or direct purchase.
Designed for People: Air-conditioned, low-noise interiors. Full accessibility for those with limited mobility, prams, and bicycles. Built not just to move people, but to offer a better transit experience.
At the heart of their approach, the "shuttle", is a 14.9-metre, fully electric, autonomy-ready vessel designed to blend seamlessly into modern city transport systems. Powered by twin or triple azimuth electric pods and supported by a highly efficient hull, Hyke ferries consume just 9 kWh/hour at a service speed of 5 knots — delivering low-energy, zero-emission operations that challenge the status quo of noisy, fuel-hungry craft.
Each vessel is autonomy-prepared from day one, equipped with Zeabuz’s situational awareness tech and progressive control systems. This enables a gradual shift from semi-autonomous to fully autonomous operations as regulations allow — reducing long-term crew demands without compromising safety.
These ferries can be repositioned based on demand — unlike traditional fleets tied to fixed routes and terminals. No custom-built port infrastructure is required, and cities or operators can lease or purchase units depending on local capacity. This modular, flexible approach makes Hyke not just a vessel provider, but a scalable urban transport platform that redefines how cities move across water.
The boat is just the beginning — the system enables a more flexible, future-proof, and inclusive way to rethink maritime mobility at city scale.
3. The Team Powering Hyke
Hyke’s team is a seriously experienced, cross-disciplinary team blending maritime engineering, mobility design, and go-to-market execution.
Team composition:
Halvor Vislie – CEO, leading the mission to redefine waterborne urban transport
Kristine K. Fjetland – Regional Manager (Nordics & Europe), forging city partnerships across key markets
Charles Pembroke-Birss – VP Sales, making adoption easy for operators and municipalities
Ola Hjukse – CPO, building next-gen ferries from the hull up
Bård Eker – Founder, known for disruptive design and product innovation
Mikael Linnander – GM APAC & Middle East, driving international expansion and distribution
What they’re looking for:
Partners with strong public/private networks across Europe, Asia, and the GCC who can help bring Hyke’s system into city and coastal waterways.
4. Future Possibilities – Unlocking Urban Waterways with Smarter Mobility
Hyke’s design unlocks more than clean transit — it reimagines how we use overlooked water corridors to solve big urban challenges.
Its compact footprint, on-demand flexibility, and electric performance make it uniquely suited for:
City-to-suburb commutes via rivers and canals
Island and coastal connectivity where bridges or roads fall short
Tourism and floating events that don’t strain road infrastructure
Cargo and last-mile logistics with far lower emissions than vans or trucks
As autonomous transport becomes more accepted — think Tesla (FSD), Waymo, and beyond — Hyke’s vessels are already built to evolve. Zeabuz-powered system supports a gradual shift from crew-assisted journeys to fully autonomous operations, aligned with regulatory progress.
By designing for autonomy from day one, Hyke is anticipating the future and positioning cities and operators to embrace it on their own terms.
With growing pressure to decarbonise and densify urban transit, they offer a scalable blueprint for cities ready to make their blue space part of the solution.
5. Closing Remarks
In a world where traffic, emissions, and outdated infrastructure dominate the urban transport narrative, Hyke offers a bold alternative: flexible, electric, autonomy-ready ferries that blend seamlessly into existing environments and unlock new movement patterns.
Their system tackles real barriers — from the cost of infrastructure to the hesitation around fleet renewal — while positioning cities to lead the charge in sustainable mobility.
If you’re a funder, policymaker, or mobility innovator looking for a high-impact solution in urban transport, Hyke is worth watching — and partnering with.
looking forward to following their journey!
Oceantech Insider -
H
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