Post #80: Venture Spotlight - Gempacs

This week’s spotlight is on Gempacs: a clean maritime technology company focused on electrifying small boats and maritime transport systems in Southeast Asia, starting with Indonesia.

I first met Corrado Accardi, co-founder and CEO of Gempacs, during a recent visit to London Business School. We quickly bonded over a shared Sardinian heritage, Corrado’s from Cagliari, like my grandfather.

Gempacs is tackling one of Southeast Asia’s most overlooked environmental and societal opportunities: the noisy, polluting, inefficient vessels that serve as the lifeblood of fishing and transport across Indonesia’s rivers and coasts. Their approach isn’t about reinventing the boat, it’s about electrifying it, affordably and at scale.

If you’re active in SEA maritime space, whether as a local authority, infrastructure partner, cooperative, or impact investor, the Gempacs team is actively looking for people to collaborate with. They’re especially keen to connect with potential buyers, distribution partners in Indonesia, and funders who understand the long game of clean transport. If that’s you, let me know and I’ll be happy to connect / reach out directly.

Enjoy, and thank you for your time, Corrado.

The Problem

Across Indonesia’s 17,000+ islands, small ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) boats are essential for daily life, used for:

• Passenger transport, including for children going to school

• Fishing and food delivery

• Goods and cargo between islands

• Tourism

But these boats come with big problems:

• High fuel costs – fuel is expensive, fuel prices are volatile, and availability is an issue in many locations, especially the remote ones

• Constant breakdowns – old engines need frequent maintenance

• Pollution – diesel fumes and oil leaks harm local ecosystems

• Low earnings – most boat operators earn under $8/day, with fuel eating most of their income

• No access to clean alternatives – electric options are too expensive, hard to finance, or not suited for local needs

At the same time:

• The government is showing signals that they want to electrify maritime transport

• But most projects have been small pilots that don’t scale or fit the realities of rural coastal life

This is the gap Gempacs is aiming to close, with solutions that work on water, at scale, and with local communities.

The Solution

Gempacs is building a full stack system to make boat electrification possible, affordable, and practical, especially in places like Indonesia.

Their approach is built on five key parts:

1. Charging stations

They partner to install electric charging points at ports. These are designed for remote, coastal, or low-infrastructure areas, and can be grid-tied or off-grid.

2. Electric boats

Gempacs builds new electric boats and also converts old ICE ones/outboards, in particular the very polluting 2-stroke motors. This means boat owners can be offered a more cost-effective option than to start from scratch.

3. Smart systems

Each boat comes with onboard tech. It tracks energy use, location, and lets operators pay per use or get remote support if needed. By tracking position and movement, the system will be able in due course to attract carbon credits for CO2 savings from removing fuel from the boats’ operations.

4. Affordable financing

Through partnerships with local co-ops and banks, Gempacs aims to offer leasing options with zero upfront cost. Operators can start using electric boats without needing initial capital, but they will ultimately be able to own their boats, with Gempacs keeping its balance sheet lean.

5. Better income for boat owners

By switching to electric, operators spend far less on fuel and maintenance, which means they can earn more money per trip.

Traction and Team

Traction:

• 10 electric boats already deployed (a mix of new builds and retrofits)

• 1 charging station installed and operational in Indonesia

• Signed partnership agreements (MoUs) with local co-ops (one has 6,000 registered boats in one location alone), departments of ministries, universities and R&D centres

• In conversations to supply 500+ boats to cooperatives and institutional buyers

• Included in a Ministry of Maritime Affairs-led programme to create a free carbon island at a location with 14,000 boats

• Currently completing an international organization’s grant programme in Indonesia, with the delivery of more boats

• Accelerators through Cambridge university, UNDP and Singaporean institutions

This signals a growing system being tested with real operators.

Who’s behind it:

• Corrado Accardi (CEO) – Italian entrepreneur with 25+ years in renewables, hospitality, and real estate. Based in Jakarta.

• Enrico Carlin (CTO) – Technology lead with 45+ years experience and a deep background in telecoms, mobility, and renewables. Based in Indonesia.

• Giuseppe Guerra (Chief Engineer) – Previously with Ducati and Yamaha; 30+ years in prototyping and performance mechanics. Moving to Indonesia shortly.

• Alberto Crivellaro (Infra & AI Lead) – Formerly at CERN and Ferrari Motorsport, now leading his family’s tech company and designing charging infrastructure.

• Agoes Santoso (Naval Architect) – Designed over 100 civilian and military vessels for the Indonesian market.

Future Possibilities & Ask

Where they want to go:

• Expand across more Indonesian provinces

• Explore new markets in Southeast Asia, especially the Philippines, Malaysia, and other coastal nations

• Extend their model to local ferry operators, tourism boats, and coastal logistics

• Build more charging stations in ports and rural communities

What they’re looking for:

• Strategic partners in Jakarta and Southeast Asia to support distribution, pilots, or infrastructure

• Local governments or co-ops looking to replace ICE vessels

• Investors or funders aligned with clean transport, inclusive finance, or climate resilience

Closing Remarks

It’s always fascinating to meet founders tackling full-system problems and not just building a product. Designing the infrastructure, partnerships, and incentives needed to make it work on the ground.

Gempacs is one of those ventures. They’ve got boots on the ground, real boats in the water, and a model that speaks to both environmental and economic realities. Whether it takes off at scale or not, efforts like this deserve real respect, they’re doing the hard work most avoid.

In the meantime, I wish Corrado and the team nothing but success.

Check them out: www.gempacs.com – and please reach out to them if you are in the space!

-

Henry

OTI