Emperium Shipyard to Face Competition: Flymar Starts Developing Unmanned Electric Passenger Hydrofoil Boat

The vessel's feature will be a fully submerged T-foil, which provides increased energy efficiency

Flymar, founded by Dmitry Filatov, former CEO of the SistemaVC venture fund, and the Voskhod fund, has begun developing an unmanned electric passenger hydrofoil boat. The project received 50 million rubles from the Voskhod fund and another 50 million rubles from a private investor.

Flymar is developing the FLYMAR F9 boat, designed for private and commercial use. The 9-meter-long vessel will be able to carry up to 11 passengers at a cruising speed of 45–50 km/h and a range of 80 km. A feature of the boat will be a fully submerged T-foil, which provides increased energy efficiency compared to traditional V-shaped foils. Pre-orders for the FLYMAR F9 will open in early 2026. The total investment in the project in the following stages will exceed 1 billion rubles.

The company is also focused on creating intelligent control systems, including autonomous navigation technologies. These systems will allow the boat to recognize threats, plot optimal routes, and stabilize movement even in difficult conditions. The vessel is manufactured by contractors, and Flymar will focus on developing IT systems and servicing, including software update subscriptions.

Intelligent control system
Intelligent control system

Flymar's competitor in the market will be Emperium, part of Sitronics Group (a subsidiary of AFK Sistema). Emperium already produces electric vessels for Moscow river routes and is testing unmanned navigation technologies. Flymar plans to implement unique solutions for high-speed vessels, where a quick response to environmental changes is required.

Autonomous navigation technologies are actively developing in Russia. In 2023, Sitronics Group conducted tests of an unmanned electric vessel, and in 2025, it launched projects to automate ferries and container ships.

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Sources
Vedomosti

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