ESA BIC ALUMNUS: UNLEASH FUTURE BOATS GMBH

Welcome to the ESA BIC Northern Germany Alumni Series, where we showcase the remarkable journeys and experiences of our alumni startups. As prospective incubatees explore the possibilities within the ESA Business Incubation Centre Northern Germany, this series offers a first-hand glimpse into the transformative impact of our incubation programme.

Each instalment of the Alumni Series provides a unique opportunity to delve into the stories of startups like Unleash Future Boats, who have thrived within the ESA BIC ecosystem. Through the interviews, alumni share insights, lessons learned, and the support received during their time in the programme.

Today we talked to Diana Engelhard, CEO of Unleash Future Boats GmbH, in Schleswig, Germany. May their journey inspire you to join the ESA BIC startup community!

Who is Unleash Future Boats?
Unleash Future Boats is leading the transformation of maritime transportation through an innovative ecosystem centred around electric autonomous boats, ships, and fully digital harbours. Based in Schleswig, Germany, the company is committed to creating sustainable solutions that address climate change and reduce carbon emissions. Their flagship product, ZeroOne, is the world’s first fully autonomous and zero-emission catamaran. In addition to developing new vessels, Unleash Future Boats provides retrofit kits for existing boats, converting them to run on green hydrogen and fuel cells, pushing the maritime industry towards a scalable, environmentally responsible future.

How would you describe your experience as an incubatee with the ESA BIC Northern Germany?
There were many moments where we had hoped to do things one way and found that we had to wiggle ourselves a little bit in a different direction just to get it done somehow, because it can be really difficult when you have funding restraints. However, we always knew that it was not really about the money, but rather about the network at ESA BIC Northern Germany.

On paper, everyone wants to have a startup that hits every milestone and performs well, but the reality can be quite different. We had to “MacGyver” our way through many situations while at the same time making sure we were still following the guidelines given to us. As a startup, that is something that can be more difficult than expected.

As a team how have you transformed and evolved?
I became more confident as a leader and the team grew stronger. Our moments of almost-failure were actually good in that way, because those were the moments when we really started growing together. The thing that unites us is our mutual feeling of needing to take action. We feel a sense of responsibility towards our goals, we share values, we want to make things work.

Our values have always remained the same as a team. For us, it’s about dignity, it’s about purpose, about making a significant change.

What words of advice would you give future startups looking to join the ESA BIC Northern Germany?

A lot of your success or failure as a startup and business is your relationships with one another and those who you work with. It’s a skill to be able to look at a partnership or a situation and see whether or not it serves you anymore and as a startup in the beginning maybe you want to please everyone. I say that you need to learn to do the opposite of that and focus on your own goals. Don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ and don’t be afraid to play around with things.

What were some positive things or experiences you had as an incubatee of the ESA BIC Northern Germany?

Actually, we’re really grateful for all the obstacles we had to overcome during our incubation period, because it helped us grow as a team and find our voice. Another thing that stands out for us is the ESA BIC Northern Germany video that was made about us – it was one of the best ever! It is super stunning and really good. It’s something where the IU International University of Applied Sciences actually came to us and said, “hey, we really want to pick it up from here and keep going” and work with you, and it was based on that video they saw.

Finn, one of our interns, is now circumnavigating the world while doing a distant-learning programme at the IU and he got a scholarship because of the relationship we have with ESA as well as that relationship we have with the universities in our partner network (Universität zu Lübeck, University of Regensburg, IU International University of Applied Sciences). We would never have thought that something like this would be possible and it is built upon the knowledge we have technically, emotionally and the relationship we have with the ESA BIC Northern Germany programme.

What’s next for Unleash Future Boats?

Things are going to change for us. We know that the future requires Unleash Future Boats to unfold as a business. Unleash Future Boats will become a kind of holding structure. We have Green Boats Engineering for propulsion systems, we have innovative technology systems for sensors and geo-positioning… so we will have Unleash Future Boats and these smaller entities that will have their own focus, but still work towards the ultimate goals of Unleash Future Boats.

In one sentence, how would you describe Unleash Future Boats?
Not afraid to go against the grain and be misfits.

Find out more about Unleash Future Boats here:

Unleash Future Boats website: https://unleash-future-boats.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unleashfutureboats/

ESA BIC Northern Germany Website here: Unleash Future Boats: Pioneering Sustainable Solutions for Maritime Transportation

Video: UNLEASH FUTURE BOATS: A SUCCESS STORY

As you embark on your entrepreneurial voyage, we invite you to discover the diverse paths taken by our ESA BIC Northern Germany alumni, from start to graduation. Their experiences serve as inspiration, illuminating the possibilities that await within the vibrant community of ESA BIC Northern Germany.

Join us on this journey as we celebrate innovation, collaboration, and the boundless potential of space-tech startups. Together, we shape the future of entrepreneurship and technological advancement, one success story at a time.

About ESA BIC Northern Germany

The Incubation Centre of the European Space Agency in Northern Germany (ESA BIC Northern Germany) is headquartered jointly with the Bremen aeronautics and space industries association at the Bremer Innovations- und Technologiezentrum BITZ as well as the Digihub Industry – two of the largest innovation and technology centres for high-tech companies and startups in the German federal state of Bremen. The ESA BIC Northern Germany brings new startup opportunities to the region and thus strengthens the aeronautics and space sector in the German federal state of Bremen. AVIASPACE BREMEN e.V. supports the incubatees with its network, public relations work and targeted coaching not only during the incubation period, but also afterwards as alumni. STARTHAUS Bremen & Bremerhaven is the central point of contact in the Bremen startup ecosystem and supports the startups on all issues relating to business development and financing. The ESA BIC Northern Germany is managed by Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen (AZO), an international networking and branding company for the European space programmes that also manages ESA BIC Bavaria with three locations in southern Germany.

Since 2021, ESA BIC Northern Germany has also been offering its service to space-related startups in Schleswig-Holstein. The Technikzentrum Lübeck with GATEWAY49, AviaSpace Bremen and AZO jointly operate this extension of ESA BIC Northern Germany. As of June 2024, ESA BIC Northern Germany also offers its services to space-related startups in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The Innovation Port Wismar with AviaSpace Bremen and AZO jointly operate this extension of ESA BIC Northern Germany. There are also plans to extend ESA BIC Northern Germany to the northern German federal states of Hamburg, Lower Saxony, and Berlin-Brandenburg.

Technical support of the ESA BIC Northern Germany, is offered by Fraunhofer IFAM, German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence DFKI, DLR-RY Institute for Space Systems, Alfred-Wegener Institute for Polar Research AWI, Universities in the State of Bremen incl. many institutes such as IUP Institute for Environmental Physics, Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity ZARM, TH Lübeck, University Lübeck,  Life Science Nord, Airbus Group, ArianeGroup, AES Aircraft Elektro/Elektronik System, Dräger, DSI Aerospace, Possehl, and OHB.