What Eker Group does

Eker Group AS is a privately held Norwegian innovation holding company, founded in 1983 by industrial designer Bård Eker and headquartered in Fredrikstad, with a secondary presence at the Eker Werks innovation hub in Oslo. The group operates a portfolio of wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries spanning industrial design (Eker Design), premium boat manufacturing (Hydrolift, producer of private daycruisers and professional SAR/police/fire vessels), medical isolation and transport systems (EpiGuard, maker of the CEN 1789-compliant EpiShuttle), zero-emission autonomous urban ferries (Hyke), defense-oriented unmanned surface vessels (Eker Solutions Maritime MegaDrones), and a multi-brand vehicle dealership (Eker Performance, representing Hydrolift, Ducati, Sea-Doo, and Can-Am).

The underlying technology stack combines traditional industrial design and prototyping capabilities in Fredrikstad with proprietary autonomy software, most notably the Hyke Sense PRO 360-degree sensor-fusion and object-classification system, which feeds SMART SEARCH applications used in operational search-and-rescue missions. Eker Solutions extends the same perception, collision-avoidance, and redundancy architecture to remote-controlled and autonomous USVs for defense and surveillance. Across the portfolio, AI and autonomy are domain-specific (maritime/SAR) rather than horizontal, and product differentiation rests on integrated mechanical, electronic, and software design under one operator.

Eker Group makes money through three principal revenue streams: hardware sales of premium boats, medical isolation systems, autonomous ferries, and USVs; turnkey industrial and mechanical design services for national and international clients; and a regional consumer retail operation selling premium vehicles and personal watercraft. The group sells B2B through direct enterprise and government channels (e.g., Norwegian Sea Rescue Society, Oslo University Hospital, SAAB) and B2C through its Eker Performance showrooms in Fredrikstad, with a stated focus on export-led growth across maritime, mobility, healthcare, and defense end markets. The group has historically generated liquidity through exits of ventures it has built, including Projectiondesign (sold to Barco in 2009) and its majority stake in Koenigsegg (exited 2018 after delivering 50X order growth).

Name

Eker Group

Legal name

Eker Group AS

Website

https://ekergroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Eker Group is a Norwegian privately-held innovation holding company operating a portfolio of subsidiaries in industrial design, premium boat manufacturing, autonomous electric ferries, medical isolation equipment, and defense USVs, serving government, healthcare, defense, and consumer markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multi-Vertical Industrial Design, Manufacturing and Innovation

NAICS

Ship and Boat Building (33661), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Boat Dealers (441222)

SIC

Miscellaneous Transportation Equipment (3790)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury Motor Yacht Manufacturing (IMAJAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Motor Yacht Manufacturing (IMAJAEAB), Electric & Hybrid Leisure Craft Manufacturing (IMAJAEAK), Marine Sensors, Instrumentation & IoT (Condition Monitoring) (IMAJAJAI), Propulsion Control, Monitoring & Automation (ECS, PMS interface) (IMAJAHAH), Auto, Boat & RV Shows (MPAGAFAC)

Keywords

• Premium boat manufacturing
• Autonomous electric ferries
• Medical isolation transport
• Industrial design services
• Unmanned surface vessels

Headquarters

HQ city

Fredrikstad

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Manufacturing & Sales: Eker Group generates revenue through manufacturing and sales of premium boats (Hydrolift), medical equipment (EpiGuard), autonomous ferries (Hyke), and unmanned surface vessels (Eker Solutions). Also through dealer and service operations (Eker Performance) for premium boats, motorbikes, and personal watercraft.
2. Industrial Design Services: Turnkey industrial and mechanical design services covering the whole product process including Design & Development, Logistics & Production, and Sales & Marketing for national and international clients.
3. Innovation Hub & Coworking: Eker Werks provides coworking spaces and event venues (The Factory Hall up to 260 square metres) for strategic alliances, international collaboration, innovation, development, and learning.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Eker Group is a Norwegian innovation holding company that creates, develops, manufactures, and invests in products and companies spanning premium boats (Hydrolift), autonomous electric urban ferries (Hyke), medical isolation transport systems (EpiGuard), unmanned surface vessels for defense (Eker Solutions), turnkey industrial and mechanical design services (Eker Design), premium vehicle retail (Eker Performance), and an innovation hub/coworking platform (Eker Werks). Its fundamental activity is taking concepts from industrial design through engineering, prototyping, manufacturing, and commercialization into market-defining branded products, with significant export of vessels, medical equipment, and USVs to international customers.

Product overview

Eker Group operates as an innovation and venture company with over 40 years of experience in industrial design, development, and manufacturing. The portfolio consists of multiple distinct companies under the Eker umbrella: Hydrolift (premium boats for private and professional use), Hyke (electric autonomous ferries for urban mobility with Hyke Sense PRO autonomy technology), EpiGuard (EpiShuttle medical isolation systems), Eker Design (turnkey industrial design agency), Eker Solutions (Maritime MegaDrones unmanned surface vessels), Eker Performance (premium vehicle dealer), and Eker Werks (innovation hub/coworking space). The companies share expertise across design, engineering, and manufacturing with applications in maritime, mobility, healthcare, and defense sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hydrolift Boats Premium boat manufacturer producing vessels for the private and professional sectors, including the Signature series luxury daycruisers, X-series premium models, and Professional range (P-42/P-45 platforms) used for search and rescue, police, and fire department operations, manufactured at the Fredrikstad facility.
• Hyke Smart City Ferries Zero-emission modular 100% electric autonomous ferries designed for urban mobility and integrated into Smart City networks, offered on-demand as a Ferry as a Service (FaaS) to reduce urban congestion, utilize underused waterways, and deliver 91% CO2 savings and 50% OPEX savings over a 30-year lifecycle.
• EpiShuttle (EpiGuard) Medical isolation and transportation system for safe transport of patients with highly infectious diseases, usable in ambulances, helicopters, and airplanes, designed with clinical experts to enable treatment while protecting medical staff, compliant with CEN 1789 standard.
• Maritime MegaDrones Unmanned Surface Vessels Unmanned surface vessels (USVs) developed for remote-controlled or autonomous operations in demanding maritime conditions, delivering precise control, collision avoidance, real-time sea-state adaptation, and integrated redundancy for combat and surveillance missions.
• Eker Design Industrial Design Services Turnkey industrial and mechanical design agency covering the full product process from Design & Development and Logistics & Production through Sales & Marketing, supported by in-house design studios, engineering, model and metal workshops, rapid prototyping, pre-production, printing, and photography.
• Eker Performance Vehicle Retail and Service Leading dealer and service partner offering retail sales, warranty, parts, service, and technical support for Hydrolift boats, Ducati motorbikes, Sea-Doo personal watercraft, and Can-Am ATV/SSV from two large shop floors in Fredrikstad, operating six days a week with direct sea access for demonstrations and trials.
• Eker Werks Innovation Hub and Coworking Innovation hub and coworking platform at Skøyen in Oslo, set in a former locomotive factory, providing space for strategic alliances, international collaboration, innovation, development, learning, and event hosting (including The Factory Hall up to 260 square metres).

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% CO2 emissions savings and 50% OPEX savings compared to conventional diesel ferry over 30-year lifecycle assessment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major_past.

• SAABcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2024Eker Design has collaborated with Swedish industrial giant SAAB for several years on various concepts. They have introduced a new concept combining autonomous electric boats with ground-launched glide bombs for modern defense applications in response to changed world situation and warfare in Europe.
• Norwegian Sea Rescue SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 2024Hydrolift developed and delivered RS 175 Wilhelm Wilhelmsen rescue boat to Norwegian Sea Rescue Society. The P45 SAR was developed in close collaboration with the Norwegian Sea Rescue Society and Eker Design. The rescue boat serves as testing ground for new technologies and platform for greener rescue fleet.
• Inven2coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Norwegian company EpiGuard was established in 2015 by a group of doctors at Oslo University Hospital, together with co-founders Inven2, Eker Group, and Hansen Protection. Inven2 serves as a commercialization partner for research-based innovations from Oslo University Hospital.
• Hansen ProtectioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Co-founded EpiGuard in 2015 along with doctors from Oslo University Hospital, Inven2, and Eker Group. Hansen Protection provides expertise in protective equipment and maritime safety.
• Oslo University HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Group of doctors at Oslo University Hospital established EpiGuard in 2015. The company holds top level expertise with product development and manufacturing. Medical background ranges from intensive care, infectious diseases, internal medicine, and anesthesiology, through to transport medicine.
• BuddyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on developing a new electric bike together as part of Eker's innovation ecosystem bringing together experienced companies and start-ups.
• StokkeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated to revolutionize stroller design as part of Eker's track record of transforming concepts into global brands.
• Tom Wilhelmsen FoundationminorOthersDonor alongside Norwegian Sea Rescue Society for RS 175 rescue boat development, contributing to creating the most sustainable rescue boat possible with current technology.
• Koenigsegg Automotive ABmajor_pastStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership from early 2000s when Bård Eker joined forces with Christian von Koenigsegg. Eker brought expertise in design, engineering, and manufacturing creating synergy for development of groundbreaking CCX model series. Eker was majority owner 2004-2018 (exit).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Zeabuz: NTNU spin-off building autonomous electric urban ferries for smart city mobility. Closest direct competitor to Hyke's autonomous ferry business, with similar zero-emission, on-demand FaaS positioning and shared Nordic urban mobility customer pipeline.
• Brødrene Aa: Norwegian carbon-fiber fast ferry and patrol boat builder serving commercial and defense markets. Comparable to Hydrolift's professional range and Eker Solutions' USV work in lightweight composite hull construction for demanding conditions.
• Marex Boats: Norwegian family-owned premium motorboat manufacturer for recreational and professional use. Comparable to Hydrolift on Nordic premium pleasure-boat positioning and European dealer model similar to Eker Performance.
• Windy Boats: Norwegian premium motor boat builder serving both private and professional/SAR segments. Directly comparable to Hydrolift on product positioning, Scandinavian design heritage, and government/professional rescue fleet customers.
• Maritime Robotics: Norwegian unmanned surface vessel (USV) developer for survey, surveillance, and defense applications. Directly comparable to Eker Solutions' Maritime MegaDrones franchise, sharing the same Trondheim-adjacent Norwegian maritime autonomy ecosystem and defense customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Kongsberg Maritime: Global maritime technology incumbent with autonomous vessel systems, hydrogen ferries, and Massterly remote-ship operation JV. Broad incumbent that overlaps with Hyke's autonomy stack and Eker Solutions' USV/defense positioning, but at vastly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Princess Yachts: Established British luxury motor yacht manufacturer serving global HNW consumers. Broad incumbent comparable to Hydrolift's Signature/X-series premium daycruisers, though at a much larger production scale and broader international distribution.

Emerging players

• Massterly (Kongsberg/Wilhelmsen JV): Norwegian autonomous vessel operations joint venture combining Kongsberg autonomy with Wilhelmsen shipping. Comparable emerging player to Hyke in the autonomous short-sea and urban ferry operating layer, with deeper shipping-industry backing.
• Saildrone: US-based designer and operator of autonomous wind- and solar-powered USVs for ocean data, surveillance, and defense. Comparable emerging player to Eker Solutions' MegaDrones, addressing overlapping defense and surveillance use cases with a different propulsion architecture.

Regional players

• Auto-Maskin AS: Norwegian supplier of marine engine controls, monitoring systems, and automation hardware. Comparable to Hyke Sense PRO on marine sensor/monitoring/control product category, primarily serving European shipyards and boat builders as a regional incumbent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ekerwerks
• Instagraminstagram.com/ekergroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eker-group
• Xtwitter.com/ekergroup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ekergroup

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eker Group