E1 Series

What E1 Series does

E1 Series, operated by Electric Sea Racing Limited, is the world's first and only UIM-sanctioned all-electric raceboat championship, holding an exclusive 25-year license from the Union Internationale Motonautique. Founded in 2024 by Alejandro Agag (founder of Formula E and Extreme E) and engineer Rodi Basso, the company organizes the UIM E1 World Championship in which 10 celebrity-owned teams compete in identical RaceBird hydrofoil boats capable of speeds up to 50 knots, powered by 150kW electric outboards developed with Kreisel (batteries), McLaren Applied (electronics), Mercury Racing (propulsion), and Comptech Engineering (carbon fibre). Jamie Copas (ex-WPP/Prism Sport & Entertainment) replaced Basso as CEO in early 2026 to professionalize commercial operations.

The business model layers multiple revenue streams on top of a sports IP: team franchise license fees of $2M plus $1M annual operating fees per team; recurring sponsorship from flagship partners including Bombay Sapphire (Official Gin Partner), Hublot (Official Timekeeping Partner), and Mercury Racing (Propulsion Partner); multi-year broadcasting rights deals with DAZN (1.1B device reach), Viaplay, and MBC covering 140+ territories; event ticketing through Fever; and direct-to-consumer merchandise including the $149 RaceBird Lite toy replica. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund holds a 50% equity stake following a $50M investment that anchors the broader Electric 360 initiative, while remaining ownership is distributed among celebrity team owners including Tom Brady, Will Smith, LeBron James, Rafael Nadal, Steve Aoki, Didier Drogba, Marc Anthony, Virat Kohli, and Kyle Kuzma. The 2026 calendar expands to 8 races across four continents (Jeddah, Lake Como, Dubrovnik, Monaco, Luanda, Lagos, Miami, Bahamas), with planned growth to 12 teams and a £500M valuation target within five years.

Name

E1 Series

Legal name

Electric Sea Racing Limited

Website

https://e1series.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

E1 Series (Electric Sea Racing Limited) operates the UIM-sanctioned UIM E1 World Championship, the world's first all-electric hydrofoil powerboat racing series featuring 10 celebrity-owned teams competing in identical RaceBird boats across global venues, with Saudi Arabia's PIF as 50% owner.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Powerboat Racing Championship

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Sailing & Water Sports Teams/Clubs (Sailing, Rowing, Surfing) (MPAKABAH)

Keywords

• Electric powerboat racing
• Hydrofoil boat racing
• Marine motorsport
• Electric racing championship
• Marine sustainability

Headquarters

HQ city

Sutton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Team Franchise Fees: Celebrity team owners pay $2 million for a franchise license plus $1 million annual operating fee to participate in the championship
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of RaceBird Lite toy replicas ($149 each) and other team-branded merchandise through the E1 Series store
3. Sponsorship: Official partnerships with brands including Bombay Sapphire (Official Gin Partner), Hublot (Official Timekeeping Partner), Mercury Racing (Propulsion Partner)
4. Broadcasting Rights: International broadcast deals including DAZN (1.1 billion devices), Viaplay, MBC, reaching over 140 territories
5. Event Ticketing: Ticket sales through official ticketing partner Fever for race events and VIP hospitality experiences

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

E1 Series operates the UIM E1 World Championship, the world's first all-electric raceboat championship featuring celebrity-owned teams competing in identical RaceBird hydrofoil boats at iconic coastal venues worldwide. The championship runs multiple Grand Prix events annually and is supported by a global broadcast distribution, official merchandise, ticketed fan experiences, and a sustainability program (Blue Impact). The series monetizes through team franchise licenses, sponsorships, broadcasting rights, ticket sales, and branded consumer products including the RaceBird Lite toy.

Product overview

E1 Series is the world's first all-electric raceboat championship operated by Electric Sea Racing Limited. The core offering is the UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF, featuring celebrity-owned teams competing in identical RaceBird electric hydrofoil boats. The championship runs multiple Grand Prix events across global venues. Associated products include the RaceBird Lite, a 1:14 scale consumer toy replica of the championship boat sold through the official store. The organization also operates the Blue Impact Championship, a sustainability initiative recognizing environmental action by teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Blue Impact Championship: Sustainability initiative within E1 that recognizes teams for their environmental initiatives and marine conservation efforts, presented by Bombay Sapphire.

Products and services

• UIM E1 World Championship The flagship all-electric raceboat championship featuring 10 celebrity-owned teams competing in identical RaceBird hydrofoil boats across 8 Grand Prix events in 2026 (Jeddah, Lake Como, Dubrovnik, Monaco, Luanda, Lagos, Miami, Bahamas).
• RaceBird Lite A 1:14 scale toy replica of the E1 RaceBird electric raceboat featuring hydro-foiling technology, priced at $149, enabling consumers to experience electric racing at home.
• Blue Impact Championship Sustainability championship presented by Bombay Sapphire that recognizes E1 teams for marine conservation efforts, coastal habitat restoration, and community environmental action. Team Brady was inaugural winner in 2025.
• E1 Ocean Club VIP Hospitality Premium waterfront VIP hospitality offering at race events featuring curated dining, exclusive access to pilots and celebrity team owners, and integrated partner activations (including Hublot).

Quantifiable outcome

• Plastic removal: 100kg of ocean plastic removed per championship point earned by Team Brady in 2025, totalling 19,500kg
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, major and minor.

• HublotflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 April 2026Official Timekeeping Partner providing Swiss craftsmanship and precision timing expertise. Integrated across the season with visibility on global broadcasts and activation within the E1 Ocean Club VIP hospitality.
• UN TourismflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 July 2025Memorandum of Understanding signed to promote sustainable mobility and tourism through sport. E1 founder Alejandro Agag appointed as UN Tourism's Special Ambassador for Sustainable Tourism. Collaboration leverages sports tourism's $685 billion market value.
• Roc Nation Sports InternationalflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 June 2025Content partnership to expand global audience using Roc Nation's cultural influence and talent ecosystem for storytelling, creative campaigns, and entertainment activations integrating E1 athletes.
• Bombay SapphireflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 May 2025Official Gin Partner for the 2025 season, featuring branding, immersive experiences, and environmental initiatives focused on marine sustainability. The partnership is rooted in Bombay Sapphire's 'Step Into The Blue' global campaign.
• DAZNflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 February 2025Multi-year broadcasting agreement for exclusive live final programmes across Canada, DACH, France, Italy, Spain, and Japan. Provides E1 access to 1.1 billion devices worldwide.
• Mercury RacingcoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial Propulsion and Propeller Partner developing an electric powertrain for hydrofoil-based race boats. Partnership aims to advance electric propulsion technology in the marine industry.
• Kreisel BatteriescoreTechnology or IntegrationBattery technology partner providing electric propulsion systems for RaceBird boats
• McLaren AppliedcoreTechnology or IntegrationElectronics technology partner providing control systems for RaceBird electric boats
• Comptech EngineeringcoreTechnology or IntegrationCarbon fibre components partner for RaceBird boat construction
• ViaplaymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBroadcast partner in the Nordics region
• MBC GroupmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBroadcast partner in the Middle East region
• Aurora MediamajorTechnology or IntegrationProduction partner for E1 Series broadcast operations
• Cross Shore MediamajorTechnology or IntegrationCamera technology supplier for race coverage
• Al Kamel SystemsmajorTechnology or IntegrationGraphics and telemetry partner for race operations
• Timeline TelevisionmajorTechnology or IntegrationMain production hub in London for championship broadcast
• 4ocean FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnvironmental partner for Team Brady's Race for Change programme, removing ocean plastic
• WaterAidminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharitable partner for Team Brady's sustainability initiatives

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• INDYCAR: Major North American open-wheel racing series with team-franchise model and premium sponsors. Useful benchmark for league-level economics in motorsport even though it competes for a different audience segment.
• America's Cup: Premier international sailing competition with syndicate-based team structure and high-net-worth team owners. Comparable coastal-venue prestige and high-end sponsor mix, though structurally distinct as an event rather than a touring championship.
• MotoGP: Premier global motorcycle racing series with team-franchise model, premium sponsors, and international city-based calendar. Comparable in broadcast economics and lifestyle-brand sponsorship mix, though operates at materially larger scale.
• F1 (Formula 1): The dominant global motorsport series. While not a direct electric-powerboat competitor, F1 defines the upper bound of motorsport franchise economics, broadcast rights values, and team valuations that E1's growth trajectory will be benchmarked against.

Direct peers

• SailGP: Global sailing league with national-team franchise model, premium sponsors, and high-end coastal venues. Closest water-sport analog to E1 in terms of city-based calendar, identical-boat racing format, and franchise-fee economics.
• Formula E: Electric single-seater racing series also founded by Alejandro Agag and backed by PIF under the Electric 360 initiative. Directly comparable business model (team franchises, city-based calendar, sustainability narrative, premium sponsors, global broadcast), making it the closest analog for valuation and growth trajectory.
• Extreme E: Off-road electric SUV racing series founded by Alejandro Agag and backed by PIF under the Electric 360 initiative. Shares the same celebrity-team-owner model, sustainability positioning, and Saudi sovereign backing as E1, with comparable franchise economics and broadcast structure.
• UIM F1 H2O (Powerboat Racing): Traditional combustion-engine powerboat racing world championship sanctioned by UIM. The predecessor powerboat category from which E1 essentially carved out the electric niche under its exclusive UIM license.

Emerging players

• W Series: Single-make women's racing series with similar egalitarian-team-format ambitions. While not a powerboat property, it shares the celebrity-investor, identity-led marketing, and emerging-property sponsorship dynamics with E1.

Others

• Mercury Racing: High-performance marine propulsion manufacturer and E1's Official Propulsion Partner. Adjacent as a technology enabler and supplier of marine propulsion systems rather than a competitor, but its involvement signals where the boundary between marine technology and racing league blurs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/E1Series
• Facebookfacebook.com/E1Series
• Instagraminstagram.com/e1series
• TikToktiktok.com/@e1series
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/e1series

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 E1 Series