Yamaha Motor Invests in Finnish IT Startup Skipperi

Kando Can-do

Yamaha Motor Co announces it has invested in Skipperi, a Finnish IT startup company that operates Skipperi Fleet, the largest subscription-based boat club in Northern Europe.

Skipperi is an IT company that leverages its self-developed digital platform to deliver enjoyable marine experiences to customers, and its other pursuits besides its core business of Skipperi Fleet include a P2P rental business and promoting marine safety. Utilizing its digital technologies, the company has successfully reduced the labor required to operate a boat club, such as making boat rentals possible entirely through online systems. Furthermore, the company is continuously working to further develop the system with AI and by acquiring data from daily operations.

The aim of this investment in Skipperi is to strengthen Yamaha Motor’s development capabilities for its digital transformation, which continues to gain speed within the marine industry. The Company sees Skipperi as a strategic partner to develop digital platforms for sharing-based businesses in order to respond to the globally expanding sharing economy.

Yamaha Motor’s Marine Long-Term Vision is to provide “a reliable and rich marine life” that further increases the value of the ocean by implementing its Marine CASE Strategy. Going forward, the Company will aim to offer Kando experiences on the water that match the diverse lifestyles of customers by continuing to develop higher-value-added services and next-generation products.