Electric boat motor company Molabo purchased by early investor
German Electric boat motor manufacturer Molabo has been purchased by one of its early investors/partners, the Hechinger Group.
Hechinger is a family owned business that was founded in 1953 and is now a global leader in all things electric motor – magnets and magnetic coils, component production for BLDC motors (BrushLess Direct Current), electronics services, hybrid electromechanical assemblies and more.
The company first invested in Molabo in early 2019, when the Molabo team was installing one of their 48V ISCAD motors in a boat by German builder My-Elektroboote.
It had taken the Molabo founders about seven years to get to that point. It began in 2013 when Professor Dieter Gerling, Dr-Ing of Munich’s University of Federal Defense encouraged students Adrian Patzak and Florian Bachheibl to work on an innovative – and at that time unproven – way to build an electric motor that could deliver high power without high voltage.
By 2015 they had their first patents on the 48 volt system, and there were many more patents to follow. In 2016 a company was incorporated and prototypes were delivered to players in the automotive industry.
Here we are seven years later and Molabo has been granted many more patents and won awards like the German Mobility Award (2018), the 2019 Grand Prix Winner of the Global Award from the CWIEME (Coil Winding Insulation & Electrical Manufacturing Exhibition),and the 2023 Electric & Hybrid Marine Award for New Propulsion Technology of the Year.
What sets Molabo apart is its focus on touch-safe high-performance drives that do not require complex high-voltage safety measures, even at outputs of 50 kW.
Last year the company achieved significant successes that further cemented its reputation as an innovator in the e-mobility industry. Of particular note for Hechinger was the launch of the 50 kW ARIES R50 outboard and the successful VIP test of a demo vehicle at a renowned European automotive OEM.
Since their initial investment, The Hechinger Group has been a strategic investor in Molabo and manages production and quality assurance of the drives. The Group is currently on a course of transformation, with substantial investments in the areas of e-mobility and renewables.
With the acquisition of MOLABO, Hechinger is emphasizing this commitment and consolidating Molabo as a strategic pillar in its group of companies. “This takeover is far more than just a business transaction.” said COO Patzak. “It signals a deep trust in the shared future and innovative strength of both companies.”
“Molabo will maintain its strong position in the product business, especially in the marine sector, while at the same time driving forward its global expansion,” assures Markus Duffner, Managing Director of the Hechinger Group. “In addition, the production of drive systems will be increased in order to prepare for expansion into the industrial and, in the long term, automotive sectors, with Molabo taking on a central role in product development within the Hechinger Group,” adds Markus Duffner.
Duffner becomes Molabo CEO while co-Founders Adrian Patzak and Dr Florian Bachheibl will retain their roles as COO and CTO respectively. Leigh Hooper takes over the position of CFO. All parties agree that with this management team, Molabo is ideally positioned for a phase of strong growth.
