Arc Boat Company: Comprehensive Profile

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Overview

Arc Boat Company (Arc) is a venture-backed, American electric boat manufacturer headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 2021 by a team of former aerospace and automotive engineers, the company develops, manufactures, and delivers high-performance, all-electric watercraft [1]. Arc’s operations encompass both recreational consumer boats and commercial workboats, including electric tugboats and defense applications [2]. The company is vertically integrated, designing and building its battery packs, powertrains, thermal control systems, and software in-house [3].

Founding and Leadership Team

Arc was co-founded in January 2021 by Mitch Lee and Ryan Cook, who met while studying mechanical engineering at Northwestern University [4].

  • Mitch Lee (Co-founder & CEO): Lee has a background in software entrepreneurship and finance, having previously co-founded a software startup (Penny) that was later acquired. He grew up boating on the California Delta [4] [5].
  • Ryan Cook (Co-founder & CTO): Cook brings aerospace hardware expertise to Arc. Prior to co-founding the company, he spent nearly eight years at SpaceX as a Lead Engineer, and also worked as a Tool Design Engineer at Boeing [4] [6].

Key Personnel

Beyond the founders, Arc employs over 100 people (with some sources indicating around 200 following recent expansions), including veterans from SpaceX, Tesla, Rivian, Lyft, Brunswick, and MarineMax [4] [7]. Notable leadership and personnel include:

  • Kofi Asante: Vice President of Business Development [8].
  • Robert Binkowski: Research and Development Lead / Lead Vehicle Engineer; formerly a Vehicle Engineer at SpaceX [9].
  • David Imai: Chief of Design [10].
  • Ted Herringshaw: Product Lead [10].
  • Akos Putz: Staff Software Engineer [11].

Funding and Investors

Since its inception, Arc has raised over $150 million across multiple funding rounds [1] [7].

  • Seed Round (Early 2021): Raised $4.25 million, led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), with participation from Lowercarbon Capital and Abstract Ventures [12] [13].
  • Strategic Seed Extension (October 2021): Secured investment from celebrity-backed funds including Will Smith’s Dreamers VC, Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s Thirty Five Ventures, and Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Combs Enterprises, pushing total seed funding past $7 million [13].
  • Series A (November 2021): Raised $30 million led by Eclipse Ventures. Greg Reichow, a partner at Eclipse and former VP at Tesla, joined Arc’s board [12].
  • Series B (July/September 2023): Raised $70 million led by Menlo Ventures, with participation from returning investors. Shawn Carolan, a partner at Menlo Ventures, joined the board [14].
  • Series C (March 2026): Raised $50 million to finance expansion into commercial and defense vessels. The round was led by Eclipse, a16z, Menlo Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Necessary Ventures, and Offline Ventures [7].

Products and Technology

Arc’s product line spans luxury recreational boats to heavy-duty commercial workboats. All models utilize Arc’s proprietary high-voltage electrical systems and software [3].

Recreational Vessels

  • Arc One (2021): A limited-edition 24-foot luxury aluminum cruiser. Priced at $300,000, it features a 220 kWh battery pack, 500 horsepower, and a 12-person capacity. Deliveries began in 2022 and the production run of fewer than 25 units sold out [1] [13] [14].
  • Arc Sport (2024): A 23-foot electric wake sport boat designed for mass-market appeal. Unveiled in February 2024 with a base price of $258,000, it features a 226 kWh battery, 500 horsepower, and a 15-passenger capacity. It includes customizable ballast systems, an auto-retract hardtop tower, and bow/stern thrusters [1] [15].
  • Arc Coast (2025): Announced in May 2025, this 24-foot electric center console boat is designed for fishing and sandbar recreation. It features a 226 kWh battery, a 400 horsepower motor, and accommodates 10 passengers. Deliveries are slated for 2026 with a starting price of $168,000 [1] [10].

Commercial and Defense Vessels

In 2025, Arc formally expanded into the commercial maritime sector, focusing on electric ship-assist tugboats and ferries [7].

  • Diversified Marine Retrofit: In April 2025, Arc partnered with Portland-based Diversified Marine Inc. to retrofit a 26-foot truckable tugboat with a 600-horsepower dual-motor electric drivetrain and large lithium-ion battery packs. This vessel was designated for use at the Port of Los Angeles [9].
  • Curtin Maritime Fleet: In September 2025, Arc announced a $160 million contract with Curtin Maritime to build eight hybrid-electric ship-assist tugboats. Constructed in collaboration with Snow & Co shipyard in Seattle, these tugs will feature Arc’s 4,000-horsepower powertrains backed by a 6 megawatt-hour battery buffer. The first four tugs are scheduled for delivery by the end of 2027 to operate in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach [16] [17].

Software and Applications

In November 2025, the company launched the Arc mobile app (available on iOS and Android) to provide owners with real-time battery monitoring, charging countdowns, direct customer support, and over-the-air software updates [11] [18].

Locations and Infrastructure

  • Headquarters & Manufacturing: Arc operates a 150,000-square-foot factory and headquarters in Torrance, California (Los Angeles area) [3] [14].
  • AltaSea R&D Facility: In May 2025, Arc announced a new research and development facility at the AltaSea campus at the Port of Los Angeles. This 35-acre waterfront campus supports prototype development, on-water testing, fleet deployment, and houses one of the first dedicated electric tugboat charging hubs in the United States [19].

Defense and Government Connections

Arc has actively expanded into the defense sector, aiming to supply electric propulsion systems to defense contractors and naval fleets [7].

  • The company has engaged in recruiting for defense-specific roles, including a “Defense Partnerships Manager” and “Defense Business Development Manager,” to execute contracting strategies across the Navy, defense primes, and government entities (e.g., PEO USC, PMS 406, NAVSEA) [20] [21].
  • The focus in the defense sector includes powering autonomous and unmanned maritime platforms, where electric powertrains offer increased reliability, reduced maintenance, and lower thermal/acoustic signatures [7] [21].

Partnerships and Recognition

  • US SailGP Team: Arc is the Official Electric Vessel Supplier for the United States SailGP Team for the 2026 Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix [22].
  • Fast Company: Arc was named to Fast Company’s “World’s Most Innovative Companies” list for 2026 [23].

Online Presence

References

[1] Arc (company) - Wikipedia
[2] Arc - 100% Electric Boats
[3] About - Arc Boats
[4] Our founders’ story - Arc Boats
[5] Mitch Lee - Arc Boat Company | LinkedIn
[6] Ryan Cook - Co-founder, CTO at Arc | LinkedIn
[7] Arc expands into electric commercial and defense boats with $50M raise - TechCrunch
[8] Will the maritime industry ever ditch fossil fuels? | Kofi Asante
[9] A modern tugboat, powered by Arc - Arc Boats
[10] Meet the Arc Coast - Arc Boats
[11] Launching the Arc app - Arc Boats
[12] Full speed ahead - Arc Boats
[13] Will Smith, Kevin Durant and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs invest in electric boat startup Arc - TechCrunch
[14] EV boat startup Arc wades into watersports with $70M in fresh funding - TechCrunch
[15] EV boat maker Arc debuts a premium wake sport model for $258,000 - CNBC
[16] Our electric tugboat fleet is growing - Arc Boats
[17] Arc Announces $160 Million Deal With Curtin Maritime for Eight Hybrid-Electric Tugboats - PR Newswire
[18] Arc Boats - App Store
[19] AltaSea to be Home to Nation’s First-Ever Electric Truckable Tugboat - AltaSea
[20] Defense Partnerships Manager - Careers - Arc Boats
[21] Defense Business Development Manager - Careers - Arc Boats
[22] US SailGP Team Taps Arc as Electric Vessel Supplier for the 2026 New York Sail Grand Prix
[23] Arc Named to Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies List for 2026 - Arc Boats

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