62+ cities globally have over-congested land transport and underutilised waterways.
Cities are in crisis. Over-congested land transport and underutilised waterways together contribute to more than $201 billion in annual economic costs from congestion and pollution — costs that are rising as urban populations grow and road infrastructure reaches capacity.
Water Based Metro: 90% Lower Cost. 8× Faster Deployment. 60% More Efficient.
Water Roads is an Australian urban transit technology company building the world's first Water Metro — a zero-emission, electric hydrofoil urban transit service that operates as a platform. Where traditional light rail and metro projects require years of construction and hundreds of millions in public capital, Water Roads deploys in months using existing wharf infrastructure and privately funded vessel fleets.
| Metric | Light Rail / Metro | Water Roads |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment Cost | $55M – $325M per km | $2M – $5M per route |
| Deployment Time | 3 – 8 years | 6 – 9 months |
| Trip Time (Sydney pilot) | 45+ minutes by road | 18 minutes by water |
| Service Frequency | Every 25–30 minutes | Every 6 minutes |
| Public Capital Required | Full government funding | $0 |
| Carbon Emissions | Significant construction footprint | Zero operational emissions |
Next Generation Hydrofoils. Ready for Service.
Water Roads holds exclusive regional supply agreements with the world's two leading electric hydrofoil manufacturers. Both vessels are beyond the prototype stage — they are operational, certified, and proven in real-world transit conditions.
Candela P-12
Proven in commercial service on Stockholm's inner harbour since 2022. 50,000+ passengers carried at 98.2% service reliability. 80% lower energy consumption than conventional ferries.
| Passengers | 30 |
| Speed | 25 knots |
| Energy reduction | 80% vs conventional |
| Wave tolerance | ≤ 2m |
| AMSA status | Certification underway |
| Routes | Inner harbour / inter-city |
Artemis EF-14 Transit
Launched at America's Cup 2024 Barcelona. Operational as a 12-passenger luxury transit vessel with 52nm range. Pursuing AMSA Class 1C certification for Middle Harbour and Northern Beaches routes.
| Passengers | 12 |
| Speed | 30 knots |
| Range | 52 nm |
| Wave tolerance | ≤ 4m |
| AMSA status | Class 1E/D certified |
| Routes | All routes incl. open sea |
Fleet Management & Fare Generation.
Water Roads is a platform company — analogous to the Uber or Airbnb model applied to urban water transit. The company purchases and manages vessel fleets, earns fare revenue per passenger trip, and licenses its platform technology (Blue Pathways™ route scoring, Deep Power™ charging, WREI carbon certification) to operators in other cities.
* Pricing accounts for student discounts, cap-based usage limits, and weekend demand variation
Water Roads manages the complete operational stack under a single service agreement: vessel acquisition, route planning (Blue Pathways™), shore-based charging (Deep Power™), crew, ticketing, maintenance, and carbon reporting (WREI).
Sydney Pilot. Australia Growth. Global Expansion.
| Timing | Phase | Strategy | Key Routes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026–2027 | Sydney Pilot | Using existing TfNSW wharf infrastructure. $0 public capital. | Rhodes / Wentworth Point → Barangaroo (Nawi Cove) |
| 2027–2028 | Australia Expansion | New infrastructure with government or developer funding support. | Sydney CBD → Seaforth, Frenchs Forest, Lane Cove, Parramatta · Geelong → Melbourne · Brisbane → Manly |
| 2028–2030 | International Expansion | First international market entry targeting high-growth urban waterway cities. | 50+ city expansion across Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America |
Australia hosts COP31 in partnership with Pacific Island Nations. A working electric hydrofoil service on Sydney Harbour during COP31 would demonstrate Australian climate leadership to a global audience of heads of state, investors, and media.
Certifications, Agreements, and Government Engagement in Place.
Significant ESG Benefits Aligned to Policy Direction.
Water Roads delivers measurable environmental, social, and governance outcomes that align directly with NSW Government policy, COP31 climate commitments, and institutional ESG mandates.
$112.5B in direct, indirect & induced economic activity over 25 years.
| Category | Phase 1 | 5 Routes* |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing† | 1,004 | 1,004 |
| Annual Operations | 478 | 478+ |
| Housing Construction | 532 job-yrs | 1,300 job-yrs |
| Tourism | 3,028 | 20,417 |
| Total | 5,042 | 23,147 |
* 5 NSW Routes · † Manufacturing is fleet-based and applies to all route configurations
Methodology: consistent with TfNSW Transport Economic Appraisal Guidelines
Full network — all 5 routes
| Allocation | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Fleet — 20% of vessel procurement | $10M | Co-investment in 8-vessel Sydney pilot fleet |
| Deep Power e-Wharves | $2M | Shore-based charging infrastructure at pilot wharves |
| Operations Setup | $3M | Crew, licensing, ticketing, and launch operations |
| Total | $15M |
Decades of Experience in $B Transport.
The Water Roads leadership team combines deep expertise in transport infrastructure, technology commercialisation, and complex systems management. CBS Group — the project promoter and development rights holder — brings the IP, exclusive partnerships, and experienced leadership needed to turn Water Roads from concept to reality.
20 years commercialising intellectual property across transport, infrastructure, and technology sectors. Leads Water Roads strategy, government relations, and investor engagement.
LinkedIn ↗20 years in transport infrastructure with Transubran, Downer, and Transport NSW. Leads asset management for NSW's $2.8B transport projects portfolio.
LinkedIn ↗25+ years managing complex systems in defence and aerospace. Leads Water Roads operations, vessel procurement, and service delivery.
LinkedIn ↗Supports major transport projects including Sydney's Harbour Tunnel. Provides strategic advice on government engagement and transport policy.
Worked with Downer and Public Transport Victoria. Leads technical systems engineering and vessel integration.
Exclusive regional partnership for Artemis EF-14 Transit electric hydrofoil vessels.
Exclusive regional partnership for Candela P-12 electric hydrofoil vessels.
Initial agreement to extend Water Roads services to longer coastal routes.
Interested in investing?
Water Roads is actively engaging with early-stage investors. The Information Memorandum (IM) and term sheet are available on request under a mutual NDA.
