A former Merrill Lynch derivatives trader with a passion for Star Wars is preparing to take his flying motorbike startup public in Japan.
Tokyo-based A.L.I. Technologies Inc. was founded by Shuhei Komatsu as a drone maker in 2016 before moving on to more ambitious ventures, opening sales of its XTurismo Limited Edition hoverbike in October. The ¥77.7 million single-person transporter can hit a max speed of 80 kilometers per hour and travel up to 40 minutes per charge, according to the company. The bike has so far largely figured as a curio at public events such as a recent baseball game, but A.L.I. Technologies President Daisuke Katano says there’s strong interest in it from Middle Eastern nations.
"The need for these bikes will be higher in places with desert or other difficult terrain,” Katano said in an interview. "The vehicle will enable people to travel where roads are bad and inaccessible to cars, as well as across bodies of water.”