Less Disruption, More Connection: A New Era of Sustainable Boating

Lake life has always been about connection to nature, to family, and to tradition. Yet the boats that carry us across those waters have often been a source of disruption. Noise, pollution, crashing through water, and disruptive wakes increasingly concern boaters, cottagers, and conservationists alike.

In Ontario, a group of engineers with backgrounds in aerospace technology came together with a fresh idea. After years spent developing autonomous drones for defense, these innovators formed a new company called ENVGO and turned their attention to the challenges of boating. They asked: How can technology reduce environmental impact while improving the experience on the water and shorelines of cottage country?

Their solution? A fully electric boat engineered to reduce noise, eliminate emissions and protect delicate shorelines. Called the ENVGO NV1, this is the inaugural product from Ontario-based marine technology company ENVGO. Drawing on their experience designing autonomous drones, the team applied flight control principles to the water, developing a boat that doesn’t just float – it lifts. The NV1 uses hydrofoils, which are submerged wings that raise the hull above the surface, creates a whisper-quiet flight with no wake, no shoreline erosion and zero emissions. 

“We didn’t just want to build an electric boat – we wanted to change the experience entirely,” said Paul Masojc, Co-founder and COO of ENVGO. “That meant solving hard problems, like making hydrofoils work in unpredictable conditions and developing flight control systems that anyone could use, not just trained pilots.”

While hydrofoils themselves aren’t new, making them work on recreational boats built for fun, safety, and ease of use by anyone meant solving tough technical engineering challenges. And while developing the flight control technology was far from easy, it’s exactly the kind of problem the team, with its deep aerospace roots, was drawn to.

The team began development in 2021, building two early engineering test boats that ultimately led to their inaugural product: the ENVGO NV1. As a Canadian company, much of the testing took place on cold, wind-whipped Ontario lakes – conditions that demanded practical, real-world problem-solving. These early trials helped shape a product not for ideal conditions, but for everyday boaters navigating unpredictable, ever-changing waters. Through that process, the team discovered that their autonomous flight control system needed to make 250 real-time adjustments per second to ensure safe, stable, and smooth boating. It was difficult, but the goal was achieved. 

Beyond their current offering, what’s especially promising is that ENVGO’s hydrofoiling technology was developed with adaptability in mind, designed to integrate into future models or through industry partnerships that will open the door to a larger shift across the industry: one where lakes globally are enjoyed with less disruption and more care. For cottagers, regulators, and lake communities alike, it marks a significant step toward preserving what matters most: cleaner water, quieter mornings, and a better way to move across the places we love.

 is a co-founder of ENVGO, where he leads the company’s vision to transform recreational boating through cutting-edge, sustainable technology.