A.L.I Technologies, a Tokyo-based company, known for manufacturing flying motorbikes called Xturismo Limited, plans to float on the Tokyo stock exchange through an IPO, to raise further funds.
Daisuke Katano, CEO of A.L.I Technologies, told Bloomberg that the company is planning to list the company on the Mothers market for startups. However, he declined to provide more details, including the timeframe or potential target valuation for an IPO.
According to Bloomberg, ALI will aim for a unicorn valuation of $1B or more over the long term, Katano added.
“There are expectations for growth, so once products like these make it to the headlines, the company’s stock could be bought up, getting a boost from retail investors,” says Tomoichiro Kubota, a senior market analyst at Matsui Securities Co. “But the company is not yet at a level where people could talk about a detailed earnings outlook, which makes it hard to pin an appropriate valuation figure.”
“We think our aircraft could be categorized differently from existing airplanes,” Katano said. “It doesn’t travel on the ground, but still flies closer to land and at low altitudes.”
Single-person transporter worth $777,000
Founded by Shuhei Komatsu as an AI-equipped drone development company, ALI Technologies manufactured the Xturismo Limited bike, a single-person transporter worth $777,000.
The 300kg bike has a top speed of 80kmph with a travel range of up to 40 minutes per charge.
The development of advanced technologies such as UAV, blockchain, and AI has the potential to change society. Consequently, the company is utilising the opportunity by integrating technologies to realise a society where people can traverse the skies safely and freely.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Katano says, “The need for these bikes will be higher in places with desert or other difficult terrains. The vehicle will enable people to travel where roads are bad and inaccessible to cars, as well as across bodies of water.”
The hovering bike has been showcased at public events, with strong interest from the Middle East market.
A.L.I. Technologies aspire to realise the future of an “air mobility society” where cars, bikes, and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) fly freely in the sky.
However, to realise an “air mobility society” the company aims to make two technologies in place — control of the aircraft itself and authentic sky road infrastructure for safe aerial travel.
To date, the company has attracted investment from several Japanese firms, including Sega Sammy Holdings Inc., Nagoya Railroad Co., Nakanihon Air Service Co., Kyocera Corp., and Mitsubishi Electric Corp. Soccer star Keisuke Honda.
