ZAPATA AND TEAM EUROPE JOIN FORCES TO BRING NEW WAYS OF MOBILITY
Zapata Racing is developing into a provider of individual mobility: technology holding Team Europe, led by Lukasz Gadowski, is supporting the company of French entrepreneur and innovator Franky Zapata. Together, they are striving to develop innovative products and position them successfully on the global mobility market.
Zapata Racing is a worldwide leader in developing and manufacturing hydro-flight and jet-powered flight technologies and products. Franky Zapata – “the Flying Man” – has once crossed the English Channel on his flyboard. With its 2016 invention Flyboard Air, Zapata revolutionized the industry and turned a leisure activity into a new extreme sport. The technological breakthrough JetRacer will shape the future of individual mobility. It will be capable of reaching airborne speeds up to 300 km/h and will be able to carry up to 200 kg.
“I consider Franky Zapata a genius engineer and value his humbleness and kindness and culture of delivery and winning”, says Lukasz Gadowski, CEO of Team Europe. “Together, we aim to make Zapata Racing a global leader. From France, we want to inspire the U.S. and the rest of the world. It’s not what you see today at Zapata – it’s the roadmap that is so exciting.”
Franky Zapata, founder and CEO of Zapata Racing: “Lukasz Gadowski is very experienced in building successful businesses. What started to be a leisure activity for extreme sport fans turned into a professional sport and together with Team Europe, we will now go one step further: we will shape the future of mobility.”
About Team Europe
Team Europe is a global technology holding company with the mission to deliver a better future via technology. Its main areas of interest are “Digital & Platforms”, “Mobility & MAaaS” (Micro Aviation as a Service) and “clean abundant energy”.
Team Europe has been building or actively supporting startups for more than 15 years – including the e-commerce company Spreadshirt, the delivery service company Delivery Hero, the solar company Enpal, the mobility provider Miles, the micro mobility company Bird, as well as Volocopter and Archer, two global leaders in the field of Urban Air Mobility (UAM).
The history of Zapata Racing
After 17 years of career as a Jetski and test pilot, Franky Zapata created the ZAPATA RACING brand in 2008. From design to production and development, Franky has invented his own stand-up jet skis and his ZAPATA RACING brand “Made in France” stand-up VNMs. 17 World Champion titles have been won with his brand. Franky Zapata turned himself to the challenges of innovation and differentiation to ensure the future of his company.
With the release of the first Flyboard waterboard and the public’s enthusiasm, success and worldwide marketing were limited only by the quantity produced. As soon as it was launched on the market, Flyboard became a real sport, with the organisation of the first Flyboard World Cup in 2012 in Qatar; until 2018 different countries followed.
After more than a dozen patents filed and the resounding success of the hydro-propelled machines, Franky Zapata is turning to a new major challenge by realising his dream: to create a redundant flying machine, extremely compact. He decided to name it FLYBOARD AIR.
In 2016, he became famous by achieving the Guinness World Record for the distance covered by hoverboard. Since then, Franky Zapata and his Flyboard Air have travelled all over the world participating in shows such as F1, Moto GP, FIA WEC and Red Bull Air Race.
In 2019, he took part in the 14th of July Parade by giving an aerial demonstration in front of the French President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, and several other heads of states.
Franky decided to take up the crazy challenge of crossing the English Channel in homage to aviation pioneer Louis Blériot, who, 110 years earlier, had accomplished the same feat. This prowess was the subject of a documentary produced by Etoile Noire called “Flying”. After a first failure on 25th, July 2019, Franky Zapata did not give up. Thanks to the commitment of its entire team, he rebuilt his machine in a week. In August, the 4th, he made his crossing Channel in 22 minutes.
Surrounded by engineers and supported by a solid Research and Design office, the company Z-AIR continues its ascension by designing and developing new products, with the aim of changing the mobility of the future.
Among several of his confidential projects, one attracts attention, the JetRacer flying machine. This invention is expected to carry out the first official tests before Summer 2021.
