At 5,344 feet above sea level, Lightship will begin constructing the all-electric travel trailer, Lightship 1 (L1).
The company received a $34 million Series B financing to turn the prototype, which debuted in spring 2023, into a reality within the borders of Broomfield, Colorado.
The 32,000-square-foot facility the company leased in June is operating today with around 60 employees. Lightship is focused on product testing and transitioning into production. Lightship CEO and co-founder Toby Kraus said the company anticipates production to begin at the end of 2024.
Kraus said the fundraising round, which featured partners including Thor Industries, “will bring the product to market.”
Lightship delivered a prototype of the L1 to consumers in spring 2023. According to Lightship Chief Product Officer and co-founder Ben Parker, the prototype garnered positive feedback. The company is applying consumer suggestions to enhance privacy and storage solutions in its production model.
Lightship anticipates having RVs built at the beginning of 2025. The manufacturer will roll out production through a “production ramp.” Lightship will start by producing a low number of RVs, then increase production as the product hits the market.
Lightship is currently selling directly to consumers.
Kraus said, “Bringing Lightship to market is like bringing an electrified product to a totally new group of customers.”
The financing round was co-led by Obvious Ventures and Prelude Ventures. Allegis Capital, Thor Industries and Thor’s investment partner TechNexus Venture Collaborative contributed to the fund. Returning investors Congruent Ventures, HyperGuap and Alumni Ventures joined in.
Obvious Ventures Managing Director Andrew Beebe said, “The electrification transformation does not stop at passenger cars. What Ben, Toby and the team are bringing to life will revolutionize the road trip forever.”
