Case study Hullo Ferries
Connecting Vancouver and Vancouver Island
Founded in 2024, Hullo Ferries operates two high-speed passenger-only catamarans between downtown Vancouver and downtown Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, meeting an unserved segment of this popular route.
Investment
Hullo Ferries was established to offer a reliable and faster alternative for on-foot travellers between downtown Vancouver and downtown Nanaimo on Vancouver Island – a key route for tourism, business, and the local community.
The new service provides a year-round, 70-minute direct service, which significantly reduces travel time between the locations compared to competing sailing routes. It is also highly competitively priced with existing alternatives. The company aims to capture passengers seeking a faster trip, without the premium costs of air travel.
Currently, Hullo Ferries has two operational vessels, which can each accommodate over 350 passengers, and has access to fully upgraded port facilities. The company delivers a strong customer experience both at the terminal and onboard, including food and beverage services and connectivity alternatives on arrival at its destination. The ferries use biodiesel blends, which reduces their environmental impact while also helping control fuel costs.
Initial investment
2022
Theme
Transport
Strategy
Value-add
Country
Canada
Nexspace Key statistics
Impact
InfraRed, along with local stakeholders, played a crucial role in establishing Hullo Ferries by providing the necessary capital and support to secure its position on the route, acquire the ferries and establish the team.
Within a matter of months, Hullo Ferries was fully established, operational and generating revenues, with a successful service addressing a market gap between high-cost air transport options and slower government-operated ferries.
Future growth plans include exploring expansion opportunities beyond current routes to further leverage market gaps in other regional ferry services.
“Working closely with the team at Hullo Ferries, we have successfully addressed the gap in the market for efficient and affordable transport, providing vital infrastructure to the island. We continue to look for ways to innovate and expand our routes, while remaining focused on the core service. This is another example of our investment capabilities to identify under-explored infrastructure opportunities and create companies to address the need.”
