From Recreational Boats to Defense Tech: Andy Rebele’s New Venture After Pure Watercraft
In the serene setting of Magnuson Park on Seattle’s Lake Washington, Andy Rebele reflects on a journey that has brought him full circle. His grandfather once served at the nearby Naval Base Sand Point, and now, after the closure of his electric boating company Pure Watercraft, Rebele finds himself at the helm of a defense technology startup. This transition marks not just a new chapter in his entrepreneurial career but a significant pivot in his approach to marine innovation. Rather than walking away from the maritime industry after Pure Watercraft’s demise, Rebele has channeled his expertise and passion into Thallios, a company with a distinctly different mission but built on the foundation of his previous venture’s technological achievements.
“This is a company that’s born out of the legacy of Pure Watercraft,” Rebele explained during a recent interview. While Pure Watercraft had focused primarily on electric outboard motors for recreational boating—including an innovative pontoon boat aimed at leisure boaters—it had also developed military-related technology that remained largely in the background. Now, this military-oriented intellectual property forms the backbone of Thallios, where Rebele leads a small team of former Pure employees focused on autonomous marine craft. The new company has acquired all of Pure’s military-oriented IP, including a partially executed contract with the Defense Department’s Defense Innovation Unit that involved building an electric personal watercraft designed for search and rescue operations. This acquisition provides Thallios with not just technology but an ongoing relationship with defense clients.
Operating from an undisclosed location in Seattle while incorporated in Texas, Thallios plans to build small, autonomous surface craft—potentially boats or personal-sized vehicles similar to Jet Skis. These craft may employ electric propulsion, a technology Rebele knows intimately from his Pure Watercraft days, but their applications will be decidedly different. Rather than focusing on recreational use, these vessels will serve either logistical purposes, such as transporting supplies between locations, or potentially more tactical missions. When Rebele mentions craft “that doesn’t come home,” he implies potential explosive capabilities, drawing parallels to how small, expendable drones have revolutionized modern warfare, particularly in conflicts like the one in Ukraine. “The way to think about this is analogous to the airborne drone theater,” he explains. “Small attritable drones have dominated” recent conflicts, changing the nature of military engagements.
This military focus represents a significant departure from Pure Watercraft’s environmentally-conscious mission to disrupt the gas-powered recreational boating industry. Founded in 2011, Pure had raised $37 million and attracted substantial backing from General Motors, which acquired a 25% stake in 2021. Despite this support and recognition (including winning Sustainable Innovation of the Year at the 2023 GeekWire Awards), Pure Watercraft encountered financial difficulties that led to receivership in July 2024. Rebele has been reflective about this outcome, acknowledging that while GM’s withdrawal precipitated the company’s closure, “a lot of responsibility for that was failures of execution by Pure.” This candid self-assessment demonstrates Rebele’s willingness to learn from past experiences: “If we were to do it again, there are many things I would do differently.”
One of the most significant differences in Rebele’s approach with Thallios is his liberation from the constant pressure of fundraising. “We have no need to raise money, because the current military contract funds the company,” he notes with evident relief. This freedom allows him to focus on execution rather than spending what he estimates is 70% of a typical startup CEO’s time courting investors. Rebele believes this focus will enable more hands-on work and reduce the need for multiple specialized positions, creating a leaner, more efficient operation. However, Thallios still faces the challenge of establishing its place in the defense technology sector, where established players and other startups already operate. The Seattle area alone hosts companies like Overland AI (self-driving vehicles), Echodyne (advanced radar technology), and Exia Labs (AI software for wargaming), with initiatives like the Defense Technology Accelerator in Renton specifically supporting startups addressing Department of Defense needs.
Despite this competitive landscape, Rebele sees a distinct opportunity for Thallios in avoiding what he describes as the “gold-plating” trap that many defense technology companies fall into. Rather than creating expensive, highly sophisticated systems that might be outmatched by the higher volume, lower-cost products deployed by adversaries, Thallios will focus on cost-effectiveness and scalability. “We can’t have our Lamborghinis fighting their VW Beetles,” Rebele asserts, highlighting his commitment to practical, deployable solutions rather than technological showcases. This pragmatic approach, combined with the team’s expertise in marine technology and Rebele’s lessons from his Pure Watercraft experience, positions Thallios to potentially make a significant impact in the defense sector. As the company moves forward with its first defense contracts, it represents not just a business pivot but a thoughtful evolution of Rebele’s vision for how innovation in marine technology can serve different yet equally important purposes.
