RV Startup Aboard Up to $13M in Financing

Automotive startup Aboard raised $4.3 million in a pre-series A funding round in May, bringing its total financing up to $13 million as the company prepares for mass production of its first product – an extended-range electric travel trailer.

The recent round was led by Ondine Capital and Llama Ventures, and funds will go toward completing product validation of Aboard’s hybrid-electric recreational vehicle (RV). The Orange-based startup said it designed the 24-foot-long trailer as a complete mobile living system with automotive-grade engineering.

The RV has up to 200 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of total onboard energy and can operate off-grid for up to seven days, according to Aboard. It also has a 45-kilowatt (kW) auxiliary drive for assisted towing and maneuvering and weighs 7,500 pounds.

“Aboard was founded to bring automotive-grade design and engineering to the travel trailer category, so people can travel with the reliability, comfort, and confidence they expect from a modern vehicle without being limited by hookups or complicated RV systems,” Founder Jiangtao “Tao” Lyu said in a statement.

Auto Veteran of Product Development

Lyu launched the startup in 2024 after 11 years in the automotive industry working in product development at Volkswagen Group, Mercedes-Benz, BMW Group and China-based Li Auto.

Aboard showed the trailer in public for the first time at the three-day BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach last month. The interior includes a living area, dinette, three queen-size beds, a cooktop and ensuite bathroom.

Once ready for full-scale production, Aboard plans to have all manufacturing and assembly in Southern California.

Preorders are currently open. Pricing starts at $80,000 with deliveries estimated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Aboard counts 60 employees as of May and are hiring more.

“With our first travel trailer now in advanced prototype and validation, we’re investing in production readiness and bringing Aboard into the outdoor communities where our customers already live, travel and gather,” Lyu said.