Sea Expandary, the yachting venture founded by JD.com founder Richard Liu (Liu Qiangdong), has acquired an 80% stake in Oceanwalker Yachts
Oceanwalker was established in December 2022, with its headquarters and manufacturing base located in Fujian Province, China.
The company carries out design, R&D and product development, manufacturing, sales, and service, with models including the S60 series of luxury catamarans and the X series of monohull flybridge yachts.
The acquisition is set to enable Sea Expandary to expand production capacity, fill gaps in specific vessel categories, and shorten delivery times.
Second acquisition
The deal is Sea Expandary’s second major acquisition within six months. In May 2026, the Hong Kong-listed Lai Sun Development agreed to sell an 80% stake in European yacht-services company Camper & Nicholsons to Wave Expandary, a wholly owned Sea Expandary subsidiary, for €40 million.
The price indicated a valuation of about €50 million, and the transaction is expected to close by September 30 2026.
Camper & Nicholsons serves the international superyacht market through sales and charter brokerage, yacht management, new-build and design management, insurance and crew placement.
Together, the acquisitions give Sea Expandary capabilities spanning yacht design, manufacturing, delivery, berthing, maintenance and refitting.
Cooperation agreements
Liu announced his entry into the yacht industry in February 2026, pledging a personal investment of 5 billion yuan to establish the Sea Expandary company.
At launch, he said the company had secured orders for five 72-metre catamarans, each priced at an average of €60 million.
Sea Expandary has recently signed cooperation agreements with the Shenzhen and Zhuhai governments.
The plans are for a yacht manufacturing base in Zhuhai and the company’s China headquarters in Shenzhen, alongside marina development and support facilities in the Greater Bay Area, including research, operations and maintenance centres.
Oceanwalker was established by the privately owned shipyard Fujian Skywalker Yacht Co in China.
Since its founding in 2022, the company has grown to around 220 professionals, including skilled engineers and designers, manufacturing ‘top-tier’ fibreglass yachts.
The company’s manufacturing capabilities span a full range of vessels, from superyachts, medium-to-large yachts, sailboats, and support vessels.
The company utililises proprietary core technologies such as solid-state batteries, AI, and surface/underwater robotics, with models featuring autonomous docking and undocking, intelligent collision avoidance, and voice-controlled vessel management.
