Click&Boat, the leading boat rental platform in Europe, today announced a significant investment from funds advised by Permira, the global private equity firm, alongside Boats Group.
Founded in 2014 and headquartered in France, Click&Boat’s unique, technology-enabled platform matches boating enthusiasts with over 40,000 boats in more than 600 destinations globally, enabling them to rent a boat easily and efficiently. The company has experienced significant growth over the last seven years to establish a clear, well-renowned brand and leadership position in the pan-European market. Click&Boat boasts one of the largest supply of boats in Europe as well as the highest demand for its services through unrivalled volumes of traffic across its online platform.
By joining forces, Boats Group and Click&Boat will aim to build the largest global online player in the recreational marine industry. The two marketplaces will form a close strategic partnership. The investment provides Click&Boat with the resources to supercharge its growth and cement its position as a market leader globally. Click&Boat will also gain access to Boats Group’s market-leading consumer audience, as well as the large and fast-growing boat rental market in North America, where Boats Group has an established presence.
Edouard Gorioux, Co-Founder of Click&Boat, said: “This marks an exciting point in Click&Boat’s history and is another step in our ambition to become the number one player globally in the international boat rental market. Boats Group is a true leader within online classifieds marketplaces for the recreational marine industry and, with the investment from the Permira funds, we have all the resource and support in place to continue our growth and success.”
Both Boats Group and Click&Boat share the belief that the boat rental model supports the long-term health of the marine industry, encouraging participation in boating by providing an affordable and accessible way for aspiring boaters to experience it first-hand. Jérémy Bismuth, Co-Founder of Click&Boat, added: “The boat rental market is an ideal segue into boating, proving to be one of the most successful paths to boat ownership. We are delighted to be partnering with Permira and Boats Group as their firepower and combined knowledge of online boating marketplaces will be instrumental as we look to further expand and reach more consumers globally.”
Through this partnership, Click&Boat can tap into Boats Group’s expansive pool of 20 million boating consumers every month while continuing to innovate and improve the boat rental process. Sam Fulton, CEO of Boats Group, said: “As interest in boating continues to remain very strong, it has never been more important to diversify – and simplify – the path to getting on the water. Click&Boat’s platform makes the boat rental journey seamless and easy, and we are confident that this partnership will help accelerate its growth worldwide.”
David Erlong, Principal at Permira, commented: “This transaction marks another positive and complementary step for our investment in the recreational marine industry. As two of the leaders join forces, we are excited to back Jeremy and Edouard to support Click&Boat’s next phase of growth across North America and Europe.”
About Click&Boat
Click&Boat is the largest digital, pan-European boat rental platform, launched in 2014 by two French Entrepreneurs, Edouard Gorioux and Jérémy Bismuth. The platform matches boat owners and boat enthusiasts, providing boat owners with a way to monetize their otherwise idle boats and consumers with a convenient, comprehensive and price transparent boat rental platform. The company, dubbed the ‘Airbnb of the Seas’ by CNN, has rapidly expanded beyond France, establishing its presence in major boating destinations globally, including Spain, Italy, Greece and Croatia, as well as the US.
About Boats Group
Boats Group owns and operates leading online boating marketplaces around the world and has been a partner to brokers, dealers and OEMs in the boating industry for over 20 years. Boats Group also provides marine businesses with a comprehensive suite of technology-based marketing solutions, including advertising, lead generation, CRM, website design and hosting. Additionally, Boats Group supports brokers and dealers by providing services through its YachtCloser contract management solution, and BoatWizard, the industry’s leading inventory management system and MLS. Boats Group is headquartered in Miami, Florida, with additional offices in Fareham, England, Padova, Italy and Barcelona, Spain.
About Permira
Permira is a global investment firm. Founded in 1985, the firm advises private equity funds with a total committed capital of approximately US$50 billion (€44 billion) and makes long-term investments, including majority control investments as well as strategic minority investments, in companies with the objective of transforming their performance and driving sustainable growth. The Permira funds have made over 250 private equity investments in four key sectors: Consumer, Services, Healthcare and Technology. Permira employs over 350 people in 15 offices across North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.permira.com.
Media contact: press@boats.com