Click&Boat acquires German rival Scansail to drive expansion in Europe

Leading European operator consolidates position

Leading European boat rental website Click&Boat has acquired Scansail, a competitor for German speaking markets.

The deal comes on the back of a €4 million funding round completed in 2018. Expansion is planned in fast-growing markets, including the UK, US, Italy and Spain.

Click&Boat said the German company will continue to operate as a separate brand, based in its current HQ in Hamburg.

Previous acquisitions of French companies has seen Click&Boat consolidate its position as the country’s top boat rental platform.

Scansail is the dominant player in Germany, Austria and parts of Switzerland. Established in 1983, it has a customer base of around 100,000 of registered.

The company has 9,320 boats available for rental in more than 875 locations in 48 countries.

Edouard Gorioux, co-founder of Click&Boat, said: “Germany is Click&Boat’s third largest market and is growing at breakneck speed.

“Just last year we saw a staggering growth of 100% in bookings, so we decided to launch our expansion strategy abroad from this country.

“We have observed that many German customers tend to stay loyal to the same company once they are happy with the service provided, so we decided to acquire a firm that is renowned for its customer-oriented mentality and strong brand name, such as Scansail.”

Scansail’s team of six, headed by chief executivve Jochen Eschenburg, will remain based at its offices in Hamburg,

“The combination of Click&Boat’s expertise in all things digital and our own experience in growing a business is a perfect match,” Eschenburg said.

“Joining forces with Click&Boat’s young and innovative team will definitely help us stay ahead of the curve in the German market.

“The moment I met the company’s founders Edouard Gorioux and Jérémy Bismuth and their vibrant team, I knew that this marriage of tradition and innovation could work.”