What Reelsonar does

ReelSonar, Inc. is a Seattle-based, privately held manufacturer of consumer fishing technology founded in 2012. The company designs and sells castable sonar fish finders under the iBobber brand — Bluetooth Smart 5.0-enabled devices weighing under 2 oz that pair with a free smartphone app to display depth-tagged, color-coded fish icons, log GPS-tagged trips, and map waterbed contours down to 135 feet. The core iBobber product line is supplemented by the iBobber Pulse (featuring the trademarked FishSiren acoustic fish-attraction technology), the Snappr line of vibrating LED jerkbait lures, digital scales, multi-tool pliers, fish grippers, USB chargers, branded apparel, and the Netfish community platform.

The company monetizes almost exclusively through one-time hardware and accessory sales via a Shopify-powered direct-to-consumer storefront at reelsonar.com, with secondary distribution through international retailers in Canada, Europe, New Zealand, Russia, Taiwan, and China. A 7% AvantLink affiliate program and an iBobber Ambassador Program (10-20% commission, cash prizes, free products) drive top-of-funnel demand generation, supported by community-led virtual fishing tournaments and social media content. The free companion app — with no subscription fees — is the software surface for hardware functionality.

The company's primary customer segment is recreational and sport anglers seeking portable, affordable sonar for shore, pier, kayak, and ice fishing. The only institutional capital disclosed is a $1.0 million raise from Keiretsu Forum in November 2015. Leadership consists of founder Alexander Lebedev as President and CEO. No AI/ML capabilities are disclosed across the product stack, which relies on conventional Bluetooth, sonar signal processing, and smartphone integration.

Name

Reelsonar

Legal name

ReelSonar, Inc.

Website

https://reelsonar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ReelSonar is a Seattle-based manufacturer of consumer castable sonar fish finders (iBobber, iBobber Pulse) and complementary fishing gear, selling direct-to-consumer and through global retailers to recreational anglers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sport Fishing Electronics

akta.pro primary industry

Fishing Electronics & Marine Tech Retail (Fishfinders, GPS, Sonar) (CRAMALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lures, Flies & Terminal Tackle Specialty Retail (CRAMALAJ), Fishing & Tackle Retail (CRAMABAL)

Keywords

• Castable fish finders
• Sonar fishing electronics
• Robotic fishing lures
• Angling accessories
• Smartphone fish finders

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales - Fish Finders: Primary revenue from selling iBobber and iBobber Pulse castable fish finder devices. One-time hardware purchase with free smartphone app.
2. Accessories and Consumables: Sales of Snappr Robotic Jerkbait lures, fishing tools (pliers, scales), USB chargers, apparel, and other fishing accessories.
3. Bundled Products: Multi-product bundles offering discounted pricing on multiple items (e.g., jerkbait bundle with all lure colors).
4. Affiliate/Referral Revenue Share: Through AvantLink affiliate program, earning 7% commission when referred customers make purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ReelSonar designs, manufactures, and sells the iBobber line of castable Bluetooth Smart 5.0 sonar fish finders that pair with a free smartphone app to identify fish, map waterbed contours, and log trips. The portfolio also includes the Snappr robotic vibrating jerkbait lures, supporting accessories (digital scales, pliers, grippers, USB chargers), branded apparel, and the Netfish fishing community platform. All products are sold direct-to-consumer via reelsonar.com and through international retailers.

Product overview

ReelSonar offers a product portfolio centered on the iBobber line of castable sonar fish finders and complementary fishing technology. The core offering includes the iBobber Fish Finder and iBobber Pulse (with FishSiren feature), which are castable sonar devices that sync via Bluetooth Smart 5.0 to smartphone apps. The product ecosystem also includes the Snappr Robotic Jerkbait line of vibrating LED lures with multiple color variants available individually or as a bundle. Supporting accessories include digital scales (standard, waterproof, and Bluetooth variants), multi-tool pliers, fish grippers, and USB chargers. Apparel offerings include fishing underwear, hooded sun shirts, t-shirts, hoodies, and hats. The company also operates the Netfish community platform for anglers. Products are sold directly through the ReelSonar e-commerce site powered by Shopify.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Snappr: Robotic jerkbait lure product line featuring vibrating, lighting lures that attract fish through erratic motion and sensory features
• Netfish
• FishSiren

Products and services

• iBobber Fish Finder Castable Bluetooth Smart 5.0 sonar fish finder that syncs with a free iOS/Android smartphone app to detect fish, display depth-tagged color-coded fish icons, map waterbed contours via GPS, log trips, and trigger fish/strike alarms; works up to 100 feet wireless range and 135 feet depth with 10+ hour battery life. Targeted at recreational anglers.
• iBobber Pulse Bluetooth Smart Castable Fish Finder with FishSiren

Quantifiable outcome

• Battery life up to 10+ hours on single charge
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Deeper: Deeper is the most direct competitor to ReelSonar's iBobber, offering castable Bluetooth/wi-fi sonar fish finders (Deeper PRO, CHIRP+) that pair with smartphone apps for shore, kayak, and ice fishing. The product positioning, target customer (recreational anglers), and DTC GTM motion closely overlap with iBobber.

Broad incumbents

• Garmin: Garmin entered the castable fish finder category with its Striker Cast product, directly competing with iBobber. Garmin's enormous marine electronics portfolio, deep R&D, and global retail distribution make it a formidable incumbent competitor in the same end market.
• Lowrance: Lowrance is a long-established marine electronics brand offering fish finders, sonar, and GPS products to anglers and boaters. While primarily focused on boat-mounted units, its brand and retail presence in the same fishing market make it a relevant incumbent comparator.
• Humminbird: Humminbird is a major marine electronics manufacturer specializing in fish finders and sonar technology. Its wide product range, marine retail partnerships, and brand recognition make it a relevant broad incumbent in the fishing electronics category.
• Raymarine: Raymarine is a global marine electronics company offering fish finders, sonar, and chartplotter products. While focused on higher-end boat-mounted systems, it competes in the broader fishing electronics market and represents a comparable marine technology brand.
• Simrad: Simrad offers marine electronics including fish finders and sonar for sportfishing and recreational boating markets. As a broader incumbent in fishing and marine electronics, it serves a comparable customer base with overlapping but not directly competing products.
• Navionics: Navionics provides marine charts and sonar maps via a mobile app used by anglers and boaters, comparable to iBobber's waterbed contour mapping and GPS spot tagging features. It serves the same fishing audience with chart and map data products.

Emerging players

• Fishidy: Fishidy is a fishing app that combines mapping, fishing forecasts, and catch logging — overlapping with ReelSonar's Netfish community platform and iBobber trip-logging features. It targets the same recreational angler customer with a software-first approach.
• Anglr Bullseye: Anglr offers a fishing tracking app and the Bullseye accessory that logs casts and catches via a Bluetooth-connected device. It overlaps with ReelSonar's trip logging and Bluetooth accessory approach for the same recreational angler segment.

Regional players

• 13 Fishing: 13 Fishing is a fishing tackle and accessories brand offering rods, reels, lures, and apparel. While focused on traditional fishing gear rather than electronics, it shares ReelSonar's DTC and ambassador/community-led GTM motion and serves overlapping recreational anglers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/reelsonar
• Facebookfacebook.com/REELSONAR
• Instagraminstagram.com/ibobber_reelsonar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reelsonar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Reelsonar