Sofinther

What Sofinther does

Sofinther is a French B2B distributor specializing in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment for professional installers. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Nantes, the company operates 39 physical agencies across France staffed by 300 professionals and offers over 50,000 product references covering boilers, pumps, valves, fittings, control systems, hydraulic piping, renewable energy equipment, and spare parts. Sofinther is a subsidiary of Rexel, the global electrical and HVAC distribution group, and has been operating for more than 40 years as a specialist partner for medium and large power heating solutions.

The company generates revenue through one-time resale of HVAC equipment via three channels: counter sales at 39 agency locations with proximity stock, an e-commerce platform offering personalized preferential pricing for registered professional customers, and direct technical-sales support for larger projects. Sofinther advertises 24-72 hour delivery for orders placed before 2pm. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; registered customers access negotiated tariff structures, and the company offers tools such as WebSOF for engineering offices, online quote management, and simplified basket reordering. Value-added services include certified technical support for diagnostics, equipment selection, and commissioning assistance by expert technicians in regulation and hydraulics.

Sofinther targets four primary verticals: collective residential housing (multi-unit buildings), the tertiary sector (commercial buildings), district heating networks, and industrial facilities. The company also markets to professional installers through sports sponsorship as Official Partner of the Ligue Nationale de Handball, an interactive online catalog, and a presence on LinkedIn and YouTube. Product breadth spans both legacy heating technologies (gas, oil) and renewable energy categories (heat pumps, solar thermal, geothermal), positioning the catalog for France's heat-pump transition.

Name

Sofinther

Legal name

Sofinther

Website

https://sofinther.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Sofinther is a French B2B distributor of HVAC and heating equipment, operating 39 agencies with 300 professionals and 50,000+ product references to serve professional installers across collective housing, commercial, district heating, and industrial sectors. It is a subsidiary of Rexel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nantes

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. HVAC Equipment Distribution: Sofinther generates revenue through the resale of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment to professional customers. The company offers over 50,000 product references covering the full range of heating solutions including boilers, pumps, valves, fittings, measurement devices, renewable energy systems, and accessories. Revenue comes from product sales through their physical agency network and e-commerce platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sofinther is a specialized B2B distributor of heating, HVAC, and plumbing equipment serving professional installers across France. Through a network of 39 agencies and an e-commerce platform, the company offers more than 50,000 product references covering boilers, pumps, valves, fittings, measurement devices, renewable energy systems, control systems, and accessories. Beyond product supply, Sofinther provides certified technical services including diagnostics, equipment selection, and commissioning assistance for medium and large power heating installations.

Product overview

Sofinther is a specialized distributor of heating equipment offering over 50,000 product references across 39 agencies in France. The company provides a comprehensive portfolio of heating and plumbing products organized into main categories: building valves (robinetterie), hydraulic fittings (raccord hydraulique), boiler room accessories, circulation and pumping systems, measurement/metering equipment, domestic hot water production (ECS), gas and oil heating systems, control/regulation systems, hydraulic piping, hand and power tools, fastening products, flue systems (fumisterie), industrial and domestic heating equipment, renewable energy systems (heat pumps, solar thermal), hot water emitters, air conditioning, building automation, fire alarm systems, motor control equipment, cable management, toilet equipment, and spare parts. Key services include certified technical support for diagnostics and commissioning, WebSOF for engineering offices, online quote management, and simplified basket ordering. The company positions itself as a specialist partner for medium and large power heating solutions, serving collective housing, tertiary, district heating, and industrial segments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Robinetterie de bâtiment (Building Valves) Building valves including ball valves, balance valves, butterfly valves, boiler room valves, flexible connectors, collectors, and hydraulic fittings for heating installations, sold to professional HVAC installers.
• Raccord hydraulique (Hydraulic Fittings) Hydraulic fittings including multilayer, PVC drainage, copper, brass, PER, automatic clamping, PVC pressure, steel, and EZ/inox press fittings for professional plumbing and heating installers.
• Accessoires chaufferie (Boiler Room Accessories) Boiler room accessories including safety valves, regulation valves and actuators, fire safety, pipeline treatment, insulation, air purgers, boiler accessories, heating/ice water storage, apartment heating stations, water hammer arresters, mixing bottles, expansion vessels, dirt filters, filters and disconnectors, and pressure reducers for professional heating installations.
• Système de circulation et pompage (Circulation and Pumping Systems) Circulation and pumping systems including lift stations, pressure boosters, submersible and multicellular pumps, domestic and collective circulators, in-line and standardized pumps, garden and pool pumps, and rainwater recovery tanks for HVAC installers.
• Mesure et comptage (Measurement and Metering) Measurement and metering equipment for thermal energy, gas, and water, including pressure gauges, thermometers, and temperature recorders, for district heating and building applications.
• Production ECS (Hot Water Production) Domestic hot water production including storage tanks, water heaters, gas water heaters, and collective tempering valves for residential and collective housing.
• Chauffage gaz (Gas Heating) Gas heating equipment including wall-mounted and floor-standing condensing and low-temperature boilers, gas burners, gas radiators, gas instantaneous water heaters, and gas storage water heaters for domestic and collective use.
• Chauffage fioul (Oil Heating) Oil heating equipment including low-temperature and condensing oil boilers, and oil burners for domestic and collective applications.
• Régulation (Control Systems) Control and regulation systems including thermostats, energy managers, meters and remote controls, load shedders, and programming cassettes for HVAC professionals.
• Canalisation hydraulique (Hydraulic Piping) Hydraulic piping including copper, PER (pre-insulated and bare), multilayer, PVC, iron tubes, and gutters for plumbing and heating installations.
• Outillage (Hand Tools) Hand tools including electrician tools, 1000V insulated tools, general tools, measuring and marking, sawing and shearing, soldering irons and wire, plumbing tools, welding equipment, abrasives, and hole punchers for trade professionals.
• Fixation (Fastening) Fastening products including plastic tube and cable fasteners, screws and bolts, suspension chains, metal tube and cable fasteners, heavy-duty chemical and metal anchors, plumbing consumables, sealants and adhesives, staplers, inspection hatches, light-duty anchors, and stainless steel and high-temperature clamps.
• Fumisterie (Flue Systems) Flue systems including vent terminals, smoke ducts, and chimney sweeping equipment for boiler and heating installations.
• Chauffage industriel et tertiaire (Industrial and Tertiary Heating) Industrial and tertiary heating including air heaters, air curtains, anti-freeze cables, heating cassettes, industrial infrared, electric radiant ceilings, industrial resistance heaters, and fan coil units for commercial and industrial buildings.
• Chauffage domestique (Domestic Heating) Domestic heating including cast iron and inertia electric radiators, aluminum body radiators, heat transfer fluid radiators, radiant panels, towel warmers, heating cables, domestic infrared, accumulators, auxiliary heaters, bathroom fan heaters, electric boilers, and convectors for residential installations.
• Energie renouvelable ENR (Renewable Energy) Renewable energy systems including heat pumps with refrigerant and hydraulic connections, solar thermal, pool heat pumps, hybrid heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps, and accessories for sustainable heating installations.
• Emetteur eau chaude (Hot Water Emitters) Hot water emitters including floor heating collectors and accessories, steel panel radiators, radiator valves, decorative radiators, hot water and mixed towel warmers, hot water air heaters, hot water ceilings, and hot water fan coil units.
• Electroportatif (Power Tools) Power tools including drill drivers, hammer drills, grinders and groove cutters, electro-hydraulic crimping tools, electric nailers, hydraulic cable cutters, batteries, plumbing power tools, heat guns and glue guns, vacuum cleaners, garden tools, and saws.
• Chauffe-eau (Water Heaters) Water heaters including bi-block and mono-block thermodynamic water heaters, electric anti-corrosion, steatite, armored, flat, small capacity and instant electric water heaters, and hybrid photovoltaic water heaters.
• Automatisme du bâtiment (Building Automation) Building automation including presence and motion detectors, radio and wired control and automation, residential VDI communication cabinets, GTB building management systems, and automation services for smart buildings.
• Climatisation (Air Conditioning) Air conditioning including split, ducted, tertiary, monobloc, mobile, and cellar air conditioners, ducting accessories, refrigerant connections, condensate lift pumps, cleaning and maintenance, air cooling, and regulation systems for residential, commercial, and industrial applications.
• Alarme incendie et PPMS (Fire Alarm Systems) Fire alarm systems including fire detectors and triggers, fire alarm control panels, BAAS sound diffusers, type 4 fire alarms, gas fire detectors, and emergency exit management systems for commercial and collective buildings.
• Pièces détachées (Spare Parts) Spare parts for electric heating, air conditioning and ventilation, hydraulic heating and plumbing, including gas heating, renewable energy, oil heating, hot water emitters, boiler rooms, valves, circulation and pumping systems, DHW production, and measurement and metering components.
• Service Technique agréé (Certified Technical Service) Certified technical support service for diagnostics, equipment determination, and commissioning assistance delivered by expert technicians specialized in regulation and hydraulics, available to professional heating installers.
• WebSOF pour les Bureaux d'étude

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivery within 24-72 hours for orders placed before 2pm

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Ligue Nationale de HandballflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSofinther is the Official Partner (Partenaire Officiel) of the Ligue Nationale de Handball (French National Handball League). This sponsorship partnership provides brand visibility and marketing exposure through handball events and association with a major French sports league.
• RexelcoreOthersRexel logo appears on the Sofinther website, indicating that Sofinther is part of or affiliated with Rexel, a major electrical and HVAC distribution group. Rexel is a global distributor of electrical supplies and related products.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Rexel: Rexel is Sofinther's parent group and a global leader in the distribution of electrical, lighting, security and HVAC solutions. It offers overlapping capabilities through its Energy Efficiency and HVAC portfolio but operates at much broader scale and across multiple product categories beyond heating distribution.
• Saint-Gobain Distribution Bâtiment France: Saint-Gobain Distribution Bâtiment France houses Cedeo, Brossette, Point.P, La Plateforme du Bâtiment and other brands under a unified professional distribution network. It is the largest French professional building materials and HVAC distributor and a direct competitive force to Sofinther across all of its served segments.
• Descours & Cabaud: Descours & Cabaud is a major French distributor of HVAC, plumbing, sanitary and industrial supplies to professional customers. It competes with Sofinther in heating and plumbing distribution, particularly in industrial and tertiary segments, while also serving broader industrial MRO needs.
• Point.P: Point.P is a major Saint-Gobain French distributor of building materials and technical solutions for construction and renovation professionals. While broader in scope than Sofinther, it competes for the same professional installer customer base and overlaps in plumbing, heating and energy efficiency categories.

Direct peers

• Brossette: Brossette is a Saint-Gobain-owned French wholesaler of plumbing, heating and sanitary equipment to professional installers. It competes head-to-head with Sofinther in the same product categories (boilers, valves, fittings, pumps) and serves the same collective and tertiary housing segments across France.
• Richardson: Richardson is a French family-owned distributor of heating, plumbing, sanitaryware and air conditioning products to professional installers. It directly competes with Sofinther in heating equipment distribution, including boilers, heat pumps, valves and regulation, with a comparable multi-branch service model.
• Cedeo: Cedeo is a leading French distributor of heating, plumbing and sanitary solutions serving professional installers, directly overlapping Sofinther's collective housing, tertiary and industrial heating focus. Both operate physical branch networks with counter sales for professional customers across France.

Others

• Würth France: Würth is a major European distributor of fastening, tools, hardware and technical supplies for professional trades. It is adjacent to Sofinther's 'Outillage', 'Fixation', and 'Electroportatif' categories, serving many of the same professional installer customers in France.

Emerging players

• Clim+: Clim+ is a French distributor specializing in air conditioning, refrigeration and heat pump solutions to professional installers. It is a partial overlap peer focused on the climate-control subset of Sofinther's broader heating portfolio, particularly relevant given the energy transition toward heat pumps.

Regional players

• Frans Bonhomme: Frans Bonhomme is a leading French distributor of infrastructure, sanitation and heating/Plumbing products serving professional customers via a dense branch network. It is comparable to Sofinther in its branch-led distribution model and professional customer focus, though it skews more toward infrastructure and sanitation than heating.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@sofinther_partenaire_durable
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sofinther

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Sofinther