What NV Chart does

NV Chart Group GmbH is a privately held, family-managed German nautical chart publisher founded in 1986 and headquartered in Eckernförde (registered in Kiel). It is positioned as the largest German nautical chart publisher specializing in the recreational boating market and operates under multiple DBAs including NV Charts, Verlag Seekarten Online Shop, and HanseNautic. The company is managed by three Scheidt family members (Jeppe, Birger, and Espen Scheidt) and reports 11–50 employees.

The core offering consists of paper nautical charts (Seekarten) covering European waters (Baltic Sea, North Sea, Atlantic, Mediterranean), the Caribbean, and the US East Coast, alongside the proprietary NV Charts App for mobile and tablet navigation, the NV Atlas spiral-bound chart format, NV Plotter digital charts for chart plotter hardware, inland waterway charts (Binnenkarten), cruising guides (Törnführer), and a recurring Update Service subscription. The company conducts its own hydrographic surveys and supplements official hydrographic office data with proprietary measurements, particularly in natural harbors and outside main shipping channels. Kombipacks bundle paper atlases with digital app access codes, locking customers across paper and digital formats.

NV Chart monetizes through direct-to-consumer e-commerce via five regional storefronts (Germany, Netherlands, France, EU portal, USA), a physical retail shop in Eckernförde, and a dealer/reseller network. Revenue streams include one-time chart sales, app in-app purchases, annual paper chart subscriptions, cruising guide sales, and navigation accessory hardware. Pricing for atlas combos ranges from approximately €44.99 to €249.00, with annual Update Service providing recurring revenue. Marketing is conducted through content (blog, YouTube), paid search (Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising), social (Facebook, Instagram), and email newsletter automation, with no disclosed institutional investors or external capital backing.

Name

NV Chart

Legal name

NV Chart Group GmbH

Website

https://nvcharts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NV Chart Group GmbH is a family-owned German nautical chart publisher, the largest in Germany, producing paper and digital charts, the NV Charts App, cruising guides, and inland waterway charts for recreational boaters across Europe, the US East Coast, and the Caribbean via multi-regional e-commerce and dealer channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nautical Charts

NAICS

Navigational Services to Shipping (48833)

akta.pro primary industry

Nautical Safety, Navigation Aids & Hydrographic Services (TLAHAFAE)

Keywords

• Nautical charts
• Paper charts
• Digital navigation
• Chart plotters
• Cruising guides

Headquarters

HQ city

Eckernförde

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Paper Nautical Charts: Sale of physical nautical charts in atlas and chart book formats for various maritime regions (Baltic Sea, North Sea, Mediterranean, Caribbean, etc.)
2. Digital Charts and App Subscriptions: Digital nautical charts available through the NV Charts App, with in-app purchases and regional subscriptions
3. NV Charts Paper Chart Subscription (Abo): Annual subscription service for paper charts with update service
4. Cruising Guides (Törnführer): Guidebooks and nautical almanacs for various maritime regions
5. Navigation Equipment and Accessories: Navigation instruments, logbooks, courtesy flags, binoculars, and maritime accessories

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NV Chart is a German nautical chart publisher that produces and sells paper nautical charts, digital charts via its NV Charts mobile app, cruising guides, atlas-format chart collections, inland waterway charts, and navigation accessories. The company conducts its own hydrographic surveys alongside official data to produce detailed cartography for recreational boaters across European waters, the US East Coast, and the Caribbean, complemented by an annual chart update subscription service.

Product overview

NV Chart (NV Chart Group GmbH) is the largest German nautical chart publisher, operating for over 40 years and serving the recreational boating market across Europe, the US East Coast, and the Caribbean. The company offers a portfolio of core products centered on paper and digital nautical charts, the NV Charts App, cruising guides, inland waterway charts, and atlas-format chart collections. These products are complemented by a chart update subscription service and a range of navigation accessories. The core offering consists of paper nautical charts (Seekarten), the NV Charts App for mobile and tablet navigation, cruising guides (Törnführer) for harbour and route information, the NV Atlas (Kartenkoffer) as a bound multi-series chart format, and inland waterway charts (Binnenkarten) for European rivers and lakes. Combination packs typically bundle paper charts with a free digital app licence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NV Charts App: Mobile navigation application for nautical charts and voyage planning
• NV Atlas
• NV Plotter
• BoatView

Products and services

• NV Charts App Mobile navigation application for smartphones and tablets providing digital nautical chart viewing, route planning, AIS display, and community-contributed harbour information for recreational boaters.
• Paper Nautical Charts (Papier-Seekarten) High-quality paper nautical charts covering European coasts, the US East Coast, and the Caribbean, produced using official data and proprietary surveys, updated annually for recreational boaters.
• Cruising Guides (Törnführer) Harbour and route guides providing detailed port information, sailing conditions, and practical tips for various maritime regions across Europe, the Atlantic, and the Caribbean.
• NV Atlas (Kartenkoffer / Atlas Format) Bound atlas-format chart collections combining multiple chart series in a durable, portable format, sold as combination packs (Kombipacks) that often include digital app licences.
• Inland Waterway Charts (Binnenkarten) Charts and navigation guides for inland waterways and lakes, covering Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and France for river and canal cruising.
• NV Plotter Charts (Digital Charts for Chart Plotters) Digital nautical chart products compatible with chart plotter devices, available as downloads for use in navigation hardware.
• Update Service Subscription service providing regular chart updates and corrections to keep printed and digital charts current with changing navigation conditions.
• Navigation Equipment (Ausrüstung) Supporting navigation accessories including plotting instruments, logbooks, courtesy flags, binoculars, sailing bags, galley equipment, and gift vouchers sold alongside charts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 years of market presence as leading German nautical chart publisher
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Facebook Ireland Ltd.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial media marketing partnership for Facebook and Instagram advertising. Uses Facebook Pixel for conversion tracking and audience targeting.
• Microsoft CorporationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMicrosoft Advertising / Bing Ads partnership for paid search advertising and audience reach through Microsoft network.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• MarineTraffic: MarineTraffic is an AIS-based vessel tracking and maritime data platform. It is adjacent rather than directly competitive, but it overlaps with the AIS-display and community features in the NV Charts App (BoatView).

Direct peers

• Navionics (Garmin): Navionics is the leading global provider of digital nautical charts and a mobile navigation app for recreational boaters — directly comparable to NV Charts App and NV Plotter. It was acquired by Garmin in 2017, giving it integrated chartplotter distribution that NV Chart must also integrate with.
• Delius Klasing: Delius Klasing is a major German maritime and sports publishing house, including nautical titles, that competes with NV Chart in the German-language paper chart and cruising guide market.
• Adlard Coles Nautical (Bloomsbury): Adlard Coles is a long-established publisher of cruising guides, almanacs, and nautical books (including Reeds almanacs) — directly comparable to NV Chart's Törnführer cruising guide product line.
• C-MAP (Navico / Brunswick): C-MAP provides digital nautical charts for recreational marine electronics and is owned by Navico (Brunswick), competing directly with NV Plotter charts in the chartplotter ecosystem. It is one of the two dominant digital chart vendors globally.
• Imray, Laurie, Norie & Wilson: Imray is a long-established UK-based nautical chart and cruising guide publisher for recreational sailing, directly comparable to NV Chart's paper atlas, cruising guide, and digital chart business.
• Stentec: Stentec is a Dutch developer of marine navigation software and digital charts (e.g., WinGPS), serving the same Dutch and North Sea recreational boating market that NV Chart addresses from its Netherlands storefront.

Broad incumbents

• UK Hydrographic Office (Admiralty): The UKHO is the official government hydrographic office producing Admiralty charts and digital services used by commercial and recreational mariners. It is a broad incumbent that competes indirectly with NV Chart on coverage and pricing.
• Garmin: Garmin is a global marine electronics incumbent owning Navionics, with chartplotters, fishfinders, and integrated chart content. NV Chart is a smaller content provider that must integrate with Garmin's chartplotter ecosystem.
• Navico (Brunswick): Navico owns the Simrad, Lowrance, and B&G marine electronics brands and C-MAP charts, representing a broad incumbent in chartplotters and chart content. NV Plotter charts target this installed base as an alternative chart vendor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nvcharts.nvverlag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nv-chart-group-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 NV Chart