GOBOAT

What GOBOAT does

GOBOAT ApS is a Copenhagen-founded experiential boating company that rents self-drive electric picnic boats to consumers and small groups in urban harbors. Founded in 2014 by Anders Ekelund Mørck, Kasper Eich-Romme, and Carl Kai Rand, the company operates a Danish-designed fleet of silent electric boats seating up to eight people, equipped with picnic tables and capable of 3–4 knots (5–7 km/h). Solar charging infrastructure and sustainable wood construction underpin the sustainability positioning. The core product requires no sailing license; customers complete an online safety briefing and an on-site demonstration before departure. Premium extensions include GoBoat Cruise and GoBoat Cruise Lite (captained luxury boats for up to nine guests), GoBoat Harbor Tours (guided single-ticket canal tours on heated covered boats launched in 2024), and The Floating Room (corporate meeting venue at BLOX, Copenhagen). An upcoming GoBoat Pod (enclosed, heated boat for winter sailing) is being crowdfunded via Kickstarter with planned launch in 2026.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model with reservations handled exclusively through GoBoat's proprietary online booking platform (booking.goboat.dk); there are no intermediaries or resellers. Revenue is generated through usage-based hourly rentals (Copenhagen starting at ~549 DKK, Aarhus at ~499 DKK), premium captained cruises, guided harbor tours, F&B and merchandise (GoDeli), gift cards, B2B/corporate event packages, and an annual subscription membership (GoBoat Plus with Silver, Gold, and Platinum tiers offering up to 55% weekday discounts). GoBoat has expanded from a single Copenhagen dock in 2014 to approximately 220 boats across 17 locations in eight countries (Denmark, Sweden, Germany, UK, USA, Italy, Australia, Colombia), with international growth executed primarily through a franchise/partner model where GoBoat supplies boats, IT, and brand standards while local operators provide waterfront access and on-site service. The company remains 100% founder-owned with no disclosed external funding, and reported 65,000 bookings serving roughly 325,000 sailors in 2022 with a Danish NPS of 77.

Name

GOBOAT

Legal name

GoBoat ApS

Website

https://goboat.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GOBOAT operates a fleet of Danish-designed electric self-drive picnic boats for hourly rental across 17 locations in 8 countries, serving consumers, tourists, and corporate groups seeking accessible, license-free urban water experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boat Rental Services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Tourist & Sightseeing Cruise Operators (Day Cruises) (TLAFALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bareboat Yacht Charters (Self-Skippered) (THAEAEAB), Private Yacht & Luxury Boat Charters (With Crew) (THAJALAE), Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA)

Keywords

• Electric boat rental
• Harbor tour services
• Self-drive boating
• Maritime leisure experiences
• Boat rental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hourly Boat Rental (Classic GoBoat): Core revenue stream from renting self-drive electric boats by the hour. Customers book online and captain their own boat for groups of up to 8. Discounts apply for bookings longer than 1 hour and for off-peak morning/shoulder season times.
2. GoBoat Cruise (Captained Luxury Boats): Premium rental of luxury electric boats with a professional captain. Guests do not steer; they relax and enjoy. Available at 6 pickup locations in Copenhagen. Includes options like wine tasting, Bimini top (covered/heated).
3. GoBoat Harbor Tours (Guided Canal Tours): Guided group canal tours on covered electric boats with heated seats. Sold as single tickets. Runs year-round including winter months.
4. GoBoat Plus Membership: Subscription membership tiers (Silver, Gold, Platinum) offering percentage discounts on boat rentals. Silver: 30% weekday / 10% weekend. Gold: 45% weekday / 20% weekend + 15% cruise discount + birthday discount. Platinum: 55% weekday / 25% weekend + 25% cruise discount + 3x free catering baskets per year. Valid for 12 months from purchase (from Nov 2024).
5. Food, Beverages & Merchandise: On-site and online sales of drinks, snacks, tapas, and GoBoat merchandise at kiosks. Catering baskets available for pre-order on cruises.
6. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold online, delivered via email instantly. Can be purchased for any GoBoat location.
7. B2B / Corporate Events: Private boat rentals and event packages for companies for team-building, Friday bars, summer parties, birthdays, and other group occasions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

GOBOAT rents Danish-designed, solar-charged electric picnic boats by the hour through its online booking platform across 17 international locations, allowing groups of up to 8 to captain their own boat without a license. The company also offers captained luxury cruises (GoBoat Cruise/Cruise Lite), guided canal tours (GoBoat Harbor Tours), corporate/B2B event packages, a floating meeting venue (The Floating Room), gift cards, and a tiered subscription membership (GoBoat Plus).

Product overview

GoBoat is a Danish-owned experience company that operates a fleet of electric, self-drive picnic boats for rental, along with captained cruise options and guided harbor tours. The core product is the classic GoBoat experience where groups of up to 8 people captain their own silent electric boat through urban waterways. Premium offerings include GoBoat Cruise and GoBoat Cruise Lite (captained luxury boats for up to 9+ guests), while GoBoat Harbor Tours provides guided canal tour experiences with single-ticket availability. The portfolio also includes The Floating Room (floating meeting venues), corporate B2B packages, gift cards, and a membership program (GoBoat Plus with Silver/Gold/Platinum tiers). The company operates 17 locations globally across Denmark, Sweden, Germany, UK, USA, Italy, Australia, and Colombia, with a franchise partnership program for new location expansion. Sustainability is central to operations with electric motors, solar charging, and environmental initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GoBoat Cruise: Luxury boat rental with captain, offering private sailing experiences with plads til 9 personer udover kaptajnen
• GoBoat Harbor Tours
• GoBoat Pod
• The Floating Room
• Ocean Collectives
• GoDeli
• GoBoat Plus

Products and services

• GoBoat (Classic) Self-drive electric boat rental experience where customers act as captains. Each boat accommodates up to 8 people with a picnic table in the center. No sailing license required. Boats travel at 3-4 knots (5-7 km/h) with a silent electric motor. Available at multiple locations in Copenhagen, Aarhus, and international sites.
• GoBoat Cruise

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1.2 million people have sailed with GoBoat since 2014.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Danmarks Naturfredningsforening (Danish Society for Nature Conservation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2025GoBoat partners with Danmarks Naturfredningsforening for the annual Affaldsindsamlingen (waste collection) campaign. GoBoat provides free or discounted sails to participants collecting garbage from Copenhagen's harbor. The partnership aligns with GoBoat's sustainability DNA and raises environmental awareness among participants.
• Nationalmuseet (National Museum of Denmark)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023GoBoat and Nationalmuseet partnered to offer guests a unique Viking-themed experience on the water. Guests learn about the Viking Age while sailing, combining history education with the maritime experience. This is a unique cultural partnership leveraging Denmark's Viking heritage.
• Ocean CollectivesminorOthersGoBoat's sister company, Ocean Collectives operates as a boat club offering luxury electric boats for private ownership without the hassle of maintenance. It is a separate brand under the same ownership group, serving members who want more frequent or private access to sailing.
• Location Partners (Australia, England, Sweden, Germany)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGoBoat operates as a franchise/licensing model internationally. Local partners provide the physical location, waterfront access, and local operational support, while GoBoat provides boats, IT infrastructure, marketing, brand standards, and operational training. Currently active with partners in Australia (5 locations), England (4 locations), Sweden (1), and Germany (2).
• By & Havn (Copenhagen Port Authority)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoBoat works closely with By & Havn, the municipal company that administers Copenhagen's harbor. By & Havn sets harbor regulations, maintains infrastructure, and coordinates the various users of the harbor. GoBoat participates in the 'Sikker Havn' (Safe Harbor) committee alongside police and the municipality.
• CopenPay InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoBoat participates in CopenPay, a sustainability initiative that rewards environmentally positive behaviors. Guests can sail for free by collecting garbage from the harbor, turning a leisure activity into a community environmental action.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Thames Clippers (Uber Boat by Thames Clippers): Scheduled passenger river transport on the Thames; comparable to GoBoat's London operations as a competing water-based leisure/commuter experience in the same geography.

Direct peers

• SamBoat: European boat rental marketplace (part of the Click&Boat group); directly comparable booking-flow and audience to GoBoat's direct-to-consumer platform.
• Sailo: Sailboat and powerboat rental marketplace; comparable demand aggregation and self-drive booking model, though focused on sailing/yachting rather than urban picnic boating.
• Locaboat: Self-skippered river/canal boat rentals across France and Europe; comparable in being license-free, group-oriented leisure boating with a similar target customer.
• Le Boat: Self-drive canal and river boat rental operator across Europe; closest functional analog to GoBoat's no-license-required, group-oriented rental model, though typically with larger cruisers on inland waterways.
• Click&Boat: Online boat rental marketplace offering both private owner and professional fleet boats across Europe; directly comparable on demand generation, booking model, and customer overlap, though broader in boat type.
• GetMyBoat: Global peer-to-peer boat rental marketplace; competes with GoBoat for leisure boating demand in the same customer segments, particularly tourists and groups.
• Nautal: Mediterranean boat rental marketplace with both private and professional fleet listings; directly comparable to GoBoat's coastal/urban boating use cases in Southern Europe.
• Boatsetter: US-focused peer-to-peer boat rental platform; overlaps GoBoat's Washington DC and target North American expansion markets with similar self-drive rental use cases.

Broad incumbents

• City Experiences (Hornblower): Large-scale operator of harbor cruises, sightseeing tours, and water-based experiences globally; overlaps GoBoat's guided tour product (Harbor Tours) but lacks self-drive rentals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/goboatcph
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/goboatcph
• Instagraminstagram.com/goboatcph
• TikToktiktok.com/@goboatdk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 GOBOAT