Rixen Cableway

What Rixen Cableway does

Rixen Cableway GmbH is a German manufacturer and project integrator of water ski and wakeboard cableway systems, headquartered in Bergkirchen near Munich. Founded in 1961 by Bruno Rixen and operating as the world market leader in Full Size Cable systems with over 500 installations across all continents, the company designs, builds, and services electric-powered cable tow systems that pull up to 17 riders simultaneously, consuming up to 95% less energy than motorboat-based alternatives. Core product lines include the flagship RIXEN Full Size Cable, the compact 2-Mast System introduced in 2008, the RIXEN Electronic Control 2022 platform, an Electronic Cylinder replacing traditional pneumatics, and the Solar Wavebreaker floating photovoltaic wave protection system.

The company generates revenue primarily through enterprise project sales — custom quotations covering design, permitting support, manufacturing, and installation — sold via direct field sales to tourism developers, real estate developers, site-reuse projects, and leisure/theme park operators. Recurring revenue streams include a 24-hour global spare parts e-commerce shop (rixencableway.shop), pre-season and winterization service packages, inspection services, and operator training programs. Distribution is supported by a network of regional channel partners across 17+ countries and partnerships with international water sports federations including the IWWF, DWWV, FFSNW, and BWSW. Rixen operates as an independent entity within Autision Group GmbH, which employs over 150 people, and has been under the ownership of CEO Dr. Richard Söhnchen since he acquired the company from founder Bruno Rixen in 2018.

Name

Rixen Cableway

Legal name

RIXEN Cableway GmbH

Website

https://rixencableway.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Rixen Cableway GmbH is a German manufacturer of electric-powered water ski and wakeboard cableway systems, serving tourism developers, real estate projects, site-reuse initiatives, and leisure operators globally with over 500 installations as the recognized world market leader.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Sports Cableway Systems

akta.pro primary industry

Cableway Operations, Maintenance & Ropeway Engineering Services (THAIAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Airport/Resort/Theme Park People Mover Cable Systems (THAIAKAF)

Keywords

• Wakeboard cable systems
• Water ski cableways
• Cable park equipment
• Leisure facility manufacturing
• Water sports infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Bergkirchen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cable System Sales: Sale and installation of complete wakeboard and water ski cableway systems including Full Size Cables and 2-Mast Systems, covering design, manufacturing, and project implementation.
2. Spare Parts: 24-hour spare parts service with the largest spare parts inventory in the industry, available through dedicated web shop.
3. After-Sales Services: Pre-season service packages, winter storage service, inspection services, and operator training programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Rixen Cableway designs, manufactures and installs electric wakeboard and water ski cableway systems (Full Size Cable and 2-Mast System) for cable parks worldwide. The company sells complete system projects to enterprise customers and supports each installation with a 24-hour spare parts service, pre-season/winterization packages, inspection, and operator training.

Product overview

RIXEN Cableway GmbH is a German company that designs, manufactures, and installs water ski and wakeboard cableway systems. The product portfolio centers on the RIXEN Full Size Cable (the core product enabling up to 17 riders simultaneously) and the RIXEN 2-Mast System (a compact variant requiring only 10% water surface). The offering extends to electronic control systems, the innovative Electronic Cylinder replacing pneumatic systems, and the Solar Wavebreaker (floating photovoltaic wave protection). Complementary services include spare parts e-commerce, project development packages for tourism/real estate/reuse applications, service packages (pre-season, winterization, inspection), technical operator training, and a Marketing Booster Package. Safety equipment such as assembly rafts, non-slip walkways, and climbing steps round out the portfolio. All products are developed and manufactured in Bergkirchen, Germany, with over 500 installations worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RIXEN Full Size Cable
• RIXEN 2-Mast System
• RIXEN Electronic Control System 2022
• Solar Wavebreaker (Rompeolas Solar)
• RIXEN Spare Parts Shop
• Tourism Project Package

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 95% energy savings compared to motorboat wakeboarding
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered parent company, ownership, core, regional and minor.

• Autision Group GmbHparent companyOthers · 1 January 2018RIXEN Cableway GmbH is an independent company within the Autision Group GmbH. The group has over 150 employees and comprises independent medium-sized companies with complementary expertise in robotics, metrology, and surface inspection. Synergies result from activities with Winspect GmbH (cable testing).
• Dr. Richard Söhnchen (CEO)ownershipOthers · 1 January 2018Water sports enthusiast who acquired RIXEN assets in 2018 when Bruno Rixen retired. His mission is to further develop Bruno Rixen's invention and uphold company ideals.
• SEW EurodrivecoreTechnology or IntegrationInternational partner supplying all control components including electronic controls, frequency converters, and joystick control panels for RIXEN cable systems. The 22KW drive motor is highly efficient, silent, and reliable.
• IWWF (International Water Ski and Wakeboard Federation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership enabling political support for projects, facilitating approval processes, and elevating discussions to different decision-making levels. Enables cooperation with national federations and international competitions.
• DWWV (German Water Ski and Wakeboard Association)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational federation partnership for Germany, working on safety, operator training, and facility sustainability. Awarded Bruno Rixen with Gold Honor Insignia in 2012.
• FFSNW (French Water Ski Federation)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational federation partnership for France covering safety standards and operator certification.
• BWSW (British Water Ski and Wakeboard)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational federation partnership for UK, working on health and safety standards and operator training.
• ICA (International Cableway Association)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation focused on cableway standards and industry coordination.
• MENALAC (Middle East and North Africa Leisure Industry)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional association for leisure and entertainment industry in MENA region.
• Julia Rick (Brand Ambassador)minorGTM or Marketing Partner12x World Wakeboard Champion, Rider of the Decade, three-time Guinness World Record holder. Supports RIXEN with feminine power to make wakeboarding more popular and widespread.
• Dominik Gührs (Brand Ambassador)minorGTM or Marketing Partner2x World Wakeboard Champion. 'I am proud to be with RIXEN, the place where everything began.' Continues to spread the sport and passion to bring more people to the water.
• Lars Barbosa (France)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner for France with over 30 years of industry experience, including 10 years as cable park owner.
• Andy Granger (United Kingdom)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner for United Kingdom.
• Algirdas Danius (Lithuania/Baltic States)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner for Lithuania and Baltic States region.
• Daniel Armas (Spain)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner for Spain.
• Bartosz Pieczonka (Poland)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner for Poland.
• Simone Sivieri/Ludovico Vanoli (Italy)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partners for Italy.
• Sorin Petruse (Romania)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner for Romania.
• Nuri Cevik (Turkey)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner for Turkey.
• Karim Soliman (Egypt)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner for Egypt.
• Mohamed Bassiouny (Egypt/Gulf States)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner for Egypt and Gulf States.
• Esteban Rojas Acuna (United States)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner for United States.
• Jeronimo Perez-Priego (Mexico)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner for Mexico.
• Miguel Duhalde (Argentina/South America)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner for Argentina and South America.
• Wei Zhao (China)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner for China.
• Shannon Teng (Taiwan)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner for Taiwan.
• Matsukawa Nagahisa (Japan)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner for Japan.
• Carlo Dela Torre (Philippines)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner for Philippines.
• Peter JM Lee (South Korea)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner for South Korea.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Polin Waterparks: Turkey-based global water slide and aquatic attraction manufacturer serving resort, theme park, and municipal customers worldwide. Overlaps with Rixen in target customers (large resort and leisure developers, especially in Turkey, Middle East, and Asia) and competes for the same leisure capex pool though focused on water slides rather than cable wakeboard systems.
• WhiteWater West Industries: Large global water park and aquatic attraction equipment manufacturer that competes with Rixen for the leisure park operator's capex budget and project pipeline. While not focused specifically on cable wakeboard systems, WhiteWater offers comprehensive aquatic attractions that frequently substitute for or complement cable parks in resort and theme park developments.
• ProSlide Technology: Canadian designer and manufacturer of water rides and water park attractions serving major theme parks, resorts, and water parks globally. Competes for similar large-scale leisure developer capex and project consultation relationships, particularly in resort and theme park segments where Rixen also sells cable park installations.
• Vortex Aquatic Structures International: Global provider of aquatic play and water park solutions for leisure, hospitality, and municipal clients. Competes for the same theme park, resort, and municipal leisure infrastructure budget that drives Rixen cable park installations, although Vortex's product portfolio centers on splash pads and water slides rather than cable systems.

Emerging players

• Water World Solutions (WWS): Smaller and newer entrant in the cable wakeboard system market, offering modular cable systems primarily aimed at smaller facilities and emerging cable park operators. Less established globally than Rixen but overlaps in core product category and target customer segments.

Direct peers

• UNIT Parktech: Austrian manufacturer specializing in cable wakeboard systems and park infrastructure, directly competing with Rixen for greenfield cable park projects and equipment retrofits worldwide. Offers comparable full-size and 2-mast cable systems with similar target customer segments (tourism developers, leisure park operators).
• Sesitec GmbH: German manufacturer of full-size and 2-mast wakeboard cableway systems that directly competes with Rixen in the same global customer base (cable park operators, tourism and real estate developers). Both companies supply complete motorized cable systems for wakeboarding and water skiing with comparable rider capacity, after-sales service, and project integration offerings.

Others

• SUNKET GmbH (Winspect): Sister company within Autision Group providing cable testing, robotics, and metrology services that supply adjacent technology capabilities to Rixen. Not a competitor but an internal enabling partner that supports Rixen's quality assurance, electronic cylinder development, and broader Autision Group synergies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSoovKWRQBov-v6Q1Zpe6xg
• Facebookfacebook.com/RixenCableway
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rixen-cableway
• Instagraminstagram.com/rixen_cableway

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Rixen Cableway