Grove Boats

What Grove Boats does

Grove Boats SA is a privately held Swiss marine engineering firm, incorporated in 2010 as the legal successor to MW-Line (founded 1991), that designs, builds, and markets electric and solar-powered boats. The company operates from Grandson, Switzerland (relocated from Yvonand in 2021) and serves two principal segments: professional public-transport operators requiring 12–100-passenger vessels (marketed under the Aquabus brand) and individual pleasure-boat owners seeking environmentally friendly recreational craft. Its core technology spans electro-solar, hybrid, and fuel-cell propulsion systems; custom lithium battery integration; solar power systems; eco-optimized hull designs; and silent propeller technology, with all design work performed in Switzerland and manufacturing outsourced to partner European shipyards for proximity to customers.

The business model combines three revenue streams: one-time sales of custom-built electric and solar boats, professional consulting and engineering services spanning feasibility studies through full project management, and distribution/resale of third-party electric motors, batteries, and marine electrical equipment from brands including ePropulsion, Kräutler, Siemens, Harting, Super B, Winston, Studer, SAVIBOAT, and MyElectroboat. Go-to-market is sales-led, leveraging direct customer engagement and a network of European shipyard partners; pricing is project-specific and not publicly disclosed. The company holds no patents or formal awards in the source data, but benefits from reputational milestones including the Sun21 (first solar-powered transatlantic crossing, 2007), contributions to PlanetSolar, the ZEN (Switzerland's first hydrogen boat, with HEIG-VD), and the 2025 Aquabus circumnavigation of Lake Titicaca at 3,800m altitude.

Operationally, Grove Boats reports 1–10 employees and a cumulative installed base of more than 40 vessels across Europe (France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Luxembourg, UK) and international deployments including French Guiana, Bolivia/Peru, and the United States. Vessels are homologated with major classification societies (Bureau Veritas, Germanischer Lloyd, RINA, ONI). No funding rounds, M&A activity, leadership changes, or formal restructuring events are disclosed; the company appears to be independently owned with no identified institutional investors.

Name

Grove Boats

Legal name

Grove Boats SA

Website

https://grove-boats.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Grove Boats SA is a privately held Swiss marine engineering firm that designs, builds, and distributes custom electric and solar-powered boats — including the Aquabus line for 12–100-passenger public transport — for professional operators and private owners across Europe and select international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric and Solar-Powered Boats

NAICS

Boat Building (336612)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Electric & Hybrid Leisure Craft Manufacturing (IMAJAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Semi-Custom & Series Production Yacht Manufacturing (IMAJAEAM)

Keywords

• Electric boat manufacturing
• Solar powered vessels
• Clean propulsion systems
• Marine electric systems
• Custom boat design

Headquarters

HQ city

Yvonand

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Electric and Solar Boat Sales: Design, construction and sale of electric and solar powered boats for pleasure boating and public transportation
2. Consulting and Engineering Services: Feasibility studies and complete project management for clean propulsion navigation projects
3. Electric Motor and Equipment Distribution: Representation of electric motor brands, batteries, and electrical equipment for the boating industry

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Grove Boats SA designs, builds, and markets electric and solar-powered boats for pleasure boating and public transportation. Products are designed in Switzerland and built in Europe, with professional-use units available in passenger capacities from 12 to 100. The company also delivers engineering and consulting services covering feasibility studies, complete project management, and representation of electric motor, battery, and electrical equipment brands for the boating industry.

Product overview

Grove Boats SA designs, builds, and markets electric and solar powered boats for pleasure boating and public transportation. Their product portfolio includes Aquabus vessels (12-100 passenger capacity), complete electric propulsion systems (electro-solar, hybrid, and fuel cell options), custom lithium batteries, silent propellers, and eco hull designs. The company offers consulting and engineering services for clean navigation projects. Products are designed in Switzerland and built in Europe, with over 40 vessels operating across Europe and internationally. Services range from feasibility studies to complete project management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aquabus: Electric and solar powered boats for professional use with capacities ranging from 12 to 100 passengers.
• Sun21
• ZEN

Products and services

• Aquabus
• Electric Boat Systems
• Solar Powered Boats
• Consulting and Engineering Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 40+ vessels operating successfully
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and legacy.

• Bureau VeritascoreOthersMajor classification society involved in the homologation of Grove Boats vessels, ensuring compliance with maritime regulations and safety standards.
• Germanischer LloydcoreOthersMajor classification society involved in vessel homologation and certification for maritime safety and quality standards.
• RinacoreOthersClassification society providing certification and inspection services for Grove Boats vessels.
• HEIG-VDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher School of Engineering and Management (Haute école) partnered with Grove Boats for the ZEN project - Switzerland's first hydrogen-powered boat.
• MW-LinelegacyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPredecessor company from 1991 that established the Swiss expertise in solar boats, including the solar shuttles of Expo.02.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Silent-Yachts: Silent-Yachts produces series-production solar-electric catamarans and yachts for private owners and charter operators. Directly comparable as a solar-powered boat builder, sharing Grove Boats' value proposition of zero-emission, silent cruising for both leisure and commercial use cases.
• X Shore: X Shore designs and series-produces fully electric leisure boats for the recreational market. It is a direct comparable as a premium electric boat brand targeting both private owners and commercial operators, competing for the same European eco-conscious buyer as Grove Boats.
• Torqeedo: Torqeedo is a leading manufacturer of electric marine propulsion systems (motors, batteries, hybrid drives) used in leisure and commercial boats. Comparable to Grove Boats as a fellow pioneer in clean marine powertrains, supplying similar electric propulsion technology to boat builders and operators.
• Candela: Candela builds electric hydrofoiling leisure boats with proprietary propulsion and software. It overlaps with Grove Boats in the premium electric recreational vessel segment and shares the mission of replacing fossil-fuel marine propulsion.
• Soel Yachts: Soel Yachts builds solar-electric catamarans for commercial tourism operators and private owners, with a strong focus on zero-emission passenger vessels. Directly comparable to Grove Boats' Aquabus line in the professional/passenger solar-electric segment.
• Greenline Yachts: Greenline Yachts is a hybrid and electric motor yacht manufacturer offering serial-produced vessels with solar panels and electric drivetrains. Comparable to Grove Boats for the hybrid propulsion technology path and shared leisure/eco-conscious target customer.

Broad incumbents

• Bénéteau Group: Bénéteau is one of the world's largest boat builders with brands spanning sailboats, motorboats, and increasingly hybrid/electric platforms. A broad incumbent that overlaps with Grove Boats' recreational boating customer base and is investing in electric propulsion across its portfolio.
• Damen Shipyards: Damen is a major Dutch shipbuilder producing commercial vessels including ferries, patrol boats, and workboats, with an active electric/hybrid program (e.g., Damen Electric). Comparable as a broader incumbent competing for the same public-transport and commercial electric vessel tenders Grove Boats targets.

Emerging players

• Sialia Yachts: Sialia Yachts is an emerging builder of fully electric luxury yachts using serial electric propulsion. Comparable to Grove Boats in targeting premium electric vessels for both pleasure and commercial operators.
• RAND Boats: RAND Boats produces electric leisure boats (picnic, day cruisers) for the European recreational market. Comparable to Grove Boats in the small-to-mid electric recreational boat segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/groveboats
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grove-boats-sa

Compliance4 records

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 Grove Boats