What Apollo Duck does

Apollo Duck, legally Apollo Duck Media Ltd, is a privately held UK-based online marketplace specializing in the buying and selling of new and used boats. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Lowestoft, United Kingdom, the company operates a web-based classifieds platform that aggregates listings across boat categories including motor boats, sailing yachts, narrow boats, barges, house boats, classic boats, commercial vessels, inflatable boats, and personal watercraft. The platform serves two primary customer segments: individual boat buyers (consumer side, free to browse) and boat sellers, which split into private individuals (offered free photo ads) and trade dealers/brokers (who appear in a featured dealer directory of 60+ companies). The product surface is broad: a core marketplace, 12+ specialized boat-category subsites, brand-specific subsites for major manufacturers (Bavaria, Jeanneau, Fairline, Princess, etc.), regional UK sites (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands), international country-specific domains (USA, Australia, New Zealand, and multiple European markets), a boat auction feature, a yacht broker directory, a new-boat ranges catalog, and an archive of historical listings.

The underlying technology stack is not publicly disclosed, but the platform appears to be a traditional server-rendered web classifieds site with keyword and filter-based advanced search, member submission system for listing uploads, and an image CDN (ics.apolloduck.com) for photo hosting. There is no mobile application, no public API, and no evidence of AI/ML, SDK, or third-party integration capabilities. The business model is primarily advertising-supported: free listings for private sellers generate consumer-side traffic, while monetization comes from trade dealer subscriptions/featured placements, sidebar advertising from marine service providers (insurance firms Craftinsure and CompareYachtInsurance, finance provider Promarine Finance), and potentially auction-related fees. Revenue, ownership, funding, and headcount are not publicly disclosed beyond the 101–250 employee range, and the company operates without external venture capital backing per available data.

Name

Apollo Duck

Legal name

Apollo Duck Media Ltd

Website

https://apolloduck.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Apollo Duck Media Ltd is a UK-based online marketplace founded in 1998 that connects private boat sellers, trade dealers, and marine service providers with boat buyers across the UK, Europe, North America, and Oceania via country-specific and category-specific websites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lowestoft

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Apollo Duck operates an online boat marketplace connecting boat buyers with private sellers and trade dealers. The platform offers free photo ads, a comprehensive multi-category boat search, boat auctions, yacht broker directories, and a marine services directory, distributed across country-specific sites serving the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.

Product overview

Apollo Duck is a boat marketplace website offering a comprehensive online platform for buying and selling new and used boats across multiple categories including motor boats, sailing yachts, narrow boats, barges, house boats, commercial vessels, and more. The platform provides free photo ads for private sellers and professional listings for dealers, supported by features such as advanced search, boat auctions, yacht broker directory, and new boat ranges. Apollo Duck operates across the UK with regional sites for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, plus international sites for USA, Australia, and multiple European countries. The service includes specialized subsites for specific boat types and serves both private individuals and trade dealers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Apollo Duck: Online marketplace for boats for sale including used boats, new boat sales, and free photo ads

Products and services

• Apollo Duck Boat Marketplace Core online marketplace platform where private boat sellers and trade dealers list boats for sale and prospective buyers browse, search, and contact sellers across UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe sites.
• Boat Auctions

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• TheYachtMarket: UK-based online yacht and boat marketplace with broker and dealer listings. Directly comparable as a regional peer competing for the same UK and European boat seller/buyer audience.
• Scanboat: European online boat marketplace listing new and used boats across multiple categories. Comparable to Apollo Duck as a horizontal European boat classifieds platform with dealer listings.
• BoatShop24: European boat marketplace with broad category coverage and dealer/broker listings. Directly comparable as an online classifieds platform targeting recreational boat buyers across Europe.
• YachtWorld: Leading global yacht marketplace operated by Boats Group with deep broker and dealer inventory. Competes head-to-head with Apollo Duck in the sailing yacht and motor yacht listing categories.
• Boatshed: International boat brokerage network with a marketplace-style listing platform; Boatshed is even listed as a featured company on Apollo Duck. Highly comparable business model combining local broker offices with a shared online classifieds catalog.
• Rightboat: Boats Group's secondary boat marketplace focused on reaching a broader consumer audience. Overlaps directly with Apollo Duck's audience of recreational boat buyers and private sellers.
• Boats.com: Global boat marketplace operated by Boats Group that aggregates new and used boat listings across multiple geographies. Directly comparable to Apollo Duck as a horizontal boat classifieds platform with dealer partnerships and broad category coverage.

Broad incumbents

• Boat Trader: Major US-focused boat marketplace owned by Trader Interactive (also parent to Cycle Trader, RV Trader). Comparable marketplace business model at much larger scale, anchoring the US boat classifieds category.
• Auto Trader UK: UK's dominant vehicle classifieds platform with an established vertical marketplace playbook (dealer subscriptions, premium listings, lead generation). A useful analog for Apollo Duck's potential evolution as a vertical classifieds business in the marine category.
• eBay (Motors / Boats category): Massive horizontal marketplace that hosts a boats category alongside broader consumer goods. Indirectly competes with Apollo Duck by capturing a portion of used-boat listings and buyer demand through its general marketplace traffic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/apollo_duck
• Facebookfacebook.com/Apollo-Duck-593695810742124

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 Apollo Duck