Pouch
POCHON S.A. is a French marine electronics specialist, founded in 1970, that distributes and installs navigation, communication, safety, and electrical equipment from leading international brands across seven retail locations in France and Martinique, serving recreational boaters, boatyards, and professional vessel operators.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersLa Rochelle, France
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Pouch does
POCHON S.A. is a French specialist retailer, authorized distributor, and installer of marine electronics and onboard electrical systems, founded in 1970 and headquartered in La Rochelle. The company sells navigation equipment (GPS, fishfinders/sondeurs, radars, multifunction displays, in-board autopilots, instruments, cartography), communication devices (fixed and portable VHF, satellite communications), safety systems (AIS, distress beacons/PLB), and marine electrical components (solar panels, battery chargers, inverters/converters, batteries, shore power, generators, desalinators, LED lighting, bilge pumps). POCHON holds authorized distribution status for ten leading international marine electronics brands — Garmin, Furuno, Simrad, Raymarine, Mastervolt, Humminbird, Cobra Marine, Navionics, Vesper Marine, and Lowrance — and offers products across price points ranging from approximately €15 (connectors and accessories) to over €24,000 (marine generator sets).
The company serves three distinct customer groups: individual recreational boaters (plaisanciers) purchasing equipment for personal vessels, boatyards (chantiers de plaisance) integrating electronics and electrical systems into new builds and refits, and operators of professional vessels (navires professionnels) requiring custom marine electrical engineering. POCHON generates revenue through two streams: retail hardware sales via seven physical store locations across metropolitan France (La Rochelle HQ and Show-Room, Hyères, La Grande Motte, Île d'Oléron, Biscarrosse) and Martinique in the French Caribbean, and professional services including full electrical system design, engineering bureau work, in-house production workshop fabrication, and installation. An e-commerce site with Click & Collect complements the physical retail network, and reciprocal regional partnerships with Électronique du Littoral (Les Sables d'Olonne) and ELECTROXPERT (French Polynesia) extend reach into additional French coastal and overseas markets.
With approximately 50 employees and no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity, POCHON operates as a privately held French Société Anonyme whose competitive position rests on the combination of multi-brand authorized distribution, in-house marine electrical engineering and installation capability, multi-store physical presence in France's principal boating regions, and 50+ years of category-specific reputation.
Pouch firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pouch
- Legal name
- POCHON S.A.
- Website
- https://pochon-sa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- POCHON S.A. is a French marine electronics specialist, founded in 1970, that distributes and installs navigation, communication, safety, and electrical equipment from leading international brands across seven retail locations in France and Martinique, serving recreational boaters, boatyards, and professional vessel operators.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pouch industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Marine Electronics
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marine Safety & Navigation Electronics Retail (PFDs, EPIRBs, GPS, VHF) (CRAMAIAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Marine Parts, Accessories & Maintenance Supplies Retail (CRAMAIAB), Water Sports & Marine Recreation Gear Distribution (CRAOAJAD)
Keywords
Where Pouch is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- La Rochelle
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
Pouch business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Retail sale of marine electronics including navigation equipment (GPS, sonars, radars), communication devices (VHF, satellite), safety equipment (AIS, beacons), and electrical components (solar panels, chargers, converters, batteries, generators).
- Installation Services: Full electrical system design and installation services for boats through dedicated electricity department with engineering and production workshop capabilities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Accessories and replacement parts (batteries, cables, connectors) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Consumer marine electronics (VHF radios, fishfinders, portable GPS) |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Professional and integrated marine systems |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Pouch product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pouch is a French specialist retailer, authorized distributor, and installer of marine electronics and electrical systems for boats. The catalog spans navigation (GPS, fish-finders, radar, multifunction displays, autopilots), communications and safety (VHF, AIS, beacons/PLB), and on-board electrical systems (batteries, chargers, inverters, solar panels, shore power, generators, desalinators, LED lighting, bilge pumps, satellite TV, cameras). The company complements product distribution with in-house installation, repair, and bespoke marine electrical engineering services for individual boat owners, boatyards, and professional vessels.
Product overview
POCHON is a French specialist in marine electronics and electricity with over 50 years of experience in the nautical sector. The company operates as both a retailer of marine electronics products and a provider of electrical system design and installation services. The product portfolio encompasses four main categories: (1) Electronics including navigation equipment (GPS, fish finders, radars, multifunction displays, autopilots, instruments), communication devices (VHF radios fixed and portable), and cartography; (2) Electrical systems including solar panels, battery chargers, inverters/converters, batteries, generators, desalinators, LED lighting, bilge pumps, and shore power equipment; (3) Safety equipment including AIS transponders, distress beacons/PLBs, alarms, weather instruments, and radar reflectors; (4) Comfort onboard products including satellite TV, cameras, fans, watches, and multimedia systems. POCHON distributes major marine electronics brands including Garmin, Furuno, Cobra Marine, Simrad, Humminbird, Raymarine, Mastervolt, Lowrance, Vesper Marine, and Navionics. The company employs approximately 50 professionals providing guidance, installation, and maintenance services for boat equipment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Marine Electronics Product Distribution Multi-brand authorized retail and distribution of marine electronics — navigation (GPS, fish-finders/sondeurs, radar, multifunction displays, autopilots), communication and safety (VHF fixed and portable, AIS, beacons/PLB), and on-board convenience electronics (marine watches, satellite TV, cameras, fans) — sold to recreational boaters, boatyards, and professional vessel operators.
- Marine Electrical Systems Product Distribution Retail and authorized distribution of on-board marine electrical systems including batteries, battery chargers, inverters/converters, solar panels, shore-power (prise de quai) equipment, generators, desalinators, LED lighting, and bilge pumps, for sailboats, motor yachts, and professional vessels.
- On-Board Electronics and Electrical Installation Services Professional installation, integration, and commissioning of marine electronics and electrical systems on customer vessels, performed by the company's in-house installation teams at berths, marinas, and boatyards.
- Custom Marine Electrical Engineering and System Design Bespoke marine-electrical system design, engineering, and workshop production for boatyards and professional vessels, covering power generation, distribution, conversion, storage, and on-board monitoring tailored to specific vessel requirements.
Companies that use Pouch
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Pouch technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Pouch partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- GARMINcoreLong-standing authorized distributor of GARMIN marine electronics including GPS, chartplotters, and multifunction displays. POCHON is listed as an official GARMIN distributor partner.
- FURUNOcoreAuthorized distributor of FURUNO marine electronics including radars, sonars, and navigation instruments. Long-term distribution partnership.
- COBRA MarinecoreAuthorized distributor of COBRA Marine VHF radios and communication equipment. POCHON distributes Cobra products and provides PDF manuals for download on their website.
- SIMRADcoreAuthorized distributor of SIMRAD marine electronics including autopilots, chartplotters, and multifunction displays.
- RAYMARINEcoreAuthorized distributor of RAYMARINE marine electronics including Axiom displays and navigation equipment.
- MASTERVOLTcoreAuthorized distributor of MASTERVOLT electrical equipment including chargers, inverters, and battery management systems for marine applications.
- HUMMINBIRDcoreAuthorized distributor of HUMMINBIRD fishfinders and marine electronics.
- NavionicscoreAuthorized distributor of Navionics nautical charts for marine navigation systems.
- VESPER MarinecoreAuthorized distributor of VESPER Marine products including AIS transponders and Cortex systems. POCHON provides PDF manuals for VESPER products on their website.
- Électronique du littoralminorRegional partner location in Les Sables d'Olonne within POCHON's partner network.
- ELECTROXPERT PolynésieminorRegional partner in French Polynesia within POCHON's partner network.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Pouch competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- West Marine: Largest marine retailer in North America operating hundreds of stores plus e-commerce; comparable to POCHON in product breadth across marine electronics and electrical but at far greater scale and geographic reach.
- SVB (Segel-Versand-Berlin): Germany's largest marine retailer with deep e-commerce plus showroom presence across electronics, electrical, and fittings—illustrative of the pan-European specialist retail model POCHON operates within France.
- Defender Marine: US-based marine retailer/distributor with a deep catalog of marine electronics, safety, and electrical equipment—comparable to POCHON's multi-brand specialty assortment with strong e-commerce emphasis.
Direct peers
- Plastimo: Established French marine equipment manufacturer and distributor serving both recreational and professional vessels across navigation, safety, and onboard comfort—closely overlapping POCHON's marine electronics and electrical product categories.
- Comptoir Nautique: French marine chandlery and electronics distributor serving boatyards and boaters—overlapping with POCHON's B2B boatyard and B2C pleasure boater segments.
- Maillon Marin: France-based online marine retailer offering a broad catalog of marine electronics, electrical, and chandlery products similar to POCHON's e-commerce assortment.
- Accastillage Diffusion: French marine chandlery and parts distributor with a large multi-brand catalog covering electronics, electrical, and fittings—directly comparable to POCHON's role as a multi-brand marine electronics retailer/distributor in France.
Others
- Victron Energy: Dutch manufacturer of marine and off-grid power conversion products (inverters, chargers, battery monitors) that competes for share of POCHON's onboard electrical product mix and adjacent to its electrical system design services.
- Garmin Marine (Direct): Major OEM supplier to POCHON; Garmin's direct-to-consumer and owned-store activity represents both an upstream brand partner and a structural competitor to multi-brand distributors like POCHON.
- Mastervolt: Marine electrical systems manufacturer that POCHON distributes in France; illustrates the brand-side ecosystem that POCHON monetizes through distribution and installation services.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Pouch social profiles
Digital presencePouch financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pouch leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Pouch funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pouch M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pouch
What does Pouch do?
Pouch is a French specialist retailer, authorized distributor, and installer of marine electronics and electrical systems for boats. The catalog spans navigation (GPS, fish-finders, radar, multifunction displays, autopilots), communications and safety (VHF, AIS, beacons/PLB), and on-board electrical systems (batteries, chargers, inverters, solar panels, shore power, generators, desalinators, LED lighting, bilge pumps, satellite TV, cameras). The company complements product distribution with in-house installation, repair, and bespoke marine electrical engineering services for individual boat owners, boatyards, and professional vessels.
Is Pouch a public or private company?
Pouch is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Pouch founded?
Pouch was founded in 1970. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Pouch based?
Pouch is headquartered in La Rochelle, France, in the Europe region.
How does Pouch make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are installation Services.
Who are Pouch's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are West Marine, SVB (Segel-Versand-Berlin) and Defender Marine. Direct peers are Plastimo, Comptoir Nautique, Maillon Marin and Accastillage Diffusion. Others are Victron Energy, Garmin Marine (Direct) and Mastervolt.
Does Pouch have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pouch.
What industry is Pouch in?
Pouch's product category is Marine Electronics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMAIAH, Marine Safety & Navigation Electronics Retail (PFDs, EPIRBs, GPS, VHF), with a secondary code of CRAMAIAB, Marine Parts, Accessories & Maintenance Supplies Retail.