Swim Stars

What Swim Stars does

Swim Stars is a French direct-to-consumer swimming instruction brand that delivers lessons through a network of partner-operated pools across multiple French cities, with an extension into Spain via swimstars.es. Its core product is structured swimming curricula segmented by age and ability, ranging from infant aquatic adaptation (Bébé Nageur, from 4 months) through children's progression, adult lessons including Aquaphobia programs, and senior fitness lines such as Senior Swim Stars Activ' and Activ' Aqua. The proprietary Auto-Rescue® program is a registered trademark offering water-safety and self-rescue instruction, positioning the brand as a curriculum-led operator rather than a generic lesson marketplace.

The business model is primarily consumer-paid course fees with supplementary revenue from birthday-party packages and franchise licensing through its "Rejoindre le réseau" recruitment channel. A branded mobile application on iOS and Android, launched in 2022, supports booking and member engagement. The asset-light model relies on third-party pool facilities and franchise/local-operator delivery rather than corporate-owned venues, enabling geographic scaling with limited capital expenditure.

The company also operates the Programme SAFE charitable initiative. It has achieved consumer-brand visibility through appearances on France TV, LCI, Ouest France, and La Provence. There is no disclosed information regarding revenue, funding, headcount, ownership, or franchisee economics.

Name

Swim Stars

Legal name

Swim Stars

Website

https://swimstars.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Swim Stars is a French consumer swimming-instruction brand offering age-segmented lessons — from infants to seniors — across partner pools in multiple French cities and in Spain, supplemented by franchise licensing and a branded mobile app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Swimming Instruction Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquatics Programs (Pools, Swim Lessons, Lifeguarding) (EDALAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aqua Fitness Classes (HSADABAL), Lifeguard, Water Rescue & Aquatic Safety Training (EDAOAMAJ)

Keywords

• Swimming lessons
• Baby swimming programs
• Anti-drowning training
• Aquatic fitness classes
• Adult swimming instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-denis

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Swimming Course Fees: Recurring revenue from swimming lessons for children and adults across various program levels (baby swimmers, children's courses, adult courses, Auto-Rescue, performance/rescue, Activ' Aqua activities). Customers purchase course packs/packages.
2. Birthday Party Packages: One-time revenue from hosting children's birthday parties at swimming pools.
3. Franchise Network: Revenue generated through their franchise opportunity model (Rejoindre le réseau), expanding Swim Stars locations across France.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Swim Stars delivers structured swimming lessons for babies (from 4 months), children, adults, and seniors through a network of partner swimming pools across France. Its core curriculum includes the proprietary Auto-Rescue® anti-drowning program, progressive learning tracks (Apprentissage, Perf & Sauvetage), adult courses (Aquaphobe, Débutant, Perf), and aquatic fitness activities (Activ' Aqua, aquabike, aquagym). Courses are purchased and booked via the company's website and dedicated iOS/Android mobile application.

Product overview

Swim Stars is a swimming lesson provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of courses for children and adults across France. The company operates a unified platform with age-segmented programs: Bébé Nageur (4+ months), Auto-Rescue® anti-drowning program (3+ years), Apprentissage (5+ years), Perf & Sauvetage (8+ years), Perf & Sauvetage Ado (12+ years), and adult courses including Aquaphobe adulte, Débutant adulte, and Perf adulte (16+ years). Additional offerings include Activ' Aqua (aquabike, aquagym), Senior Swim Stars Activ', Les Swim Rangers immersive baby program, Anniversaire parties, Programme SAFE safety initiative, Swim Stars Awards, and Swim Stars Charity. The service is accessible via a mobile application (iOS/Android) for bookings and reservations, and an online shop for merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Swim Rangers: Immersive baby swimmer program featuring water familiarization and aquatic awakening for babies, combined with water safety education.
• Auto-Rescue

Products and services

• Bébé Nageur (Baby Swimmer) Baby swimming lessons for infants from 4 months old, focusing on aquatic familiarization and early water safety awareness. Targeted at parents of infants.
• Auto-Rescue® Proprietary anti-drowning program for children from 3 years old teaching survival reflexes in case of water immersion, as well as basic swimming skills including breathing, floating, and propulsion. Targeted at parents of children aged 3+.
• Apprentissage (Children's Swimming Learning) Swimming learning program for children from 5 years old focused on developing full swimming ability. Targeted at parents of children aged 5+.
• Perf & Sauvetage (Children) Performance and rescue swimming program for children from 8 years old, developing advanced swimming skills and rescue techniques. Targeted at parents of children aged 8+.
• Perf & Sauvetage Ado (Teen) Performance and rescue swimming program for teenagers from 12 years old, focused on advanced technique development and rescue skills. Targeted at parents of teenagers aged 12+.
• Aquaphobe Adulte (Adult Aquaphobia) Adult swimming program for aquaphobic individuals from 16 years old, designed to overcome fear of water and build water confidence. Targeted at adults with fear of water.
• Débutant Adulte (Adult Beginner) Beginner adult swimming program from 16 years old focused on achieving swimming autonomy in the water. Targeted at adults learning to swim.
• Perf Adulte (Adult Performance) Adult performance swimming program for swimmers from 16 years old seeking to perfect their technique and abilities. Targeted at adult swimmers seeking improvement.
• Activ' Aqua (Aquatic Fitness) Aquatic fitness activities including aquabike and aquagym classes for adults seeking low-impact water-based exercise. Targeted at adults seeking water-based fitness.
• Senior Swim Stars Activ' Specialized aquatic fitness program designed for senior participants, focusing on health and wellbeing through water activities. Targeted at older adults.
• Anniversaire (Birthday Party Packages) Birthday party packages for children hosted at Swim Stars partner pools, offering a celebration experience at the swimming facility. Targeted at parents arranging children's birthdays.
• Les Swim Rangers Immersive baby swimmer program combining water familiarization, aquatic awakening, and playful water safety education for babies and young children. Targeted at parents of infants and toddlers.
• Swim Stars Mobile Application Mobile application available on iOS App Store and Google Play enabling online course bookings, purchases, and reservation management for Swim Stars services. Targeted at customers enrolled or considering Swim Stars courses.
• Swim Stars Online Shop E-commerce platform for purchasing Swim Stars branded merchandise and related products. Targeted at Swim Stars customers and brand followers.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Goldfish Swim School: US-based franchised swim school for children (and select adults) operating through a network of partner/leased pools with a proprietary curriculum and structured progression. Closest direct comparable in business model (franchise + partner pools + branded methodology) to Swim Stars, though at significantly larger scale and in North America.
• SafeSplash Swim School: Franchised swim school focused on children and adults, delivering lessons at partner pools with a tiered curriculum. Comparable to Swim Stars in operating model (partner pools, franchise, multi-age programs) and target customer segments.
• Emler Swim School: Multi-location US swim school offering structured children's lessons from infant through advanced levels, including survival skills. Comparable to Swim Stars in curriculum depth and progression-based brand promise.
• SwimJim Swim School: Multi-location swim instruction provider with programs from babies to adults including aquaphobia support. Comparable to Swim Stars' segment breadth, including adult aquaphobia courses, and partner-pool operating approach.
• British Swim School: Franchised swim instruction provider operating at partner pools across the US with structured children's programs and survival-skill emphasis. Comparable to Swim Stars' asset-light partner-pool model and franchise-led growth, with a similar safety-led brand positioning.
• Aqua-Tots Swim Schools: International franchised swim school with programs spanning babies through adults, including survival and performance levels. Closely comparable to Swim Stars' age-segmented curriculum (4 months through adults) and franchise expansion strategy.
• Big Blue Swim School: Franchised swim school serving infants through adults with a proprietary curriculum. Comparable to Swim Stars in franchise-driven growth model and broad age coverage including baby and adult programs.

Regional players

• Nager Grandir: French baby/child swimming instruction provider with programs similar to Swim Stars' Bébé Nageur and Auto-Rescue® offerings. Most direct French-market comparable, particularly in the children's safety-focused niche.
• Les Nageurs: French private swim school offering children's and adult lessons at multiple pool locations in France. Comparable to Swim Stars in target customer, geographic market, and direct-to-consumer course model.
• Aquaviva: Iberian swim school operator offering children's and adult lessons with partner-pool delivery. Comparable to Swim Stars in the Spanish market where Swim Stars already operates (swimstars.es).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_3BtkMQ07OGyWG6P-YKPUQ
• Xx.com/swimstarsfrance
• Facebookfacebook.com/swimstarsfrance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swim-stars

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 Swim Stars