What Academia Aquafan does

Academia Aquafan, operating as Manta Natação e Formação Aquática, is a private direct-to-consumer swimming school network headquartered in Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil. The company operates five physical swim-school units distributed across the city's principal residential neighborhoods (Asa Sul I, Asa Sul II, Asa Norte, Sudoeste, and Vicente Pires) and serves four age cohorts: babies, children (0-13), adults, and seniors. In January 2025, Aquafan merged with two other established Brasília swim-school brands, Raia10 and Natchibum, and rebranded the unified network as Manta, consolidating what the company positions as the largest swim-school network in Brasília.

The network's product portfolio consists of three programmatically segmented offerings: Manta Kids (children's swim lessons using the Gustavo Borges Methodology, focused on aquatic development, psychomotor skills, and water safety), Manta Masters (adult swim programs oriented to fitness, stress reduction, and skill improvement), and Manta Plus (hydrogymnastics for seniors and low-impact exercise). The licensed Gustavo Borges Methodology provides standardized curriculum across all programs and age groups, and the facilities are described as operating eco-friendly water treatment systems. Customer acquisition runs through a digital-first marketing stack (website, blog, Instagram @manta.natacao) with conversion handled via WhatsApp, where prospective students can schedule trial classes and complete enrollment.

The business model is recurring-revenue subscription: customers enroll in weekly lessons billed on an ongoing basis, with pricing not publicly disclosed and negotiated or quoted through WhatsApp contact. The company employs 29 staff and has no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or parent-company ownership. No software platform, mobile application, API, or AI capabilities are evidenced; operations are predominantly physical, labor-intensive swim instruction across the five units. Ownership, founding year of the original Aquafan entity, and detailed financial metrics are not disclosed in available source material.

Name

Academia Aquafan

Legal name

Manta Natação

Website

https://aquafan.com.br

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Manta (formerly Academia Aquafan) operates a five-unit swimming school network in Brasília, Brazil, formed in 2025 by merging Aquafan, Raia10, and Natchibum. It serves babies, children, adults, and seniors through three programs (Kids, Masters, Plus) using the Gustavo Borges Methodology on a recurring-lesson subscription model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Swimming school and aquatic education services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Aqua Fitness Classes (HSADABAL), Aquatic Centers & Swimming Facilities (MPAKAEAF)

Keywords

• Swimming school services
• Aquatic education programs
• Children swimming lessons
• Adult aquatic fitness
• Hydrogymnastics for seniors

Headquarters

HQ city

Brasília

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Swimming Lessons - Children (Manta Kids): Weekly swimming lessons for children aged 0-13 years using Gustavo Borges methodology
2. Swimming Lessons - Adults (Manta Masters): Adult swimming programs focused on fitness, stress reduction, and skill development
3. Hydrogymnastics (Manta Plus): Water-based exercise classes for seniors and those seeking low-impact fitness

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Academia Aquafan (now Manta) operates a network of five swimming schools across Brasília, offering weekly aquatic education programs for babies, children, adults, and seniors. Its three core offerings are Manta Kids (children 0–13), Manta Masters (adults), and Manta Plus (hydrogymnastics for seniors), all delivered under the licensed Gustavo Borges Methodology at physical pool facilities supported by eco-friendly water treatment systems.

Product overview

Manta is a unified network of swimming schools in Brasília, DF, formed from the merger of three established brands: Aquafan, Raia10, and Natchibum. The company operates as a single unified organization offering aquatic education programs across five locations. The product portfolio consists of three core programs: Manta Kids (swimming for children ages 0-13), Manta Masters (adult swimming), and Manta Plus (hydrogymnastics). All programs employ the Gustavo Borges Methodology for teaching swimming. The company serves infants, children, adults, and seniors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Manta Kids: Swimming program for children from 0 to 13 years old, focused on aquatic development and water safety.
• Manta Masters
• Manta Plus

Products and services

• Manta Kids

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gustavo Borges MethodologycoreTechnology or IntegrationLicensed teaching methodology developed by renowned Brazilian swimming coach Gustavo Borges, ensuring standardized quality instruction adapted for all ages from babies to seniors
• SindilegisminorOthersSyndicate providing venue space for the Asa Sul I swimming school location at 610 Sul, Lote 70
• RunwayminorOthersCommercial space provider hosting the Sudoeste swimming school location at CLSW 303, Bloco C, Loja 36
• Raia10coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the three founding brands that merged to form Manta swimming school network
• NatchibumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the three founding brands that merged to form Manta swimming school network

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Safra Natação: Brazilian swim school chain operating in other regions of Brazil. Comparable as a domestic Brazilian multi-unit swim instruction operator, though not directly competing in Brasília.
• Acquademia: Brazilian aquatic center offering swimming lessons and hydrogymnastics for multiple age groups. Comparable to Manta on multi-segment programming (kids, adults, seniors) within the Brazilian market.
• Natação Move: Brazilian swim school network offering lessons for children and adults in multiple cities. Comparable as a Brazilian subscription-based swim instruction operator; web presence unclear.

Direct peers

• Big Blue Swim School: US-based franchise swim school network teaching children and adults using proprietary curricula across many physical locations. Directly comparable to Manta as a multi-unit, subscription-based swim instruction operator with a standardized teaching methodology.
• Goldfish Swim School: Large US franchise swim school specializing in children's lessons (typically 4 months to 12 years). Comparable to Manta's Manta Kids core product, with similar recurring-tuition model and standardized proprietary curriculum across franchised units.
• British Swim School: Franchise swim school offering lessons for all ages using a proprietary British methodology. Directly comparable on subscription-based lessons, multi-unit franchise model, and methodology-driven differentiation.
• Emler Swim School: Texas-based multi-location swim school offering infant through adult lessons with a proprietary curriculum. Comparable to Manta in age-segment breadth (babies to adults) and recurring subscription tuition.
• SwimJim: US swim school operator offering lessons for children and adults across multiple locations. Comparable on subscription model, multi-age programming, and proprietary teaching approach.

Emerging players

• Hydro Pilates / Hidro Fitness Studios: Hydrogymnastics and aquatic fitness studios serving senior and adult fitness segments in Brazil. Comparable to Manta's Manta Plus hydrogymnastics program on low-impact senior aquatic fitness offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Les Mills (Aquatic Programs): Global fitness programming licensor offering branded group fitness content including aquatic formats. Comparable as a methodology/curriculum licensor in the aquatic fitness category, similar to how Gustavo Borges Methodology is licensed to Manta.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/manta.natacao
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/academia-aquafan

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 Academia Aquafan