Fondation Belem Caisse d'Epargne

What Fondation Belem Caisse d'Epargne does

Fondation Belem Caisse d'Epargne is a French non-profit foundation, established in 1979 and headquartered in Paris, dedicated to the conservation and continued navigation of the Belem — a three-masted sailing ship launched in 1896 and classified as a French Historical Monument. The foundation operates what is described as the last surviving French three-masted vessel from the 19th century still sailing, providing public access through multi-day paid sailing voyages, ticketed dock visits at various French ports, and corporate event hosting aboard the ship. It also runs an online boutique selling maritime-themed merchandise (clothing, accessories, luggage, stationery, decorations, model ships, spirits, and books) and accepts tax-deductible donations from supporters.

Name

Fondation Belem Caisse d'Epargne

Legal name

Fondation Belem Caisse d'Epargne

Website

https://fondationbelem.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fondation Belem Caisse d'Epargne is a French non-profit foundation that operates and preserves the Belem, France's last 19th-century three-masted sailing ship, offering paid sailing voyages, dock visits, corporate events, maritime retail, and tax-deductible donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Maritime Tourism

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (4872), Historical Sites (712120), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural/Heritage Multi-Day Tour Operators (THAKADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA), Gulet & Traditional Wooden Yacht Cruises (THAEADAE)

Keywords

• Heritage tourism
• Sailing experiences
• Maritime preservation
• Corporate event venue
• Nautical merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Voyage and Navigation Bookings: Revenue from selling spots on sailing voyages aboard the Belem. Visitors participate in navigation experiences on the three-masted ship.
2. Dock Visits: Revenue from guided tours of the Belem when docked at various French ports.
3. Corporate Events and Privatization: Revenue from renting the vessel for corporate events, cocktails, seminars, press conferences, and VIP dinners. Corporate groups can privatize the ship.
4. E-commerce and Retail: Revenue from the online boutique selling maritime merchandise including clothing, accessories, luggage, stationery, decoration, models, spirits, books, and children's items.
5. Donations and Charitable Support: Non-profit donations from supporters to fund restoration and maintenance of the historic vessel. Tax advantages offered for French donors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Fondation Belem Caisse d'Epargne is a non-profit organization that operates the Belem, the last French three-masted sailing vessel from the 19th century (built 1896, classified as a Historical Monument). It offers multi-day sailing navigation experiences where participants join the crew, dock visits with guided tours, corporate event hosting aboard the ship, an online boutique selling nautical merchandise, and a donation program supporting vessel restoration and maritime heritage preservation.

Product overview

Fondation Belem Caisse d'Epargne operates the Belem, France's last 19th-century three-masted sailing vessel (built 1896), classified as a Historical Monument. The foundation offers a portfolio of services organized around this historic ship: sailing navigation experiences where participants join the crew for multi-day voyages learning traditional square-rig techniques; dock visits providing guided tours of the vessel at port; and corporate event hosting for exclusive gatherings. The organization also operates a retail boutique selling nautical-themed merchandise including clothing (Vestiaire du marin), accessories, bags, stationery, decorations, model ships, spirits, and books. Supporting programs include gift cards, donation opportunities, and volunteer initiatives. The foundation's mission focuses on maritime heritage conservation and transmission of sailing knowledge across generations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sailing Navigation Experience (Naviguer à bord) Multi-day sailing experiences aboard the Belem where participants join the professional crew and learn traditional square-rig navigation techniques. Targeted at individual travelers and maritime enthusiasts seeking authentic seamanship experiences.
• Dock Visits (Visiter le Belem) Guided tours of the Belem at dock, allowing visitors to explore the historic vessel at various French ports without sailing. Open to individual visitors and the general public.
• Corporate Events (Événements d'entreprise)
• Gift Cards (Carte cadeau)
• Maritime Clothing Collection (Vestiaire du marin)
• Bags and Luggage (Bagagerie)
• Stationery (Papeterie)
• Decorative Items (Décoration)
• Model Ships (Maquettes)
• Spirits (Spiritueux)
• Books (Librairie)
• Donation Program (Faire un don)

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Vasa Museum: Swedish museum operating the 17th-century warship Vasa as a historic ship visitor attraction with retail, dining, and events. Comparable visitor-economics business around a single preserved historic vessel, but land-based museum rather than a sailing operation.
• Cutty Sark (Royal Museums Greenwich): London visitor attraction housed around the 19th-century clipper ship Cutty Sark, combining museum interpretation, ticketed admission, corporate events, and retail. Adjacent historic-ship visitor-economics peer sharing dock-visit, retail, and event-revenue patterns.

Direct peers

• The Tall Ships Youth Trust: UK-based charity operating two tall sailing vessels for youth sail training and corporate/charter voyages. Highly comparable non-profit heritage-tall-ship model that monetizes voyages and public engagement around a single historic-vessel-class asset.
• Götheborg (Swedish East India Company replica): Swedish sailing replica project operating heritage voyages and port visits with associated foundation funding. Comparable not-for-profit heritage tall-ship operations model offering voyages, dock visits, and crew experiences.
• Jubilee Sailing Trust: Operates the tall ships Lord Nelson and Tenacious for mixed-ability sailing voyages and corporate charters. Closely comparable model combining heritage sailing, voyage bookings, donations, and corporate/private hire revenue streams.
• Sail Training International: International charity coordinating sail training across tall ships worldwide, including regattas and youth voyages. Directly comparable heritage-sail-training mission and educational-voyage fundraising model.
• L'Hermione: French reconstruction of the 18th-century frigate Hermione operating heritage voyages and public-visit dockings, with an associated fondation. Closest French-language peer with the same historic-vessel preservation and public-visitation business model.

Broad incumbents

• Compagnie du Ponant: France-based boutique luxury cruise operator offering small-ship expedition cruises. Same French market and experiential voyage customer overlaps, but broader portfolio and far larger commercial operation.
• Star Clippers: Commercial operator of tall ship cruise voyages (Star Clipper, Royal Clipper) targeting experiential luxury travelers. Comparable commercial large-scale sailing-voyage offering, though for-profit and far larger than Belem.
• Sea Cloud Cruises: Premium cruise line operating the historic four-masted barque Sea Cloud and sister ships. Comparable heritage tall-ship vessel focused leisure cruises for an experiential/luxury traveler, though at much higher price point and scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/troismats_Belem
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCEl1rNgnTO7_5irc7Hkp6vA
• Facebookfacebook.com/TroisMatsBelem
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondation-belem
• Instagraminstagram.com/troismatsbelem
• TikToktiktok.com/@troismatsbelem

Compliance1 record

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 Fondation Belem Caisse d'Epargne