KNDmarine

What KNDmarine does

KNDmarine is a France-based (with Valence, Spain listing) engineering services firm specializing in racing yacht performance optimization. The company delivers CFD simulation, Velocity Prediction Program (VPP) modeling, and remote and on-site performance analysis for professional sailing teams across the full competitive spectrum, from dinghies to grand prix programs including Vendée Globe, Volvo Ocean Race, 52 Super Series, IMOCA, Ocean Fifty, Class40, TF35, SailGP, Maxi, and Wally classes. Its customer roster includes more than 20 named elite teams such as Quantum Racing, Platoon, Dongfeng Race Team, BanquePopulaire VIII, MAPFRE, Comanche, Bella Mente, Alinghi, and Arkema. KNDmarine was co-founded by Dimitri Nicolopoulos (former America's Cup design coordinator) and Roland Kleiter (naval architect and co-developer of the Das Boot panel code).

The firm's technical stack combines the proprietary Das Boot panel code with the STAR-CCM+ RANS solver, executed on a parallel computing cluster of several hundred cores capable of producing most hydro matrices within 24 hours. VPP modeling spans fixed-keel monohulls through multihulls and fully foiling yachts using 6 degrees-of-freedom, supported by proprietary scalable aerodynamic coefficient libraries and a feedback loop that validates numerical predictions against real sailing data. The company has productized portions of its expertise into two software offerings, ReXY Gold (GPS-based single/multi-boat analysis for sailors) and ReXY Team (advanced program analysis integrated with RaceReplay and PerfQuery), distributed via dedicated websites.

KNDmarine generates revenue primarily through quote-based professional services engagements with racing teams and design offices, supplemented by subscription-style recurring revenue from the ReXY software suite. The go-to-market is direct enterprise engagement with team principals, designers, and coaches, leveraging reputation and on-site presence at major regattas rather than formal marketing channels. The company operates with approximately 7–10 team members across a parent entity and a French subsidiary (KND Marine France, led by Director and Partner Valentin Le Pivert), and is privately held with no disclosed external funding rounds.

Name

KNDmarine

Legal name

KND Marine

Website

https://kndmarine.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KNDmarine is a France-based engineering firm providing CFD simulation, VPP modeling, and on-water performance analysis for professional racing yacht teams across classes including Vendée Globe, Volvo Ocean Race, 52 Super Series, IMOCA, Ocean Fifty, Class40, TF35, and SailGP.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sailing Performance Optimization Services

NAICS

Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839), Navigational Services to Shipping (48833)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Hydrodynamics & Performance Engineering (Resistance, Propulsion, Seakeeping, Maneuvering) (IMAJAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Project Management & Owner’s Engineering / Technical Consultancy (Spec Writing, Bid Support, Site Support) (IMAJAGAO), Stability, Weight & Load Analysis (Intact/Damage Stability, Weight Control) (IMAJAGAI)

Keywords

• Sailing performance analysis
• Racing yacht optimization
• CFD marine simulation
• Velocity prediction program
• Yacht design engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CFD Design Services: Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations using panel code methods and RANS models. Services range from simpler panel code methods to advanced simulations, tailored to specific design problems and budgets.
2. VPP Services: Velocity Prediction Program evaluation and modeling for yacht performance prediction. Includes fixed keel monohulls, multihulls, and foiling yachts.
3. Performance Analysis Services: Remote and on-site performance analysis including electronics calibration, strategic reports, starts, maneuvers, and fleet analysis. Custom data analysis and reporting.
4. ReXY Gold Software: Single and multi-boat analysis software for sailors relying on GPS trackers only. Distributed via rexygold.com.
5. ReXY Team Software:

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KNDmarine provides sailing performance optimization services for racing yachts from dinghies to grand prix classes, encompassing CFD design services (using Das Boot panel code and STAR-CCM+ RANS solver), VPP modeling across fixed keel monohulls to fully foiling multihulls (6DOF), and remote and on-site performance analysis including electronics calibration, strategic reports, starts, maneuvers, and fleet analysis. The firm also distributes proprietary performance analysis software — ReXY Gold (GPS tracker-based single/multi-boat analysis) and ReXY Team (advanced program analysis integrated with RaceReplay and PerfQuery) — and develops custom aerodynamic coefficient libraries in collaboration with sail designers.

Product overview

KNDmarine is a racing yacht optimization company offering a suite of performance analysis software alongside engineering services. The core products include ReXY Gold (GPS-based single/multi-boat analysis for sailors) and ReXY Team (advanced program analysis integrated with RaceReplay and PerfQuery). These software tools are complemented by design services (CFD and VPP), performance analysis (remote, on-site, and on-board support), spanning from dinghy to Grand Prix sailing programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ReXY Gold: Single and multi-boat analysis software for sailors relying on a GPS tracker only.
• ReXY Team

Products and services

• CFD Design Services
• VPP Services
• Performance Analysis Services
• ReXY Gold Software GPS tracker-based single and multi-boat performance analysis software for sailors, enabling them to extract the last percentage of performance from their boats through logged data analysis. Targeted at amateur and semi-professional sailors using GPS trackers.
• ReXY Team Software Advanced performance analysis software for high-end sailing programs, integrating with RaceReplay and PerfQuery to provide detailed insights including polars, routing, and strategic analysis for professional teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• Most hydro matrices computed within 24 hours
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers26 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• North SailscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVery close relationship with North Sails VPP developers. KND works with the North Sails VPP for yacht performance prediction. Collaboration on VPP modeling and sail design optimization. Proprietary aero coefficient libraries can be scaled to fit most yacht design programs, with regular custom library development for advanced projects.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Adrena: Adrena offers navigation, routing, and performance analysis software widely used in offshore and grand prix sailing. Its polar and routing capabilities are functionally similar to KND's ReXY Team, competing for the same advanced sailing programs.
• PredictWind: PredictWind provides weather routing and GRIB-based performance forecasting for racing and cruising sailors. It overlaps with KND's performance-analysis and routing-polars work, especially for the serious-amateur and pro-racing segments KND targets with ReXY Gold.
• Expedition Marine: Expedition is a navigation and performance tool used by professional offshore sailors (Vendee Globe, OSTAR, Clipper). It serves overlapping customers and use cases (polars, routing, strategy) with KND's ReXY Team and on-board performance services.

Others

• Botin Partners: Botin Partners is a high-end yacht design office with deep TP52, Maxi, and IMOCA experience. It develops its own VPP and CFD workflows, serving an overlapping client base with similar performance engineering needs to KND.
• Clay Oliver Design: Clay Oliver is a US-based performance-oriented yacht design and CFD consultancy with strong TP52 and grand prix racing involvement. It addresses the same type of client (racing teams seeking performance gains) via similar engineering services.
• Quantum Sails: Quantum Sails is a major international sailmaker with its own design, engineering, and VPP capabilities. It is both a customer of KND (Quantum Racing) and a supplier of integrated sail-engineering services to overlapping racing programs.
• VPLP Design: VPLP is a leading multihull and IMOCA design office. It performs in-house CFD and performance optimization for racing yachts, sharing KND's customer base and the broader grand prix design ecosystem even though it primarily sells design services rather than analysis tools.
• Juan Kouyoumdjian Yacht Design: JK is a yacht design office specializing in racing and high-performance yachts (TP52, Volvo 65/70, IMOCA). It runs CFD and VPP work internally, putting it in adjacent competition for design and engineering mandates from grand prix programs.
• Judel/Vrolijk & Co: Judel/Vrolijk is the German design office where co-founder Roland Kleiter built the original Das Boot/VPP optimization loop. It designs top TP52 and IMOCA programs and operates its own CFD and performance engineering group.

Broad incumbents

• North Sails: North Sails is KND's VPP development partner and the world's largest sailmaker. It maintains its own VPP (used by KND) and in-house design teams, making it both a partner and a broad incumbent with overlapping CFD and performance engineering capabilities across many classes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kndmarine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 KNDmarine