OPALIA SA

What OPALIA SA does

OPALIA S.A. is a French private company, founded in 2009 as a joint venture between Suez Eau France and Vert Marine, that specialises in public-private partnership (PPP) and concession contracts for public aquatic and leisure facilities. Headquartered at Tour CB 21 in Paris La Défense with operational offices in Nanterre, the company operates four aquatic centres (Centre aquanautique Camille Muffat in Rosny-sous-Bois, Centre Aquatique de la Plaine/CAP in Sartrouville, Piscine Origami in Rillieux-la-Pape, and Le CAB in Viroflay) under long-term concessions ranging from 10 to 25 years, and is developing two further centres (Marne-et-Gondoire at Bussy-Saint-Georges and L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue), both scheduled to open in 2027.

The company's offering is structured around five integrated service modules — Imaginer (design), Financer (project financing), Construire (construction coordination), Animer (animation and programming), and Gérer (facility management) — delivered as a single concession interlocutor. Technical maintenance is performed in-house rather than outsourced, leveraging operational know-how from shareholder Vert Marine, which manages approximately 80 aquatic and ice-rink sites across France. OPALIA arranges and guarantees full project financing for the contract duration and operates with a small team of 29 employees.

OPALIA serves exclusively French local government authorities (collectivités) such as municipalities and inter-municipal bodies, competing for concessions through the regulated French public procurement process. Revenue is derived from long-dated concession management fees and ancillary site services rather than from direct consumer pricing, and the company's own annual revenue is not publicly disclosed. Marketing is conducted primarily through B2G channels, notably industry events such as the Salon des Maires et des Collectivités Locales and the Piscine de Demain colloquium.

Name

OPALIA SA

Legal name

OPALIA S.A.

Website

https://opalia.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OPALIA S.A. is a French PPP/concession specialist, founded in 2009 by Suez Eau France and Vert Marine, that finances, builds, and operates public aquatic centres under long-term contracts with French municipalities. It currently manages four sites with two more opening in 2027.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Aquatic Facility Concession Services

NAICS

Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131), Amusement and Theme Parks (71311)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Park Operations & Management Services (Third-Party Operators) (THAAABAI)

Keywords

• Public aquatic facilities
• Concession management
• Public-private partnerships
• Municipal leisure centers
• Aquatic center operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris La Défense

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Concession management fees: OPALIA generates revenue through long-term concession contracts (typically 20-25 years) with French municipalities and inter-municipal authorities (collectivités). The company finances, designs, constructs, and manages public aquatic and leisure facilities. Revenue covers the full project lifecycle from construction through operation, with costs and performance guarantees known from contract signature.
2. Operational management of aquatic centres: Ongoing management of aquatic centres including public services (school and club reception), daily animation, technical maintenance performed in-house, and ancillary services such as wellness, fitness, and retail. Visitor numbers across 4 operational sites exceeded 910,000 in 2025.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

OPALIA finances, designs, builds, animates, and operates public aquatic and leisure centres under long-term (20-25 year) concession / public-private partnership contracts with French local government authorities. The company currently operates four aquatic centres serving more than 910,000 visitors annually and has two additional centres under development for 2027 delivery. Its offering is structured around five integrated modules — Imaginer (design), Financer (financing), Construire (construction), Animer (programming), and Gérer (management) — bundled into a single concession contract.

Product overview

OPALIA SA is a concession management company offering integrated services for sports and leisure facilities, particularly aquatic centers. The company provides a complete lifecycle solution through five interconnected service modules: Imaginer (design/planning), Financer (financing), Construire (construction), Animer (animation/programming), and Gérer (management). OPALIA operates four aquatic centers under long-term concessions (Centre aquanautique Camille Muffat, Centre Aquatique de la Plaine/CAP, Piscine ORIGAMI, and Le CAB), with two new centers under development (Marne et Gondoire and L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue). The company leverages the expertise of its shareholders Vert Marine (~80 sites managed in France) and Suez Eau France to deliver comprehensive public-private partnership solutions for local communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Centre Aquatique de la Plaine (CAP) Large aquatic centre operated under long-term concession for the Communauté de Communes de la Boucle de la Seine in Sartrouville (Yvelines), serving schools, clubs, regional and national swimming and diving competitions, and the general public through swimming, wellness, fitness, and beauty programmes.
• Centre Aquanautique Camille Muffat Public aquatic centre operated under a 24-year concession for the Ville de Rosny-sous-Bois (Seine-Saint-Denis), offering a 25m pool, shape pool with massage jets, aquagym, cross training, and serving as a venue for regional and national wrestling competitions.
• Piscine Origami Aquatic centre operated under the SemOp du Loup Pendu public-private partnership between OPALIA and the Ville de Rillieux-la-Pape (Rhône), offering sports and leisure pools, splashpad, pentagliss, and a full wellness area with jacuzzis, saunas, and hammam.
• Le CAB (Centre Aquatique des Bertisettes) Public aquatic centre operated under concession for the Ville de Viroflay (Yvelines), providing a 25m pool, activity pool, infant swimming area, aqua gym, aquacycling, and outdoor aquatic garden overlooking the Forest of Meudon.
• Centre Aquatique de Marne et Gondoire (Bussy-Saint-Georges) Aquatic centre under construction for the Communauté d'Agglomération de Marne-et-Gondoire at Bussy-Saint-Georges (Seine-et-Marne), delivered under a 25-year concession and featuring a 25m sports pool, large activity pool, and wellness area with hammam, sauna, and salt cave.
• Centre Aquatique de L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue Aquatic centre under development for the Communauté de Communes Pays des Sorgues – Monts du Vaucluse in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue (Vaucluse), to be operated under a 23-year concession with an indoor 25m pool, indoor balneoludic pool, outdoor pool, splashpad, and family play areas.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 910,000 combined annual visitors across 4 operational sites in 2025
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GCC (GCC Construction)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024GCC is the construction group partnered by OPALIA for the Marne-et-Gondoire aquatic centre project at Bussy-Saint-Georges. GCC also built Le CAB in Viroflay and is a recurring construction partner in OPALIA projects.
• Atelier PO & PO (Calligaro)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural firm Atelier PO & PO (led by Jean-Luc Calligaro) is the recurring architectural partner for OPALIA projects including the Marne-et-Gondoire centre and Viroflay CAB.
• BLB ConstructionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBLB Construction participated in the Origami project alongside OPALIA, Demathieu Bard Immobilier, and architecture agency Chabanne.
• Demathieu Bard ImmobilierminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDemathieu Bard Immobilier partnered with OPALIA on the Piscine Origami project and on the L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue concession signed in October 2024.
• Chabanne (Agence d'Architecture)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm Chabanne designed the Piscine Origami in Rillieux-la-Pape.
• Water FamilyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOPALIA benefits from the association Water Family's expertise through Vert Marine's partnership, using it to raise usager awareness of water preservation through educational materials and totems installed at OPALIA sites.
• CRISTAL ÉCO CHALEUR (ENGIE Solutions)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRISTAL ÉCO CHALEUR, a subsidiary of ENGIE Solutions, provides district heating (chauffage urbain) to the Centre Aquatique de la Plaine (CAP) in Sartrouville via the SITRU network, replacing gas consumption with renewable energy from waste incineration.
• Soho ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoho Architecture is the architectural partner alongside OPALIA for the new aquatic centre at L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue (Pays des Sorgues).
• Groupe QuadriplusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroupe Quadriplus partnered with OPALIA on the L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue concession project.
• Demathieu Bard Bâtiment Sud-EstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDemathieu Bard Bâtiment Sud-Est is the construction partner alongside OPALIA for the L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue aquatic centre.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Engie Solutions: Engie Solutions is a major French energy and facilities management provider with significant public-sector infrastructure expertise. Through its subsidiary Cristal Eco Chaleur (already a partner at OPALIA's CAP site), it is an adjacent incumbent capable of bundling energy and facility services into public tenders.
• Veolia Eau France: Veolia is a global environmental services and water utility leader with a significant French water concession footprint. Its delegated public services model and capital scale position it as a potential competitor for larger aquatic PPP tenders.
• Saur: Saur is a French water and environmental services concessionaire serving municipalities. While primarily a water utility, its delegated public services capability makes it a credible adjacent competitor in the public aquatic facility PPP space.
• Suez Eau France: Suez Eau France is OPALIA's other founding shareholder and a major French water services concessionaire. While its core focus is water utility management rather than aquatic leisure, it has the scale and concession expertise to enter or expand into aquatic PPPs alongside OPALIA.
• Sodexo Sports & Leisure: Sodexo's Sports & Leisure division operates public aquatic and fitness facilities internationally under management contracts. Its scale and facility management DNA position it as a potential entrant or competitor in the French public aquatic concession market.

Direct peers

• Serruis Groupe: Serruis is a French private operator specializing in delegated public management of aquatic centers and sports facilities, directly comparable to OPALIA in scale, geography, and PPP/concession business model.
• Vert Marine: Vert Marine is OPALIA's founding shareholder and directly operates ~80 French aquatic and ice rink sites under delegated public management. It is the closest comparable in terms of public aquatic facility operations in France and the most likely competitor for the same concession tenders.
• UCPA: UCPA is a major French non-profit operator of sports and aquatic facilities, frequently partnering with local authorities to manage public pools and leisure centers, making it a comparable B2G aquatic operator.
• Recrea: Recrea is a French specialist operator of public aquatic centers under concession contracts with local authorities, directly competing with OPALIA in the same B2G public-private partnership model across France.

Regional players

• Equalia: Equalia is a Spanish public water and environmental services concessionaire (FCC Aqualia subsidiary) that operates public aquatic and leisure facilities under concession in Spain and Latin America. It is a comparable concession-based aquatic operator but geographically focused on Iberia and LatAm.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/opalia-sa

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 OPALIA SA