POLI

What POLI does

POLI is a family-owned French technical sportswear manufacturer founded in 1979 in Marseille by Michel Poli and now in its third generation of ownership. The company designs, develops, and produces apparel for endurance and precision sports, including cycling, triathlon, running, trail, athletics, rowing, and cross-country skiing, with product-level pricing ranging from roughly €35 to €185. The technical positioning is supported by a portfolio of branded proprietary fabric technologies, including Polidry, FullDry, XTENS, LightDRY, Lycra Sport, and AQUATECH, covering moisture management, stretch, and water resistance.

POLI operates a dual-channel revenue model. The direct-to-consumer arm sells through the poli.fr e-commerce platform to individual athletes. The B2B arm customizes apparel for clubs, associations, and teams, supported by an in-house 3D online configurator that enables customization starting from a single unit. In-house manufacturing underpins the responsiveness required for low-MOQ customization. Distribution reaches France, broader Europe, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and Japan. The company employs 56 staff and has recently hired additional sales representatives for the South-East region of France.

The business combines a niche technical apparel producer with a digitally-enabled customization engine targeting club and association kit procurement. Revenue predictability rests on a mix of recurring B2B club relationships and e-commerce with relatively long-tail consumer demand. The competitive profile is more consistent with a category specialist than a scale player, with limited disclosed visibility into unit volumes, channel mix, or contract concentration.

Name

POLI

Legal name

POLITEXT

Website

https://poli.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

POLI is a family-owned French manufacturer of technical sports apparel for cycling, triathlon, running, and related endurance disciplines, serving both individual consumers via e-commerce and B2B clubs and associations through a 3D customization platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technical Sportswear Manufacturing

NAICS

Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (33992), Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (339920), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Team Sports & On-Field Performance Apparel (CRAAAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Team Sports Equipment & Apparel Distribution (CRAOAJAA), Team Sports Equipment & Uniforms Retail (CRAMABAE), Nordic / Cross-Country Ski Retail (Skis, Boots, Bindings, Poles, Wax) (CRAMAJAG)

Keywords

• Custom sportswear manufacturing
• Technical cycling apparel
• Triathlon clothing
• Teamwear customization
• Running and trail apparel

Headquarters

HQ city

Marseille

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2C E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales of ready-to-wear technical sports apparel across cycling, triathlon, running, trail, and athletics categories through poli.fr e-commerce platform
2. B2B Custom Team Apparel: Customized team wear sales to clubs and associations with minimum 10-piece orders, featuring custom design, colors, and branding through online configurator
3. Sales Promotions: Seasonal clearance and promotional sales (SOLDES) offering up to 60% discounts on selected products

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

POLI designs, manufactures, and sells customizable technical sportswear for cycling, triathlon, running, trail, athletics, rowing, and cross-country skiing through in-house French production. It operates a 3D online configurator that lets customers personalize apparel from a single piece (B2C) or order customized team kits for clubs, associations, and professional teams with a minimum of 10 pieces (B2B), alongside its own sportswear sub-brand Eldera.

Product overview

POLI is a French family-owned sportswear manufacturer founded in 1979 by Michel POLI, specializing in technical apparel for cycling, triathlon, running, trail, athletics, rowing, and cross-country skiing. The company operates two distinct business segments: (1) B2B club and association customization services offering personalized technical clothing with a 3D online configurator (minimum 10 pieces), and (2) B2C e-commerce direct-to-consumer sales. POLI's product portfolio spans multiple sport-specific collections including: cycling lines (THALYS, GROOVY, KENNET, MONO, ÉCHAPPÉE, NIMBUS, ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER 93, MIRAGE, HALO, FRESK, LUMEN), triathlon lines (SWELL, ENDURA, NAUTILUS, HYDRIS, LUMEN), running/trail lines (RADIANCE, PHOTON, LICHEN, ENDORPHINE DEALER), and gravel-specific lines (PHOSPHENE, NAHIM). The company manufactures products internally in its own factories with a configurator enabling single-piece customization, and maintains professional team partnerships including St Michel - Preference Home - Auber 93.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eldera: Sportswear sub-brand available through POLI

Products and services

• 3D Online Configurator Interactive online tool allowing customers to design and customize their sports apparel in 3D, enabling unit-level personalization for individuals and team-level customization for clubs and associations.
• Club & Association Customization Service B2B service for sports clubs, associations, and amateur teams offering customizable technical clothing with personalized designs, colors, and branding through the 3D configurator, with a minimum order of 10 pieces and supported by design assistance and sample fitting.
• Technical Cycling Apparel Collection Cycling apparel range including jerseys, bib shorts, gilets, jackets, and bib tights engineered for performance and aerodynamics across entry-level, performance, and premium tiers.
• Technical Triathlon Apparel Collection Triathlon suits (trifonctions) including short-sleeve and sleeveless unisexe, men's, and women's variants using Lycra Sport fabric and AQUATECH water-resistant technology to support swim-bike-run performance.
• Running and Athletics Apparel Collection Running and athletics apparel including T-shirts, tank tops, and athletics combination suits designed with technical fabrics for breathability, comfort, and freedom of movement for both casual and competitive use.
• Eldera Sportswear Sub-Brand Sportswear and accessory sub-brand available through the POLI ecosystem, offering additional apparel and accessory lines beyond the core sport-specific collections.

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• St Michel - Preference Home - Auber 93coreOthersProfessional cycling team partnership where POLI supplies team jerseys for the 2026 season. POLI's NIMBUS women's cycling collection was developed and tested by the St Michel women's pro team, indicating co-development collaboration. The team wears POLI apparel competitively in professional races.
• Christophe (Sales Representative)minorOthersRecently hired commercial sales representative joining POLI's team to cover the South-East France region for club and association sales.
• Jean-Marc (Sales Representative)minorOthersRecently hired commercial sales representative joining POLI's team to cover the South-East France region for club and association sales.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rapha: Premium cycling apparel brand with a strong club and individual cyclist focus, DTC e-commerce, and custom teamwear programs. Comparable to POLI in target customer (endurance cyclists) and customization-led value proposition, but at much larger scale and global brand reach.
• Endura: Scottish/UK cycling and triathlon apparel brand focused on road, MTB, and endurance disciplines with club team and pro team supply. Comparable to POLI on European heritage, technical sportswear, and team customization programs.
• Castelli: Italian heritage cycling apparel maker serving road, gravel, and triathlon with performance jerseys, bib shorts, and suits. Overlaps with POLI on product categories, professional team sponsorships, and premium positioning across European and global cycling markets.
• MAAP: Australian premium cycling apparel brand with strong design identity, DTC focus, and growing teamwear and pro team presence. Comparable to POLI in targeting style- and performance-conscious cyclists via DTC and team channels, though at a different price and brand tier.
• Assos of Switzerland: Swiss premium cycling apparel specialist known for technical fabrics and high-end bib shorts and jerseys. Comparable to POLI's premium technical positioning and fabric technology emphasis, with a similar focus on road cycling and endurance athletes.
• Zoot Sports: Triathlon-focused apparel and wetsuit brand offering trisuits, run apparel, and recovery gear. Comparable to POLI on triathlon product categories (ENDURA, LUMEN, SWELL lines) and direct-to-athlete performance positioning.
• Sportful: Italian performance cycling and cross-country ski apparel brand with pro team sponsorships and a wide product line across road, gravel, and winter disciplines. Comparable to POLI on multi-sport endurance apparel, club/team supply, and European heritage manufacturing.
• Le Col: British premium cycling apparel brand with a strong DTC and pro teamwear model. Comparable to POLI in serving competitive amateur and club cyclists via custom teamwear and performance road/gravel kits.
• Pearl Izumi: Long-established cycling and running apparel brand with technical jerseys, bibs, and triathlon suits. Overlaps with POLI on performance apparel for cycling, triathlon, and running, including B2B teamwear supply and international distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Decathlon (Van Rysel): Global mass-market sporting goods retailer with its in-house Van Rysel road and gravel cycling apparel line. Comparable to POLI as a competitor in cycling apparel across multiple price tiers, but operating at much broader scale and price range.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIAvJUuDqra3ZLHfxdwVStw
• Facebookfacebook.com/POLI.FR
• Instagraminstagram.com/poli_wear
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/politext

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 POLI