What Voltaire Design USA & Canada does

Voltaire Design is a French designer and manufacturer of premium custom-made equestrian saddles, founded in 2010 and headquartered in Bidart, France, under the legal entity Groupe Voltaire SAS. The company operates seven main saddle models across two product lines: the Blue line, anchored by the Blue Infinite connected saddle, and the Elegance line (Palm Beach, Stuttgart, Lexington, Elkton, Adelaide EVO, Welli). All saddles are custom-made in France using premium French leather, with trees manufactured by Arçonnerie Française (one of the world's oldest tree makers). The flagship Blue Infinite integrates Equisense Inside sensor technology (launched March 2023, following Blue Infinite II in December 2022) to capture horse biometric data — heart rate and performance metrics — that riders can review via a connected mobile app.

The company serves professional and amateur equestrian riders across seven regional markets (France, UK, US, Canada, Germany, EU, and New Zealand) through a hybrid distribution model. The primary go-to-market is an enterprise-style field sales motion: regional Saddle Experts conduct free, no-obligation static and dynamic fittings at customer stables, recommend the optimal saddle model, capture exact measurements for both horse and rider, and facilitate custom orders with a 10-12 week production lead time. This is supplemented by an owned e-commerce storefront selling accessories and tack (girths at $460-$700, stirrups at $260-$370, leather care, apparel) and the Equitack platform for pre-owned saddle resale and trade-in.

Voltaire's revenue model is dominated by one-time sales of made-to-measure saddles at quote-based premium price points, supported by accessory unit sales and a smaller transaction-fee stream from used-saddle resale. Customers include Olympic-caliber professional show jumpers (e.g., Rowan Willis, Daniel Coyle, Beezie Madden) used for endorsement and brand visibility, plus amateur riders and accessory buyers. The business is founder-owned, with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity, and operates with a 19-employee US/Canada subsidiary (Coral Springs, Florida) supporting the North American market.

Name

Voltaire Design USA & Canada

Legal name

Groupe Voltaire

Website

https://voltairedesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Voltaire Design is a French manufacturer of premium custom-made equestrian saddles, serving professional and amateur riders across the US, Canada, Europe, and Oceania through regional Saddle Experts and owned e-commerce storefronts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Coral Springs, Florida

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Saddle Sales: Primary revenue stream from made-to-measure saddles sold directly to customers through Saddle Experts. Orders require 30% deposit with balance due within 5 weeks for EU customers. Custom saddles include tree warranty (5 years), leather warranty (2 years), and panel fitting warranty (3 months). Production lead time is 10-12 weeks.
2. Equestrian Accessories and Tack: Sales of accessories including girths, bridles, breastplates, stirrups, leather care products, saddle pads, and rider apparel through e-commerce platform. Products include anatomical girths ($460-$700), stirrups ($260-$370), leather care kits, and rider apparel.
3. Used Saddle Sales (Equitack): Resale of pre-owned saddles through the Equitack platform. Voltaire Design acts as a reseller for other brand used saddles. Used saddles from Voltaire also available. Trade-in programs offered for custom saddle purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Voltaire Design designs and manufactures custom-made premium equestrian saddles in France using French leather, offering seven saddle models across the Blue line (including the Blue Infinite with integrated Equisense Inside biometric performance tracking) and the Elegance line. The company complements its saddles with equestrian tack, accessories, leather care products, horse and rider apparel, and a used saddle resale platform (Equitack), supported by a network of regional Saddle Experts who provide free on-location fitting services.

Product overview

Voltaire Design is a French designer and manufacturer of premium custom-made equestrian saddles, offering seven main saddle models across two product lines: the Blue line (Blue Infinite with integrated connected technology) and the Elegance line (Palm Beach, Stuttgart, Lexington, Elkton, Adelaide EVO, Welli). All saddles are custom-made in France using French leather, with trees manufactured by Arçonnerie Française. The Blue Infinite is the flagship connected saddle featuring Equisense Inside technology for biometric performance tracking. In addition to saddles, Voltaire Design offers a comprehensive range of equestrian tack and accessories (girths, bridles, stirrups, breastplates), leather care products (Hercules soap and balsam), horse apparel, rider apparel, and branded merchandise. The company operates through a network of regional saddle experts who provide free custom fitting services. Used saddles are available through the Equitack platform, and a trade-in program supports custom saddle purchases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Blue Infinite Saddle Premium custom-made jumping saddle with integrated connected technology (Equisense Inside). Features biometric sensors that collect heart rate and performance data during riding. Recognizable by its distinctive striped gusset design.
• Blue Infinite II Saddle Updated version of the Blue Infinite featuring enhanced connected technology for sport riding with integrated Equisense Inside biometric performance tracking.
• Palm Beach Saddle Custom-made saddle from the Elegance line, featuring trees manufactured in France by Arçonnerie Française. Designed for dressage riding.
• Stuttgart Saddle Custom-made saddle from the Elegance line, featuring trees manufactured in France by Arçonnerie Française. Part of the premium saddle collection.
• Lexington Saddle Custom-made saddle from the Elegance line, featuring trees manufactured in France by Arçonnerie Française. Part of the premium saddle collection.
• Elkton Saddle Custom-made saddle from the Elegance line, featuring trees manufactured in France by Arçonnerie Française. Part of the premium saddle collection.
• Adelaide EVO Saddle Custom-made saddle from the Elegance line, featuring trees manufactured in France by Arçonnerie Française. An evolved version of the Adelaide model.
• Welli Saddle Custom-made saddle from the Elegance line, featuring trees manufactured in France by Arçonnerie Française. Part of the premium saddle collection.
• Blue Wing Saddle Premium custom saddle model offered on the Canadian and US markets, featuring the brand's signature design and craftsmanship.
• Custom Saddle Fitting Service Saddle experts perform static and dynamic fitting at the customer's location (stable/yarn) to determine the ideal saddle model and exact measurements for rider and horse, at no cost and with no purchase obligation.
• Girths Equestrian girths including anatomic, sheepskin, and bellyguard variants. Includes long and short sizes in various materials and colors.
• Bridles Horse bridles and reins including rubber reins and web reins in various colors.
• Stirrups & Leathers Premium stirrups including Alfa Jump models (flat base, inclined base, junior variants) and calf-lined stirrup leathers in various sizes.
• Breastplates & Martingales Equestrian breastplates and martingales for competition and training use.
• Leather Care Products Hercules glycerine soap and leather balsam for maintaining Voltaire Design leather goods. Products include QR code linking to care instructions.
• Horse Apparel Saddle pads (dressage), ear bonnets, half pads, horse blankets and protection gear for horses.
• Rider Apparel Rider clothing and accessories including socks, baseball hats, sun shirts, and other branded apparel items.
• Branded Goodies Branded merchandise including umbrellas, shopping bags, card organizers, key rings, horse passport holders, and iPad cases.
• Equitack Used Saddles Pre-owned saddles available for purchase through Equitack, Voltaire Design's dedicated used saddle platform. Includes saddle trade-in program for custom saddle purchases.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10-12 weeks average production time for custom saddles
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Integration4 records

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EquitackcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEquitack is Voltaire Design's dedicated platform for used saddle sales. Voltaire Design redirects customers to equitack.com for pre-owned saddle purchases. Equitack handles used saddle transactions while Voltaire Design provides expert advice on fit through their Saddle Expert network.
• EquisensecoreTechnology or IntegrationEquisense Inside technology is integrated into Voltaire Design's Blue Infinite connected saddle. The Equisense device and app enable riders to track performance metrics including heart rate and training data. The Blue Jumping girth collects heart rate data in conjunction with the saddle's connected technology.
• l'Arçonnerie FrançaisecoreTechnology or IntegrationL'Arçonnerie Française is one of the world's oldest tree makers and produces the saddle trees for Voltaire Design's Elegance line (Palm Beach, Stuttgart, Welli, Lexington, Elkton, Adelaide). All trees carry a 5-year warranty.
• ECOLOGICminorOthersECOLOGIC handles eco-compliance for Voltaire Design's articles of sport and leisure (identifier: FR294764_13BGMT) and electronic devices (identifier: FR294764_05MBHL) as part of Groupe Voltaire's environmental responsibility program.
• REFASHIONminorOthersREFASHION handles eco-compliance for Voltaire Design's textiles intended for cavaliers (identifier: FR294764_11JPQU) as part of Groupe Voltaire's environmental responsibility program.
• SCRELEC/BATRIWEBminorOthersSCRELEC/BATRIWEB handles eco-compliance for Voltaire Design's batteries and accumulators (identifier: FR028535_06KL72) as part of Groupe Voltaire's environmental responsibility program.
• CITEOminorOthersCITEO handles eco-compliance for Voltaire Design's packaging materials (identifier: FR294764_01FTET) as part of Groupe Voltaire's environmental responsibility program. Prevention and eco-design plans submitted valid until 2028.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Devoucoux: French premium custom saddle maker with parallel Olympic and Grand Prix rider endorsement strategy and custom fitting model. Direct competitor in the same high-end French custom saddle segment targeting elite and amateur show jumping/dressage riders.
• CWD (Sellier): French luxury custom-made jumping and dressage saddle maker with elite rider endorsements (CSIO-level show jumpers). Closest direct competitor to Voltaire Design on premium custom French saddles, target customer (professional show jumpers), and made-to-measure fitting model.
• Stubben: German premium saddle maker with custom options, show jumping heritage, and similar professional rider endorsement playbook. Direct peer on premium custom saddles and international equestrian market positioning.
• Antares Sellier: French premium saddle maker offering custom and semi-custom jumping/dressage saddles with similar price tier and rider endorsement approach. Direct competitor in the international custom French saddle market.
• Butet: Long-established French family-owned premium saddle maker with similar craftsmanship-led positioning and custom saddle offering. Direct peer on premium French saddle heritage, custom fit, and show jumping target audience.
• Frank Baines Saddlery: English luxury custom saddle maker with handcrafted heritage and bespoke fitting model. Direct peer on premium custom saddle craftsmanship, custom fit service, and high-end show jumping/dressage target market.
• Prestige Italia: Italian custom saddle maker with strong show jumping rider endorsement roster and made-to-measure positioning. Direct peer on premium custom saddle offering, professional rider marketing, and international distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Pessoa Saddles: Long-established saddle brand with strong show jumping lineage and broader price-point coverage. Comparable on target rider demographic (show jumpers) and product category, but competes at a more accessible price tier than Voltaire's custom-made premium positioning.
• Hermès (Saddlery division): Luxury conglomerate with a saddlery/equestrian leather goods division that produces high-end custom saddles. Comparable as a benchmark for ultra-premium positioning and craftsmanship, though equestrian is a small part of a much broader luxury portfolio.
• Bates Australia: Established saddle brand (part of Weatherbeeta group) with show jumping heritage and a wider price/accessibility range. Comparable on jumping saddle category and rider base, but operates more at the mid-market versus Voltaire's premium-custom niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/voltaire-design-usa-canada

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 Voltaire Design USA & Canada