BirdyFish
BirdyFish is a French manufacturer of accessible, high-performance foiling dinghies produced in-house in Saint-Herblain, France. It sells three carbon-composite models through an exclusive international dealer network serving recreational sailors, sailing schools, and competitive racers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSaint-herblain, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What BirdyFish does
BirdyFish (SAS BIRDYFISH) is a French designer and manufacturer of high-performance foiling dinghies, founded in 2018 and headquartered in Saint-Herblain near Nantes. The company operates from a single in-house atelier where it designs and produces hulls, hydrofoils, and rudders using fiberglass and carbon fiber composites. Its product line comprises three models: the Ioda by Birdyfish (a 55kg solo foiler with 90kg load capacity), the BirdyFish S (a versatile solo/tandem foiler with 150kg capacity and integrated launch wheels), and the BirdyFish (a double-handed foiler supplied with both learning and racing sail sets). All boats share a proprietary self-regulating J-shaped hydrofoil architecture manufactured in carbon fiber that requires no user adjustment and enables takeoff from approximately 8 knots of wind, with reported speeds exceeding 20 knots.
The core technology is the self-regulating J-shaped foil, designed and produced in-house, which automatically contributes to the boat's righting moment without requiring crew weight as the lifting condition. This is complemented by an exclusive sail-supply partnership with Delta Voiles (Montpellier), whose sails are co-developed with BirdyFish's naval architect to match the accessible-foiling value proposition. The BirdyFish S was awarded Sailing World's Boat of the Year 2025 – Best Foiler.
BirdyFish generates revenue through one-time hardware sales distributed exclusively via a network of independent international dealers covering France, the United States, Ireland, Denmark, Poland, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Australia, with no public pricing and quote-based transactions. Customers span three segments: individual recreational and club sailors, sailing schools and nautical training centers (e.g., ENVSN, Centre Nautique du Cap d'Agde), and competitive regatta sailors. Go-to-market is event-driven, with active participation in major European and US boat shows (Yachting Festival Cannes, Grand Pavois La Rochelle, Nautic Paris, Boot Düsseldorf, Annapolis), sponsored regattas (Clearwater $15,000 Performance Regattas, Grand Prix de l'Armistice), and dealer-hosted demo events. The company is privately held, with founder-led ownership supported by Réseau Entreprendre, Mer Angels, and Ouest Angels; no institutional venture rounds are disclosed.
BirdyFish firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BirdyFish
- Legal name
- SAS BIRDYFISH
- Website
- https://birdyfish.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- BirdyFish is a French manufacturer of accessible, high-performance foiling dinghies produced in-house in Saint-Herblain, France. It sells three carbon-composite models through an exclusive international dealer network serving recreational sailors, sailing schools, and competitive racers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BirdyFish industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Foiling dinghies / Recreational sailing boats
- NAICS
- Ship Building and Repairing (336611)
- SIC
- Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Day Cruiser, Bowrider & Runabout Manufacturing (IMAJAEAI)
Keywords
Where BirdyFish is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint-herblain
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
BirdyFish business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Foiling dinghy hardware sales: BirdyFish generates revenue from the manufacture and sale of foiling dinghies (BirdyFish, BirdyFish S, Ioda by Birdyfish). Sales are conducted through a network of exclusive international dealers who purchase boats from BirdyFish and resell to end customers. No public pricing is listed — prospective buyers contact dealers or BirdyFish directly for quotes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Product pricing not publicly disclosed |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
BirdyFish product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BirdyFish designs and manufactures high-performance foiling dinghies that lift the hull above the water via self-regulating J-shaped hydrofoils, making the experience of "flying" over water accessible to beginners while still delivering top speeds above 20 knots. The company produces three composite-built models — Ioda by Birdyfish (solo, 55kg), BirdyFish S (solo/tandem, 150kg capacity) and BirdyFish (double-handed with progressive Fun/Race sail sets) — in its Saint-Herblain atelier near Nantes, France, and sells them exclusively through a network of international dealers.
Product overview
BirdyFish is a French manufacturer of accessible, high-performance foiling dinghies produced in their Nantes workshop. The product lineup consists of three distinct foiling boats: the Ioda by Birdyfish (a 55kg solo foiler for single-handed sailing), the BirdyFish S (a versatile solo/tandem foiler with 150kg capacity), and the standard BirdyFish (a double-handed foiler with two sets of sails for learning through competition). All boats feature J-shaped self-regulating foils made from carbon composite, with takeoff possible from 8 knots of wind and speeds exceeding 20 knots. The boats are manufactured in Saint-Herblain, France using composite materials including fiberglass hulls and carbon fiber foils/rudders.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Ioda by Birdyfish: Solo foiling dinghy weighing 55kg, fully equipped, with a maximum load capacity of 90kg. Designed as a small, light, and practical solo foiler.
Products and services
- Ioda by Birdyfish A compact, lightweight solo foiling dinghy weighing 55kg, designed for single-handed sailing with a maximum load capacity of 90kg. Features easy foil takeoff from 8 knots of wind and is sold as a fully-equipped ready-to-foil boat.
- BirdyFish S A versatile solo or tandem foiling dinghy with a maximum load capacity of 150kg, featuring integrated launch wheels within the hull and an ergonomic design for quick and easy foiling. Awarded Boat of the Year 2025 – Best Foiler by Sailing World.
- BirdyFish A double-handed foiling dinghy designed for sailing from learning to racing. Includes two sets of sails (a Fun version for learning and a Race version with membrane sails for competition), enabling progression from beginner to regatta on the same hull, with flight from 8 knots of wind up to 23 knots.
Quantifiable outcome
- Beginner sailors can achieve foiling within minutes without prior foiling experience
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use BirdyFish
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
BirdyFish technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
BirdyFish partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Delta VoilescoreDelta Voiles, a sail manufacturer based in Montpellier, France (founded 1972), is BirdyFish's exclusive sail supplier. Delta Voiles designs and manufactures sails specifically for BirdyFish boats in collaboration with BirdyFish's architect. The partnership involves joint prototype testing sessions — Delta Voiles sails alongside BirdyFish to validate sail designs before mass production, enabling the accessible foiling experience through purpose-designed sail geometry.
- Réseau EntreprendrecoreRéseau Entreprendre is a network of business leader associations providing free, long-term human and financial support to high-potential entrepreneurs. Founded in 1986, it has accompanied BirdyFish founders (Pierre, Alban, and Jean-Baptiste) in developing the company since its startup phase.
- East Coast SailboatscoreEast Coast Sailboats is BirdyFish's exclusive dealer for the US East Coast, operating an experience center at Point Harbord, NC. The dealer hosts demo sessions, trial events, and participates in US regattas (Clearwater Performance Regattas, Pensacola). Multiple demo and regatta events listed on BirdyFish's events calendar are hosted with this dealer.
- Hong Kong dealer (Sky International)majorNew exclusive dealer announced for Hong Kong, expanding BirdyFish's presence in the Asian market.
- Aarhus Sea Shop (Denmark)majorExclusive dealer for Denmark, announced as part of BirdyFish's European dealer network expansion.
- Poland dealermajorExclusive dealer for Poland, announced as part of BirdyFish's European dealer network expansion.
- Aquavitesse (Netherlands)majorExclusive dealer for the Netherlands, announced as part of BirdyFish's European dealer network expansion.
- Ireland dealermajorExclusive dealer for Ireland, announced as part of BirdyFish's European dealer network expansion.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
BirdyFish competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Melges Performance Sailboats: Melges is a US-based performance sailboat builder known for the foiling-capable M20 and M32 catamarans. It competes with BirdyFish in the foiling small-craft segment and shares the dealer-network and regatta-driven go-to-market approach.
- RS Sailing: RS Sailing is a leading UK-based performance and recreational sailing dinghy manufacturer whose range includes foiling-capable models (RS Aero, RS100, RS700). It competes head-to-head with BirdyFish in the same dealer-distributed performance dinghy category and overlapping sailing-school customer base.
- Devoti Sailing: Devoti Sailing is a performance dinghy and skiff builder offering foiling-capable models. It competes with BirdyFish in the performance sailing dinghy category and shares a similar dealer-led distribution model.
- WASZP: WASZP manufactures a one-design foiling sailing dinghy class with an active international regatta circuit. It is a direct competitor to BirdyFish in accessible single-handed foiling and targets a similar sailor-and-sailing-school customer base.
- Flying Phantom / Phantom Foiling: Flying Phantom is a foiling sailing catamaran class active in international regattas. It is a direct competitor in the small-foiling-craft segment and targets similar performance-curious sailors, although it is a catamaran rather than a dinghy.
Others
- North Sails: North Sails is a global sailmaker deeply embedded in foiling sailing (America's Cup, SailGP, Waszp). It is thematically related to BirdyFish through its Delta Voiles-style sail-supply role and the broader foiling ecosystem, though it is not a competing boat manufacturer.
Broad incumbents
- ILCA (Laser Performance): ILCA (formerly Laser) is the dominant one-design recreational and Olympic sailing dinghy class with deep global dealer and sailing-school penetration. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping sailing-dinghy customers but does not currently focus on accessible foiling.
- Tahe Outdoors: Tahe Outdoors is a European watersports brand that manufactures recreational sailing dinghies, kayaks, and paddleboards with broad dealer distribution. It overlaps with BirdyFish on the recreational sailing dinghy customer base and dealer-distribution model.
- Hobie Cat Company: Hobie Cat is a global recreational sailing and watersports brand offering small sailboats and catamarans. It is a broad incumbent in the recreational sailing dinghy/catamaran space with overlapping end customers but a different product focus than BirdyFish's foiling dinghies.
- Topper International: Topper is a UK-based recreational sailing dinghy manufacturer with strong sailing-school distribution. It overlaps with BirdyFish's sailing-school customer segment and competes for entry-level recreational sailors but does not specialize in foiling.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BirdyFish social profiles
Digital presenceBirdyFish financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BirdyFish leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
BirdyFish funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BirdyFish M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BirdyFish
What does BirdyFish do?
BirdyFish designs and manufactures high-performance foiling dinghies that lift the hull above the water via self-regulating J-shaped hydrofoils, making the experience of "flying" over water accessible to beginners while still delivering top speeds above 20 knots. The company produces three composite-built models — Ioda by Birdyfish (solo, 55kg), BirdyFish S (solo/tandem, 150kg capacity) and BirdyFish (double-handed with progressive Fun/Race sail sets) — in its Saint-Herblain atelier near Nantes, France, and sells them exclusively through a network of international dealers.
Is BirdyFish a public or private company?
BirdyFish is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was BirdyFish founded?
BirdyFish was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BirdyFish based?
BirdyFish is headquartered in Saint-herblain, France, in the Europe region.
How does BirdyFish make money?
One revenue line is on record: foiling dinghy hardware sales.
Who are BirdyFish's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Melges Performance Sailboats, RS Sailing, Devoti Sailing, WASZP and Flying Phantom / Phantom Foiling. North Sails is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are ILCA (Laser Performance), Tahe Outdoors, Hobie Cat Company and Topper International.
Does BirdyFish have an API?
No public API is recorded for BirdyFish.
What industry is BirdyFish in?
BirdyFish's product category is Foiling dinghies / Recreational sailing boats. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJAEAI, Day Cruiser, Bowrider & Runabout Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 336611 and its SIC code is 3730.