ain

What ain does

AIN is a French wholesale distributor of cordless power tools, accessories, and adjacent equipment, operating under the legal entity SAS AIN (RCS Paris 795 000 652, share capital €200,000) and headquartered in the Loiret department (45). Founded in 2015, the company distributes a portfolio of 13 established brands — Bahco, Bosch, Bostitch, DeWalt, Diager, Diam, Fein, Festool, Hikoki, Kärcher, Makita, Metabo, and Scheppach — covering professional and prosumer demand for cordless drills, saws, grinders, nailers, and related consumables across France and the broader European market.

The business runs a three-channel go-to-market: (i) B2B wholesale to retailers, resellers, and trade professionals; (ii) direct e-commerce via the proprietary site cotebrico.fr; and (iii) listings on major European marketplaces including Cdiscount, ManoMano, Amazon, and eBay. This structure lets AIN serve both trade buyers purchasing at wholesale and end-user customers (DIY and professional trades) purchasing retail, with channel selection driven by order profile and customer segment rather than by any vertical SaaS or software layer.

AIN is structured as an independent SAS with no disclosed parent company, external investors, or funding rounds. There are no disclosed pricing models, no recurring software/SaaS revenue, and no disclosed headcount. Revenue mechanics follow a standard wholesale-and-retail distribution markup on inventoried physical goods, with marketplace fees and shipping costs absorbing part of the unit economics. The capital base of €200,000 is consistent with a small French operating SAS rather than a scaled distribution platform.

Name

ain

Legal name

SAS AIN

Website

https://sas-ain.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

AIN is a French wholesale distributor of cordless power tools and equipment serving B2B resellers, trade professionals, and DIY end-users across France and broader Europe through 13 manufacturer brand partnerships, a proprietary e-commerce site, and major third-party marketplaces.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Distribution of Power Tools: SAS AIN generates revenue through wholesale distribution of cordless power tools. As a wholesaler specialist, they purchase tools from leading brands and sell to customers, maintaining margin through their distribution network efficiency and volume-based purchasing power with brand partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SAS AIN is a French wholesale distributor specializing in cordless power tools, sourcing products from 13 leading manufacturers (Bahco, Bosch, Bostitch, DeWalt, Diager, Diam, Fein, Festool, Hikoki, Kärcher, Makita, Metabo, Scheppach) and reselling them across European distribution networks. The company supplements its wholesale business with a proprietary commercial e-commerce platform, Cotebrico.fr, for direct sales of power tools to retailers, professionals, and end customers in France and broader Europe.

Product overview

SAS AIN is a wholesaler and distributor specializing in cordless power tools for the European market. The company operates as a multi-brand distributor offering products from 13 major power tool manufacturers including Bahco, Bosch, Bostitch, DeWalt, Diager, Diam, Fein, Festool, Hikoki, Karcher, Makita, Metabo, and Scheppach. Their service portfolio centers on wholesale distribution, offering fast, professional, and reliable service with competitive pricing. The company also operates its own e-commerce platform, Cotebrico.fr, to serve retail customers across France and Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cordless Power Tools Wholesale Distribution Multi-brand wholesale distribution of cordless power tools sourced from leading manufacturers (Bahco, Bosch, Bostitch, DeWalt, Diager, Diam, Fein, Festool, Hikoki, Kärcher, Makita, Metabo, Scheppach), serving European power tool retailers, resellers, and professional buyers with competitive pricing and fast delivery.
• Cotebrico.fr E-commerce Platform Dedicated commercial e-commerce website operated by SAS AIN for direct sales of cordless power tools to retailers, professionals, and end customers in France and broader Europe.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BahcocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBahco is one of the leading power tool brands distributed by SAS AIN. SAS AIN works in close partnership with Bahco and other leading brands to offer products at competitive prices.
• BoschcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBosch is one of the major power tool brands in SAS AIN's portfolio. The partnership allows SAS AIN to offer Bosch products to customers seeking quality tools at competitive prices.
• BostitchcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBostitch is included in SAS AIN's brand portfolio, providing additional variety for customers in the cordless power tools segment.
• DeWaltcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDeWalt is a key brand partner for SAS AIN, one of the leading names in professional power tools. SAS AIN distributes DeWalt products across their market channels.
• DiagercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDiager is a brand partner specialized in drill bits and cutting tools, complementing SAS AIN's power tool offering.
• DiamcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDiam is a brand partner for SAS AIN, adding to their comprehensive range of power tool solutions.
• FeincoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFein is a premium German power tool brand in SAS AIN's partnership network, known for durability and professional-grade tools.
• FestoolcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFestool is a premium brand partner for SAS AIN, specializing in high-quality professional power tools and workshop equipment.
• HiKOKIcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHiKOKI (formerly Hitachi Power Tools) is a key brand partner providing a wide range of professional power tools to SAS AIN's distribution network.
• KärchercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKärcher is a brand partner for SAS AIN, extending their product range to include cleaning equipment alongside power tools.
• MakitacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMakita is a leading brand partner for SAS AIN, one of the world's largest manufacturers of cordless power tools, highly valued by professionals.
• MetabocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMetabo is a premium German power tool brand in SAS AIN's partnership portfolio, known for professional-grade cordless tools.
• ScheppachcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorScheppach is a brand partner providing quality power tools and workshop equipment to SAS AIN's distribution network.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Würth Group: Global market leader in trade distribution (fasteners, tools, consumables) with hundreds of thousands of B2B customers across Europe. Comparable to AIN as a multi-brand professional tools and hardware distributor, though operating at vastly larger scale and broader category breadth.
• SFS Group: Swiss-headquartered industrial distributor of fasteners, tools, and engineered components to European trade and OEM customers. Comparable as a broader multi-brand distribution peer, though with deeper fastener/industrial mix than AIN's pure cordless-power-tool focus.

Direct peers

• Fixami: Dutch online power tools retailer/distributor with a deep catalogue of leading brands. Comparable to AIN's e-commerce-led, multi-brand distribution model targeting both trades and consumers across Europe, including marketplace sales.
• Toolstation: UK-based multi-brand tool and hardware retailer/distributor (owned by Travis Perkins), selling to tradespeople and DIY customers. Directly comparable to AIN in its multi-channel distribution of leading power tool brands (DeWalt, Makita, Bosch, etc.) and similar B2B/B2C customer mix.
• ManoMano: French-founded pan-European online marketplace dedicated to DIY, home improvement, and power tools, hosting many of the same brands AIN distributes. Comparable as a competitor in European online channels for power tool distribution.
• Toolnation: Dutch online specialist in power tools and accessories, distributing multiple leading brands. Closely comparable to AIN in its multi-brand, e-commerce-anchored model focused on cordless and professional power tools.
• Cromwell Tools: UK-based industrial and professional tool distributor offering multi-brand catalogues to trade and industrial buyers. Directly comparable to AIN's B2B multi-brand distribution model for professional tool users.
• Berner Group: European multi-brand B2B distributor of tools, fasteners, chemicals, and consumables for construction, workshop, and maintenance professionals. Highly comparable to AIN's model of consolidating leading tool brands (including Makita, Bosch, etc.) under one distributor relationship for trades professionals across Europe.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 ain