Borrow A Boat, the leading boating marketplace in the UK, has successfully acquired Berlin-based boating marketplace Zizoo, in line with its global and market consolidation strategy. The move leverages Borrow A Boat’s position by increasing its inventory to over 60,000 boats located in more than 65 countries, making it one of the world’s three largest boat rental marketplaces. This strategy is aimed at seizing the opportunity presented by the rapidly growing travel segment of boat rental. Borrow a Boat’s expertise in the digital boat-rental market, coupled with Zizoo’s leadership in the multi-day rental and boating holiday segments, is expected to create one of the largest boat rental marketplaces worldwide.
Borrow A Boat’s robust expansion strategy, which has supported the addition of other platforms, underscores its commitment to scaling its activities in the highly digitised boat-rental sector. This move positions Borrow A Boat as one of the few marketplaces covering all three essential market segments in boat rentals, including day-hires, boating holidays, and luxury crewed charters.
Borrow A Boat’s operations in London and Amsterdam will be joined by Zizoo’s teams in Athens, Greece, and Berlin, which will increase the group’s global reach. The joining together of these two leading marketplaces provides an opportunity for the consolidation of their expertise in technology, automation, and exceptional customer experience, enabling scalable global growth.
CEO and Founder Matt Ovenden is enthusiastic about the prospects presented by the acquisition, commenting that the boat rental market is one of the most rapidly expanding travel sectors globally. Borrow A Boat’s mission is to make boating more accessible to everyone, a goal that will be more readily achievable via the expanded reach, customer base, and unique inventory of boats. The acquisition allows for the incorporation of Zizoo’s technology, teams and solutions, which will enable the delivery of high service standards for industry peers on a daily basis.
Zizoo Founder Anna Banicevic believes the acquisition aligns with the tech vision for their customers, providing access to a more robust engine to drive change, innovation and deliver better customer experience in an industry that is highly competitive. The strategic goal of making boating accessible and easy to navigate for all customers is shared by the two marketplaces. The guarantee of minimal disruption for existing bookings made by Zizoo, factoring in a dedicated team to handle enquiries, will reassure customers.
Moving forward, Borrow A Boat hopes to leverage its acquisition to provide boating customers in the new regions with more options, help businesses grow, foster innovation, and enhance user experiences. Borrow A Boat’s platform offers boating holiday rentals, day boat rentals, weekend charters, week-long boating trips, and access to over 1,800 “Below Deck”-style crewed superyachts, catering to the needs of all clients.
