Groningen-based boat rental platform Tubber secures €1M to sail beyond the Dutch shore

The Groningen-based Tubber, a boat rental platform, announced that it has secured €1M in a fresh round of funding from NOM (Northern Netherlands Development Company).

The Dutch boat rental platform will use the fund to extend its reach beyond the Dutch shore and scale up abroad more quickly.

The announcement comes a few months after securing an undisclosed follow-up investment for growth from G-Force Capital, Move Fast Ventures, and Marnix van der Ploeg. 

After the funding, the company expanded its operation in the UK, followed by Germany. Tubber says it is also planning to expand its operations to the Scandinavian market.

“We will only roll out further when the platform is in good condition in a specific country,” Tessa explains. ‘The tide is with us, because since corona, sailing holidays have become increasingly popular worldwide.’

Tubber: Boat rental platform

Founded in 2010 by Anne de Vries, Tubber is a booking platform that connects professional rental companies, such as charter companies with people who want to rent a sailing yacht, catamaran, or motorboat.

“It is our ultimate goal to make a sailing holiday on the blue water accessible to everyone,” says Anne de Vries, founder of Tubber.

Currently, the platform offers a choice of more than 16,000 boats in more than 750 destinations worldwide, with a focus on the Mediterranean. 

The Dutch company has a permanent contact person — shipmate, who will guide users through the booking process and is available 24/7 afterward.

The investor

NOM is the regional development agency for the Northern Netherlands. The platform invests in promising new and existing businesses, attracts direct foreign investment, and develops innovative business networks. 

“Tessa and Anne are enthusiastic sailing fanatics and have turned their passion into a fast-growing business,” argues Boudewijn Hulst, investment manager at NOM. 

“‘Tubber consists of a strong team, supplemented with excellent advisors, and also has a broad network of professional boat owners. One of the pillars of our investment policy is the ‘smarter’ theme. An innovative and scalable company like Tubber, with the potential to shake up a traditional market, fits in well with this,” concludes Hulst.