More and more, people are using their money on experiences and less on material things. Since 2013, GetMyBoat has participated in this phenomenon and enabled the peer-to-peer boat rental market, bringing a multitude of water experiences to people all over the world. The platform is similar to and as simple as AirBnB, letting users rent anything from kayaks and jet skis to sailboats and yachts.
Now GetMyBoat is the world’s largest boat and watercraft rental marketplace with over 108,000 listings in 184 countries and over 9,300 locations, but these numbers are soon to increase. Today, GetMyBoat has announced plans to accelerate their global expansion with a $10MM strategic investment led by Yanmar and other investors.
Yanmar is a privately held, multi-billion dollar multinational company headquartered in Osaka, Japan. The investment includes a strategic partnership between GetMyBoat and Yanmar Group company Yanmar Marine International, a top tier manufacturer and provider of marine engines. Shiori Nagata, President of Yanmar Marine International, will also join GetMyBoat’s Board of Directors.
“GetMyBoat is by far the world’s leading marketplace for boat rentals and water experiences,” said Shiori Nagata, President Yanmar Marine International. “As part of our search for the strongest and most innovative, technologically advanced platform, GetMyBoat was clearly our partner of choice. GetMyBoat is led by a successful serial entrepreneur with a proven track record and has the most listings and customers across the globe. Yanmar and GetMyBoat are perfect partners to facilitate allowing more people to experience the water and to explore the future of the global recreational marine industry.”
Down the line, we can expect to see the company grow in Europe and Asia, and further secure their position in the United States. They also plan to use the investment to improve their platform and product.
