Anchor is targeting a US$75B market, and the startup has already seen 3x YoY growth with over 800 yachts now under management.
Yachting Ventures is to take an equity stake in Anchor Yacht Charters, alongside Tom Whitby - who joins as a venture partner to leverage his experience as MD at Oracle VC and GP at Tradeworks.VC. The team will combine industry relationships and domain expertise, to strategically accelerate Anchors’ growth and help the startup scale into new markets.
Commenting on the venture partnership, Tom Whitby said: “Gabbi has a founder mindset, invaluable operator experience and an unparalleled network in the maritime industry. I have already invested into several companies from her Yachting Ventures accelerator program. I look forward to bringing my experience in venture capital and commercial maritime to build Yachting Ventures into a focused Maritime fund. Stand by for more details!”
The game plan with Anchor is to also leverage existing Oracle VC investments in a handful of marine-tech startups that are complementary to the Anchor yacht charter platform. Such strategic partnerships will ultimately help Anchor build a digital moat - ensuring that the startup is able to maintain a competitive advantage and protect long-term market share and profits.
Founded in Tampa Bay, Florida, Anchor is the fastest growing on-demand digital marketplace connecting yacht owners, licenced captains, affiliate brokers, and renters for highly customisable day charters. The core product is a managed marketplace that removes the pain points associated with peer-to-peer marketplaces, where yacht owners are often required to do most of the communication and planning with the charterer themselves.
Anchor is targeting a US$75B market, and the startup has already seen 3x YoY growth with over 800 yachts now under management. The company raised a $2.5M seed round back in August 2021, led by Silverton Partners (based in Austin, Texas). Eying new horizons, Anchor will soon begin acquiring vessels in the Balearics - the yachting capital of the Western Mediterranean, with a huge day charter market.
Founder of Yachting Ventures, Gabbi Richardson, commented: "From an investment perspective, we now have unparalleled access to dealflow and startups raising in this space, and we're excited to partner with Anchor on an equity deal. Having been a charter broker myself, I understand the frustrations of traditional brokers when it comes to day charters. Anchor addresses this overlooked segment of the market which should be all about the experience - we're excited to bring this level of customer service to Europe."
CEO of Anchor, Zach Hatraf, commented: “We are super excited to gain international interest and traction with industry-specific investors. The goal is to continue to build out the greatest day charter software on the planet and bridge the gap between day charters and term charters. Both day charters and term charters offer unforgettable experiences on the day(s) of the trip, however, there is a massive need for an end-to-end platform that allows owners and managers to offer a seamless booking experience…and our software does that.”
Yachting Ventures is the worlds' first startup hub for the leisure marine, yachting and superyachting industries. Oracle VC is a Guernsey-based boutique VC firm built on a broad ecosystem of synergistic ventures. Looking to the future, the combined focus of Yachting Ventures and Tom Whitby (MD at Oracle VC) will be a niche segment of the broader maritime market, that has huge potential and is currently underserved by existing venture capital. Watch this space!
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