Interview: Axopar founder on how Axopar boats changed the game

When Axopar launched its first ever model – the Axopar 28 – in 2014, the 28ft outboard powered walkaround with functional, modern lines, a razor-sharp hull and highly competitive price point, blew the socks off the industry.

The boatbuilder startup sold a remarkable 200-plus units of its groundbreaking model in the first 18 months (today there are almost 3,000 Axopar boats dotted around the globe) and the Axopar 28 fast defined a new genre of ‘adventure’ boating. Since then, the Finnish boatbuilder has continued to carve its own path. The company has expanded its range, topping out with the Axopar 45, and this year has launched the successor to the groundbreaking 28, the Axopar 29.

In the latest issue of Marine Industry News magazine, Axopar founding partner Jan-Erik Viitala (JEV) lifts the lid on what it takes to go from startup to market leader.

The Axopar 28 sent shock waves through the industry when it launched. How did you capitalise on the buzz? 

JEV: From around 2012 we noticed a growing popularity of day boating and we figured the design of boats needed to change in line with the emerging trend at that time.  

The main objective was to create one of the best handling boats out there. And, if we could make it a lower price than others, with better fuel economy and more functionality, then we stood a good chance of creating something better than everything else around at the time. We adopted a ‘one boat, one world’ policy and that was one of the reasons why modularity played such an important part. It enabled the customer to specify the best possible, and least compromised, boat that would satisfy his/her needs anywhere in the world.

We selected partners and sub-contractors that shared the same long-term goals and beliefs that we did, and they bought into the long-term commitment, which helped us to price our boats competitively.

Strong initial sales meant the original financial investment made at the beginning was paid back in only nine months. As a company, Axopar has remained ‘in the black’ ever since.

How did you successfully scale the business?

JEV: The entire business model needed to be scalable, and this includes our OEM’s, equipment suppliers and partners. And, because we raised the initial funding from our own pockets, we reinvested our profits immediately into creating new future models.

At the same time, our OEMs were also focused on scaling their businesses by reinvesting their profits into building more boats for us further down the line. It was equally important to scale our sales side with new dealers that were willing to help us grow a strong and emerging brand. 

How would you describe your approach to business?

JEV: Creating something completely new is the main factor that drives and motivates me. Having a world-class product and creating new experiences is one thing, but I am equally motivated by my own sense of self-improvement.

Financial gain is not a motivating factor. For me, it’s about seeing our boats being used all over the world – and getting feedback (good and bad) from customers, so that we can bring out new models and even better ideas to the market.

How long did the design process take for the Axopar 29?

JEV: Over two and a half years, all in all – but how do you change an already great product, and
how do you stay true to the original DNA that made your name so well respected in the first place? To get it right, it’s a slow and detailed process.

How do you approach reinventing such a successful model?

JEV: It’s no easy task because when you have something that is already very successful it takes at least ten times the effort to create something new, more innovative and an improvement on what was there before. Design engineers at companies such as Porsche, Mercedes, or Audi, know exactly what I mean.

The new Axopar 29 is, effectively, the third-generation boat in this size range and all of the new features we have introduced stand as testimony to our incredibly talented team. 

Axopar’s naval architecture and design is now inhouse. How has this benefited the business?

JEV: It’s true we are investing more in our internal design team but we are still working closely together with many of the same external people we started with, including Jarkko Jämsén and his team at Navia.

This has been a very successful collaboration, where we can both utilise each other’s internal and external skills. In my opinion, the more eyes with a common understanding we have on a project the better the outcome. Sharing knowledge always results in a better exchange of ideas in the end.  

What is your take on rival manufacturers?

JEV: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, or so the saying goes, and having as many competitors as we do has validated the fact that our original concept and new ways to go boating were right.

But to compete and become successful you need two things; namely, a better product and to be able to sell it a lower price and even still today, we have not seen any competitors pull off these two things better than we do. 

Competition keeps us sharp, but, at the end of day, we only ever compete against ourselves. In truth, we don’t see anyone else as a head-on competitor, mainly because boat design is always a compromise in one way or another.

For us, motivation comes from getting more people on the water. So if competitors are making equally innovative boats and if it benefits boating in general, that is a perfect outcome.  

For every new brand entering the segment, it creates a lot of attention on our brand at the same time. And, if these new and emerging brands encourage a new set of customers to enter the adventure boating market, then ultimately all of us stand to benefit.        

Will Evoy outboards come into mass production with Axopar?

JEV: With our significant investment in Evoy last year (2023) we showed a serious and long-term commitment to enable the future of electric propulsion to evolve among recreational boats, regardless of brand.  

Our investment will help Evoy become a better provider of onboard solutions for every brand and our ambition is to make the ransition to electric easier for all manufacturers, by providing valuable feedback to Evoy to make electric less complex and an easier implementation overall.  

Our first full electric range will be launched at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September 2024 and we will start rolling out these new models through selected dealerships from that date forward.

Axopar electric boats will have their own brand identity, with other news and developments in this sector to follow.

What do you see as the major challenge to wider adoption of electric outboard propulsion?

JEV: In order to get a sufficient amount of electric boats that would, in turn, create a stronger global demand for better charging infrastructures, there should be no competition between different electric boat manufactures. We need to have open communication between us, for the benefit of the entire electric boat industry. In my opinion, the move to electric will happen region by region and will be more common in areas where boaters normally go shorter distances on a more regular basis.

Between the mainland and a summer home in Nordic countries is a good example, and this clientele already has good potential for market growth. 

Electric is also a strong possibility for superyachts tenders, hotel shuttles and taxi boats. I believe electric boats will take off during the next five years. But while electric is unlikely to replace internal combustion engines within the foreseeable future, it will be a perfect complement to our existing range. It’s yet another chance to get even more boaters on the water.

Axopar is positioned as more than ‘just a boatbuilder’ but a lifestyle choice. What is the thinking behind this approach?

JEV: At Axopar we want to inspire as many people as possible to use their boat for discovery and escapism in all its forms, and the adventure company branding came to me as I noticed that Axopar owners were using their boats in so many different ways. And, for many people, the boat was only one part of their total experience. That made us explore the idea of using our boats to transport owners’ kayaks, mountain bikes and climbing gear, for example, or whatever else they needed to get the most out of their day in the great outdoors.

I firmly believe you have to try and ‘own’ an idea or a concept to do it well, and you need to commit and go full on with your vision. In our case, we are actively promoting boating on any boat, not just ours. 

What role do collaborations play?

JEV: Any collaboration needs to be made with people who are equally passionate as we are about what they do. We need to have a mutual drive and ambition about creating something cool together.

In the case of Brabus, they contacted us and fell in love with the idea of the boats. The late Bodo Buschmann and his son, Constantin – the current CEO – both saw the potential and the Axopar and Brabus Marine collaboration is now the world’s biggest and most successful venture between a boatbuilder and an auto manufacturer.

Likewise, Jobe Watersports shared the same vision of getting more people on the water and, thus, it was easy to form the connection.

Why did you partner with Agapi?

JEV: The Axopar x Agapi partnership is a natural expansion of our adventure boating concept.

It offers an alternative angle to traditional ownership.

Axopars have impressive usage globally – how important is this
to the brand?

JEV: We wanted boats that would be fully usable and able to cope with ever changing conditions all around the world. Drivability, functionality, price point and visual and practical appeal are all extremely important to us.

Besides all the singles, couples and families who love our boats, we have sold Axopars to dive charter companies, waterski companies, luxury resorts (for guest transfer vessels), as luxury tenders and shadow boats, and even to professional sea rescue services in many different countries. Modularity has always been one of our major strengths, and customers can specify a deck and interior that perfectly suits their needs.

You would be surprised who is an Axopar customer – from our regular clientele, all the way to royalty and rock stars – they love boating, and they love their Axopar.

Do you wish to go bigger than the Axopar 45?

JEV: All I am going to say is that Axopar has come a long way in just ten short years, and I predict the next ten years will be as exciting as before, regardless of boat size. So, stay tuned, keep watching and you won’t be disappointed.