Boats Group, a leader in recreational boating marketplaces, is charting a transformative course through the marine industry, embracing AI and data-driven solutions under the leadership of CEO Patrick Kolek.
Since taking charge in 2023, Kolek has guided Boats Group from a traditional platform model focused on connecting buyers and sellers to a comprehensive service ecosystem aimed at enhancing the boat purchase experience.
Kolek likens this significant transition to combining the emotional thrill of buying a supercar with the complex process of acquiring a home.
In the wake of the pandemic, as the industry experienced a slowdown in boat buying and selling, Kolek recognized a pivotal moment for the company. The introduction of AI technology prompted a complete digital transformation, optimizing the boat buying and selling processes for both parties.
With a background as an investor and board member at Boats Group since 2020, in addition to his leadership roles at eBay, OLX, and OfferUp, Kolek is well-equipped to steer the company forward.
Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Miami since 2017, Boats Group operates several prominent digital marketplaces. These include Boat Trader, YachtWorld, and boats.com, alongside European platforms like iNautia and Botentekoop. The sites collectively attract over 200 million visits annually, showcasing more than 200,000 listings across 140 countries.
In advancing the user experience, Boats Group has focused on enhancing the back-end processes, particularly for sellers. Recent AI developments include photo enhancement tools, the reordering of image galleries based on user engagement, and an AI-powered description generator for optimized listings.
The company employs algorithms to personalize listings according to buyer preferences and behaviors, improving match quality and accelerating the sales process.
“Creating a much better flywheel is our goal,” says Kolek, encapsulating the company’s mission.
In a dynamic move this month, Boats Group introduced multiple AI-powered tools, including a listing builder, a market evaluation tool, and a virtual support agent. “We have numerous innovations underway to further personalize the experiences for both buyers and sellers,” Kolek expresses with enthusiasm.
An internal hackathon dedicated to AI tools generated 25 innovative ideas, ranging from boat valuation engines to image recognition technology, with five ideas expedited for release this year.
Looking ahead, Boats Group aims to broaden its scope beyond simple transactions. The transition from “Click & Buy” to “Click & Boat” suggests future offerings could encompass boat rentals, maintenance, logistics, and marina storage, addressing the holistic needs of boat owners.
Under Kolek’s leadership, Boats Group has secured seven international acquisitions since 2023, enhancing its global footprint amidst the industry’s ongoing globalization.
From its Brickell headquarters in Miami, the company oversees operations in Miami and Barcelona, which serve as its two primary engineering hubs. Boats Group employs approximately 300 people globally, with half of its workforce based in Miami.
Kolek, who describes himself as a global nomad with experience across Asia, Europe, San Francisco, and New York, has fully embraced Miami’s tech community.
“Miami has proven to be a welcoming and community-focused environment,” he notes, emphasizing the local talent pool that includes advanced engineers.
The company’s summer internship initiative has scaled from six participants in previous years to 26 this year, primarily sourced from universities in South Florida. Remarkably, two of the recent hires originated from its internship program.
Boats Group currently seeks to expand its workforce in Miami, actively hiring for positions such as product managers, product designers, data analysts, senior software developers, and DevOps engineers.
Despite facing a stagnating U.S. market where annual boat sales remain around one million units, Boats Group has managed to flourish. Kolek reports a 30% increase in lead volume over the past year and record user engagement metrics.
Over the past three years, the company’s platforms have generated five million leads and facilitated over 315,000 boat sales.
Interestingly, nearly half of buyers complete their purchases within 90 days of making initial contact, and 57% of users on Boats Group platforms are first-time buyers, presenting a significant opportunity to expand the market.
The pre-owned boat sector has also emerged as a substantial growth driver for Boats Group, with 67% of the purchases made as of April 2025 being for used boats. Remarkably, the company continues to lead globally in the sale of new boats, according to Kolek.
Looking towards the future, Kolek envisions serving boaters well beyond the sale. He acknowledges the challenges of boat ownership — time-consuming and often costly — and sees an opportunity to ease these burdens.
Highlighting the industry’s demographic, where the average boater is over 55 years old, Kolek emphasizes the pressing need to attract younger generations.
“The market has to evolve to bring new boaters on board,” he concludes, pointing to the rising trends of fractional ownership and boat clubs as potential solutions to engage younger buyers.
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