Finnish sportsboat brand Saxdor Yachts has been sold to US company Malibu Boats Inc in a deal reported to be worth around €150 million.
Founded by serial entrepreneur Sakari Mattila in 2019, Saxdor Yachts is currently Europe’s fastest growing boat brand. Its range of fast, outboard powered day boats and weekenders are known for their cutting edge design, innovative features and impressive value for money.
Malibu Boats is one the US’s leading boat builders with a portfolio of brands including Cobalt and Pursuit as well as Malibu’s own range of specialist watersports craft. Saxdor will provide it with a well established player in the fast growing market for outboard powered Adventure Boats.
Under the terms of the deal, Mattila will stay on to help with strategy and design for the next three years. Production of some boats is likely to move to the US, freeing up capacity at Saxdor’s Polish factories for newer, larger models.
Speaking exclusively to Motor Boat & Yachting, Mattila admitted that he had mixed feelings about selling the company he had worked so hard to grow but given his age (he turns 74 this summer) and the toll it takes on his personal life, the time was right to let someone else take the reins.
“There was no necessity to sell it, we are financially solid, but the deal was good for both of us,” confirms Mattila. “This lets me concentrate on design rather than running the company.”
Mattila, who also founded or co-founded a number of other leading boat brands such as Aquador, Paragon, XO and Axopar, recently won the Judges’ Special Award at the 2026 Motor Boat Awards.
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