InfraVia is acquiring luxury marina operator D-Marin from CVC for up to €1.5 billion, driven by surging global yacht berth demand.
Τhe French private equity firm InfraVia has signed an agreement to acquire D-Marin from CVC Capital Partners, in a landmark deal that values the luxury marina operator between €1 billion and €1.5 billion. This transaction highlights a massive wave of institutional investment flooding into maritime infrastructure, driven by an unprecedented surge in global yacht ownership and a severe shortage of premium berth spaces. D-Marin, which CVC originally acquired from Turkey’s Doğuş Group in 2020 for roughly €200 million, has experienced exponential growth over the last six years. Under CVC’s stewardship, the company expanded its geographical footprint, tripled its revenues, and scaled its operations to serve over 50,000 clients annually across twenty-eight marinas in Europe and the Middle East, alongside twelve professional boatyards.
Market dynamics and the berth shortage
The deal comes at a time when the global marina industry, currently valued at approximately $15 billion, is projected to expand at an annual growth rate of 8% through the end of the decade. This rapid expansion is underpinned by a stark structural imbalance between supply and demand. Data from a McKinsey study cited by the Financial Times reveals that there are currently about 210,000 yachts worldwide competing for a mere 160,000 available berths. This shortage is particularly acute in the Mediterranean, which concentrates roughly 70% of global yachting activity and where waiting lists for a single mooring spot frequently exceed one year. As D-Marin Chief Executive Oliver Dersuuk noted, strict environmental regulations and bureaucratic hurdles make the construction of new marinas exceptionally difficult, ensuring that existing premium berths remain highly prized, recession-resilient assets.
Future consolidation strategy
Out of the twenty-eight facilities currently managed by D-Marin, which collectively account for about 14,300 annual berths, twenty-two are located in the Mediterranean and six are situated in emerging luxury markets like the United Arab Emirates. The company maintains a particularly strong presence in Greece, where it operates four major hubs: Zea Marina in Piraeus, Pylos Marina, Gouvia Marina in Corfu, and Lefkada Marina. Looking forward, InfraVia intends to leverage D-Marin’s established platform to pursue an aggressive consolidation strategy. Because the global marina sector remains highly fragmented and heavily populated by small, family-owned local businesses, InfraVia views the acquisition as a premier opportunity to build a dominant, institutionalized global network in the luxury maritime hospitality sector.
