Axopar Boats, the Finnish Outboard Adventure Brand

A 2014 startup that grew faster than almost anyone

Axopar Boats was founded in 2014 by Sakari Mattila and Jan-Erik Viitala after a year of development work. The first model, the Axopar 28, followed and won a string of European awards. The idea was straightforward: take the slim, efficient hull shapes Nordic builders had used for years, pair them with modern outboards and a modular deck, and design a boat that looks like nothing else at the dock.

Growth was remarkable. By 2020 Axopar was the largest Finnish boat manufacturer by revenue, with sales of about 79 million euros, rising past 147 million euros in 2022. By June 2025 the company reported more than 6,500 boats sold in over 60 countries. Mattila sold his stake in 2018, and the company has been led by CEO Ari-Pekka Saarikangas.

Designed in Finland, built in Poland

Axopar does not own a large Finnish factory. Its boats are built in Poland by contract builders Markos and Slepsk, the latter one of Europe's largest boat plants. In 2024 Axopar bought a majority stake in Markos, which employs more than 1,200 people, bringing much of its production under direct control.

Every model shares the same logic: a narrow, deep, stepped hull that runs efficiently with relatively modest outboard power, and a modular deck available as an open T-Top or Sun-Top, a sportier open version or an enclosed cabin. The Axopar 37, offered as the 37 XC Cross Cabin among other versions, became the brand's signature model, with a sliding-door wheelhouse and an optional aft cabin, before the Axopar 38 Cross Cabin replaced it for 2026. The Axopar 28 Cabin, the entry point that started it all, gave way to the Axopar 29 in 2024.

The 29 arrived at Boot Düsseldorf to mark the brand's tenth year, in Cross Cabin and Sun Top versions, with a center-console 29 CCX added at Cannes later in 2024. The Axopar 29 Sun Top is the open-air choice: a hardtop with a sliding canvas roof over a sociable U-shaped cockpit, an optional bow multicabin that can hold a berth or a toilet, and either one big outboard or a pair of 200s. Its new twin-stepped hull is about two feet longer than the 28's, with a higher bow and roughly 22 degrees of deadrise at the transom, changes aimed at a drier, softer ride without losing the efficiency the brand is known for. New boats list from around $200,000 to $280,000 in the US.

• Axopar 28 Cabin, the original model, built until 2024 and now the used-market entry boat
• Axopar 29 Sun Top, the 2024 replacement for the 28, with a sliding canvas roof
• Axopar 37 XC Cross Cabin, the enclosed family and commuter version, built 2016 to 2025
• Axopar 45, the flagship introduced in 2022

Buying a used Axopar in the US

Axopar arrived in the US later than in Europe but has built a dealer network along both coasts and the Great Lakes. Because the boats run Mercury outboards, propulsion service is widely available, which removes much of the risk of owning a European import. Resale has been strong, helped by a waiting list during the pandemic years and by the brand's distinctive styling.

The narrow hull is a strength in a chop but feels tender at rest compared with a beamy American center console. Sea-trial in your usual conditions before you commit.

• Outboard hours, lower unit service and corrosion on bracket hardware
• Steering and joystick systems on twin and triple installations
• Cabin door seals and windshield leaks on Cabin and Cross Cabin models
• Gelcoat stress cracks around the steps and the transom
• Canvas, cushions and the aft cabin hatch, which wear quickly in sun