Founded in the heart of the South of France in 2006, Poolstar initially set out with the mission to make the pool experience accessible to as many people as possible. Nearly twenty years later, this original ambition has transformed into a true industrial and human success story, driven by a team of eighty passionate employees.
Today, Poolstar boasts a turnover of 53 million euros, a 20% growth in 2025 despite a sharply declining pool market, and a presence in over fifty countries. Eighty employees, eight strong brands, and nearly 40% of its turnover generated through exports.
The company has not sought to grow at all costs. It followed its customers, listened to their desires, and naturally expanded its playground. Behind the numbers, it is first and foremost a human adventure, that of a team that has always kept its feet on the ground while aiming further.
Useful Innovation Rather Than Gadget Technology
“Innovation must always be meaningful and serve the user experience.” This philosophy, summarized by Raphaël Elbaz, founder and CEO of the group, perfectly encapsulates Poolstar’s approach.
Here, nobody is a fan of gadgets that look nice in a catalog but are never used. Research and development follow a clear guideline: to simplify people’s lives. This can take the form of an emergency pump, the Pool Sam, which turns pool water into a firefighting device, a concrete response to the intensification of extreme weather events. Or that of an ice bath designed to help athletes recover after exercise, a trend that is now establishing itself well beyond the elite sports circles.
What the engineers look for is to remove constraints, reinforce product reliability, but above all, aim for the highest standards to offer the best to customers. Ultimately, it is about creating the conditions for a simple and pleasant moment, with family or friends. Taking care of oneself, one’s home, and one’s outdoor space without complexity, this is their entire vision of an exacting yet accessible art of living.
An Autonomous Pool That Takes Care of Everything
Today, Poolstar equips the entire technical room and has established itself as the leading European player in swimming pool heat pumps. The group develops a comprehensive offering covering filtration, heating, and water treatment, with equipment designed to automate and simplify pool management as much as possible.
Regarding heating and cooling, Poolstar offers a wide range of heat pumps, from 3 to 100 kW, capable of equipping mini-pools as well as collective pools. The latest innovation to date is the Airline 360, the first model running on R290 gas, a more environmentally friendly gas set to be rolled out across the entire range by 2027. On the treatment side, the group also relies on innovative electrolysis solutions, such as the Aqualyser, which automates water treatment to offer the user a simple, constraint-free experience.
This year also marks a turning point with the launch of the Poolex Nexus smart system. A true brain for the technical room, it centralizes and coordinates all connected equipment without any extra boxes or complex configuration. Filtration, heating, and treatment now communicate with each other to offer the best balance between performance, comfort, and sustainability.
Thanks to its embedded artificial intelligence, it anticipates maintenance needs and limits unnecessary interventions and call-outs. Professionals can thus supervise their entire pool fleet from a centralized access point with simplified, real-time visibility, while owners have almost nothing left to manage, which is precisely the goal. And to top it all off, access to Nexus is entirely free.
To take this logic to its conclusion, Poolstar now offers solar kits specifically designed to power this equipment, available in modular, all-in-one, and plug-and-play versions. The pool produces its own energy, consumes it, and the electricity bill decreases accordingly. With a return on investment estimated at around three years, the proposition aims to be as economical as it is ecological.
Giving Professionals the Keys to Transformation
Deploying this kind of technology does not happen by magic. Poolstar relies on a robust R&D team based at its headquarters in Rousset, as well as an extensive network of technicians and field partners. This anchoring is now supported by a structuring digital ecosystem.
At the heart of this ecosystem, the Poolstar Pro Space stands out as a benchmark tool for professionals. Accessible 24/7, it centralizes the product catalog, stock levels, order tracking, and after-sales service files in real time. It also integrates advanced technical features, such as thermal and photovoltaic assessments, allowing installers to be supported in their daily projects.
Connected to Nexus, this platform enables professionals to monitor their pool fleet in real time and intervene even before a breakdown occurs.
The icing on the cake: in an effort to best support professionals through the transformation of their industry, the Group offers a dedicated training and support program, with sessions covering new technologies, energy solutions, and the latest innovations, in order to strengthen their skills and expertise on a daily basis.
Sport, Well-being, Nature: An Expanding Art of Living
While the swimming pool remains Poolstar’s historical core, the group has long since broadened its scope of action. Designer saunas & spas from the Holl’s brand, NetSpa semi-rigid spas for relaxation, ice baths for recovery, and Waterflex aquabikes praised by group coaches and individuals alike… the Relaxation and Well-being universe has become a pillar in its own right.
Similarly, the Wattsup, Coasto, and Skiffo brands have propelled Poolstar to the rank of a key player in water sports. In particular, the group has structured an accessible and industrialized inflatable paddleboard offering, backed by a strong development and distribution capacity on a European scale. This momentum translates into more than one million paddleboards sold since their launch, confirming the group’s positioning on the democratization of fast-growing water sports.
International Recognition for Ecological Commitment
Growing without neglecting the impact of its activity on the environment is the course Poolstar has set for itself, and these efforts are starting to receive serious recognition. The integration of recycled materials, the development of a reconditioned product channel, a reinforced policy for spare parts availability, and the logistical reorganization of transport have earned the group a 2026 EcoVadis Silver Medal, with a score of 75 out of 100.
This is a significant progression following the Bronze Medal obtained the previous year, placing Poolstar among the top 15% of the best-evaluated companies internationally in its sector.
In parallel, an extended five-year warranty on new products completes this logic of durability. Proof, if any were needed, that solid 20% growth in a challenging market and a genuinely responsible approach are not incompatible. Quite the contrary.
By thus combining useful innovation, energy autonomy, and environmental responsibility, Poolstar proves that a new model is possible in the pool industry. The company does not just follow market trends; it takes a step ahead by putting common sense and the human element back at the center of its approach. At a time when home comfort and resource preservation have become inseparable, the group traces an inspiring path to continue reinventing the art of living.
