Startup Intros · Mar 2022
Startup Intros reported Boardcave completed a $500K funding round in March 2022 and associated it with Y Combinator.
Building the world’s largest online surf gear store.
Company research
Public company, workplace, funding, and market signals
Overview
Boardcave is an Australia-based surf-gear e-commerce marketplace that connects surfers with surfboard shapers/manufacturers and sells surfboards, surf hardware, and related accessories through an online platform with educational content and fit guidance.
Primary product
Online surf gear marketplace and surfboard store
Founded
2012
Headquarters
Burleigh Heads, Queensland, Australia
Team size
1-10
Industry
Technology, Information and Internet
Sub-industry
E-commerce marketplace for surf gear
Offices
2/25 Lemana Ln, Burleigh Heads, Queensland 4220, Australia
San Francisco, CA, United States
Lewes, DE, United States
Dana Point, CA, United States
Garopaba, SC, Brazil
Business model
e-commerce marketplace
direct-to-consumer retail
content/media
Funding
Stage
Accelerator-backed with grant, seed, and venture funding history
Total raised
$1.6M
Latest round
Seed Round · Aug 2022
Latest amount
$125K
People & investors
Work & culture
Public messaging emphasizes a lean, surfing-obsessed, practical culture that values experience, qualifications, teamwork, and cultural fit; founder profiles also stress work-life balance and working smarter, not harder.
Product & market
Pricing
Retail/marketplace pricing for surfboards and surf accessories; exact commission or take-rate is not publicly stated.
Differentiators
- —Patent-pending Board Engine board-matching technology
- —Direct connection between surfers and surfboard shapers/manufacturers
- —Educational buying resources such as reviews and a volume calculator
- —Safe Delivery Guarantee for surfboard shipping
- —Proprietary Cavewire software for commerce/operations
- —Large emphasis on customization and board-fit guidance
Technology
CAVEWIRE
Board Engine
AWS
Magento
Customers
surfers
surfboard shapers
surfboard manufacturers
surf hardware manufacturers
surf shoppers buying boards and accessories
Competitors
Global Surf Club Ltd
Takoon
FLKLR Surf INT
Surf Park Central
Surf Camp Australia Pty Ltd
Surf Shop Box
Surfline
Tower Paddle Boards
reQwip
Scale & contact
Estimated revenue
Approximately US$5.8M ARR (public estimates also cluster around US$1M-US$10M)
Estimated monthly visits
48.6K
Traffic estimate as of Jun 2026
Latest news
LinkedIn · Feb 2022
Ryan Mets announced that Boardcave had been backed by Y Combinator and was participating in the Winter 2022 batch.
LinkedIn · Feb 2022
Chris Greben confirmed Boardcave’s YC backing and the team’s participation in YC Winter 2022.
Business Insider · Aug 2017
Profile of Boardcave’s origin story and Cavewire product; describes how the company solved cross-supplier tracking and logistics problems for surf retail.
The Surfers View · Oct 2015
Describes Boardcave’s board recommendation technology, Cavewire, and the company’s expansion into operations and retailer integrations.
Jobs and careers at Boardcave
0 jobs at Boardcave
No open positions
Check back later for new openings