Funding Story

Founded in 2011 by former Royal Marine Commando Ben Foster-Rankine and local businessman Bryn Orme, Zeal offers protection to maritime assets as they pass through the world’s high-risk piracy areas, operating primarily off the west and east coasts of Africa. The company upholds the highest standards and is fully accredited, licensed and regulated.

Ensuring full compliancy with International Law, Coast and Flag state legislations, Zeal has security teams ready to deploy anywhere in the world at any time. A trusted and reliable partner to shipping companies, Zeal provides a range of services including; Vessel Security & Hardening Methods, Crew Protection & Training, Counter Piracy Vessel Security Auditing, Risk Assessments & Passage Plan Threat Analysis, 24-Hour Operational Support and real-time Vessel Safety Monitoring.

The funding will facilitate the purchase of 2 maritime patrol vessels to support further expansion into the Nigerian market and the acquisition of a Portuguese company to enable greater business diversification.

Legal support for ThinCats was provided by Clyde & Co.

As a business we are continuing to adapt and grow in order to overcome the threats of the ever-evolving world of global piracy. With West African shipping lanes getting busier as the region grows economically, we are seeing increasing demand from shipping companies for a reliable and regulated security partner.
The purchase of these new vessels will significantly enhance our capacity to ensure we can deploy our services within even more High-Risk Areas to new and existing clients. We are grateful for the support from Andy and the team at ThinCats as we look to continue our ambitious growth plans

Ben Foster-Rankine, CEO

Andy Cocker, Director Business Development: “It’s been great getting to know and working with Ben, Bryn and their specialist team at Zeal. The business provides a vital service to the maritime industry and have earned a fantastic reputation in the market. We are delighted to provide funding which will support their continued expansion.”