Maritime Services International

What Maritime Services International does

Maritime Services International is a UK-headquartered independent professional services firm providing maritime surveying, risk management, accident investigation, and consultancy for floating vessels and maritime operations. Founded in 1992 by Master Mariner Ian Biles and based in Gosport, Hampshire, MSI operates from a small core team augmented by a global partnership network of more than 100 specialist surveyors, naval architects, engineers, and master mariners working across 37 countries and four continents. The firm's customer base spans yacht and superyacht owners/operators, legal firms, insurance underwriters, banking institutions, and maritime businesses requiring independent technical assessment, with documented engagements for Lead Yacht, Fullers Group, International Yacht Collection, Digby Brown LLP, and Close Brothers.

The company delivers four interconnected service lines: Physical Inspection (pre-purchase, general, and condition surveys plus vessel valuations), Risk Management (asset and operations oversight, health and safety compliance, and security reviews), Accident Investigation (casualty support, damage reports, and expert witness testimony), and Consultancy (maritime superintendent provision, project management, and specialist research). Service delivery relies on court-trained human experts drawn from the global network rather than technology automation. Performance signals include more than 1,100 risk assessments, 850+ superyacht risk management reviews covering approximately 60% of the top 200 superyachts by length, 260+ legal cases supported as expert witnesses, over 250 pre-purchase surveys completed in the last four years, and over 50 comprehensive vessel valuations.

MSI generates revenue through time-based professional services billing, with fees scaled to engagement duration and complexity and with detailed scope agreed in writing before commencement. Go-to-market is sales-led — driven by direct client enquiries and professional referrals — and supported by case-study marketing on the company website rather than paid digital channels. The firm is a privately held UK limited company (Maritime Services (International) Limited) with no disclosed external institutional investment. It operates as part of the Maritime Services Group, which includes three adjacent subsidiaries — Maritime Training Academy, The Training Academy, and Maritime Film — that extend the group's reach into maritime education and content production.

Name

Maritime Services International

Legal name

Maritime Services (International) Limited

Website

https://maritime.uk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maritime Services International is a UK-based independent professional services firm providing maritime surveying, risk management, accident investigation, and expert witness consultancy to yacht owners, legal firms, insurers, banks, and maritime operators across 37 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Surveying & Consulting Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Surveying, Inspection & Claims (EDAOANAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Marine Service Provider Coordination (Diving, Inspection, Class/Survey Support) (TLAHAJAI)

Keywords

• Maritime surveying
• Vessel inspection
• Accident investigation
• Maritime consultancy
• Risk management

Headquarters

HQ city

Gosport

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Surveying Services: Time-based professional services for physical vessel inspections including pre-purchase surveys, condition surveys, and general surveys. Fees are based on the time required and complexity of the survey.
2. Maritime Consultancy Services: Expert opinion and consultancy services including maritime superintendent support, project management, and research services. Billed based on time and expertise deployed.
3. Expert Witness and Legal Support Services: Expert witness reports and testimony for court proceedings and arbitrations. Involved in over 260 legal cases. Revenue derived from time-intensive expert analysis and court appearances.
4. Risk Management Services: Risk management reviews and assessments for vessels, operations, and fleets. Services include health and safety reviews, security assessments, and operational risk evaluations.
5. Vessel Valuation Services: Independent vessel valuations for banks and financial institutions as part of due diligence processes. Provides current market value and fire sale valuations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Maritime Services International provides independent maritime surveying, risk management, accident investigation, and consultancy services to yacht owners, insurers, legal firms, banks, and maritime businesses. Core service lines include pre-purchase, condition, and general vessel surveys; vessel valuations; risk, security, and health & safety assessments; casualty response and damage investigation; and expert witness, superintendency, and project management support. Engagements are delivered through a head office in Gosport, UK, supported by a network of 100+ maritime specialists in 37 countries.

Product overview

Maritime Services International operates as a service-based maritime consultancy offering four interconnected core service lines: Physical Inspection, Risk Management, Accident Investigation, and Consultancy. The Physical Inspection service encompasses Pre-Purchase Surveys, General Surveys, Condition Surveys, and Vessel Valuations conducted by over 100 marine surveyors across 37 countries. Risk Management services include asset management, operations oversight, health and safety compliance, and security services. Accident Investigation provides casualty support, damage reports, and expert witness testimony. Consultancy services offer maritime superintendents, project management, and specialist research. The company has delivered over 260 legal cases as expert witnesses, more than 1100 risk assessments, over 50 vessel valuations, and over 250 pre-purchase surveys in the last four years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Maritime Surveying (Physical Inspection) Independent vessel surveys for yacht owners, operators, and insurers, including pre-purchase, condition, and general surveys plus vessel valuations. Delivered by Master Mariners and accredited surveyors across 37 countries.
• Risk Management Maritime risk, security, health and safety, and operations oversight services for vessel owners, operators, and charterers, including cyber and physical security assessments and asset management support.
• Accident Investigation Casualty support, damage reports, and expert determination for marine accidents, including on-site response, evidence gathering, and findings reports for insurers, owners, and legal clients.
• Maritime Consultancy Expert witness, maritime superintendent, project management, and bespoke research services for law firms, banks, owners, and operators on admiralty, commercial, and technical matters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 850 risk management reviews completed on superyachts including approximately 60% of the top 200 superyachts by length
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Maritime Training AcademycoreOthersPart of the Maritime Services Group, a collective of four distinct companies. Maritime Training Academy provides distance learning and bespoke on-site training courses for the maritime industry.
• The Training AcademycoreOthersPart of the Maritime Services Group, providing training services as part of the group's integrated maritime service offering.
• Maritime FilmminorOthersPart of the Maritime Services Group, offering maritime film production services as part of the broader maritime services portfolio.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Burgess: Global superyacht broker and management company. Comparable to MSI in serving the same high-end superyacht client base, and increasingly offering technical oversight and project management services that compete with MSI's consultancy and risk management offerings.
• BMT Group: UK-based maritime engineering, design, and consultancy firm offering marine surveying, naval architecture, and risk advisory services to commercial shipping, defense, and offshore clients — a closely comparable combination of technical surveying and consultancy work.

Others

• International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS): UK-based professional body representing marine surveyors globally. Not a direct competitor but is an adjacent ecosystem participant — sets standards, accredits surveyors, and could serve as a peer-association, accreditation, or talent pipeline for MSI.
• NorthStandard: Major marine insurance mutual providing P&I coverage to shipowners and charterers. A buyer-of-services rather than a direct competitor, but a key demand source for MSI-style risk assessments, condition surveys, and expert witness work in maritime claims.

Emerging players

• RightShip: Maritime risk and environmental data/consultancy firm serving charterers, financiers, and operators. Comparable to MSI's risk assessment offering, particularly in vessel due diligence, but with a digital-first, data-platform model that differentiates it.

Broad incumbents

• DNV (Maritime): Global classification and advisory body offering vessel surveying, technical advisory, and risk services. Competes with MSI in marine inspection and consultancy, but with vastly deeper resources and digital platforms.
• American Bureau of Shipping (ABS): US-based classification society providing marine and offshore classification, surveying, and advisory services. Overlaps with MSI's core physical inspection and risk advisory work within a much broader industry footprint.
• Lloyd's Register: Long-established classification society providing ship classification, marine surveying, and advisory services worldwide. Directly overlaps with MSI's inspection and consulting work as part of a much larger regulatory and certification portfolio.
• Bureau Veritas (Marine & Offshore): Global classification society offering marine surveying, vessel inspection, and advisory services at massive scale. Overlaps directly with MSI's physical inspection and risk management offerings but operates across a much broader portfolio.
• RINA Services: Italian classification society providing marine surveying, certification, and consulting. Comparable to MSI in inspection and advisory offerings but serving a much larger and more diversified client base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/maritimesurveys
• Facebookfacebook.com/MaritimeServicesInternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maritime-services-international-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maritime Services International