ZEO

What ZEO does

ZEO, Inc. is a privately held specialty materials company founded in 1982 and headquartered in McKinney, Texas. The company researches, develops, and markets engineered natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) and complementary mineral filtration media, serving customers across residential and commercial pool/spa filtration, municipal drinking water treatment, industrial process water and reverse osmosis pretreatment, golf/sports turf soil amendment, and animal feed applications. Its product portfolio comprises five registered-trademark offerings: ZeoSand (natural zeolite filter media delivering 2-5 micron filtration with ~100x the surface area of silica sand), Ruby Sand (porous ceramic media for 3-5 micron capture), ZeoFiber (cellulose fiber media positioned as a diatomaceous earth alternative and tested to NSF/ANSI 50), EcoSand (zeolite soil amendment with ~98 cmol/kg cation exchange capacity), and ZAR-MIN (zeolite feed additive for anticaking and moisture control).

ZEO monetizes primarily through one-time consumable media sales, supplemented by private-label and OEM programs in which it supplies custom formulations, packaging, and technical support under partner brand names. The go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales for municipal and industrial accounts, distributor relationships serving pool professionals and water-treatment resellers across North America, private-label/OEM partnerships typically spanning 15+ years, and a content-led website channel for residential pool owners and small commercial buyers. NSF/ANSI 61 and NSF/ANSI 372 third-party certifications on ZeoSand enable sales into regulated drinking water applications.

The company is founder-controlled by Dr. Pete Bunger (Ph.D., Inorganic Chemistry; prior experience at DuPont and Occidental Petroleum) and operates with a sub-10-employee footprint. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. There is no disclosed institutional funding, no M&A history, no parent-company relationship, and no evidence of AI/ML capabilities; the competitive position rests on four decades of accumulated zeolite-specific material science expertise, registered trademarks, and NSF certifications rather than on software or data assets.

Name

ZEO

Legal name

ZEO, Inc.

Website

https://zeoinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ZEO, Inc. is a privately held McKinney, Texas-based specialty materials company that develops and markets engineered natural zeolite and mineral filtration media for pool/spa, municipal drinking water, industrial water treatment, turf, and animal nutrition markets across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Filtration Media

NAICS

Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531)

SIC

Abrasive, Asbestos & Misc Nonmetallic Mineral Prods (3290)

akta.pro primary industry

Zeolites (Natural & Synthetic) (IMAEAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Effluent Polishing & Filtration (MBR/UF/RO/GAC) (EUANADAL), Membranes, Consumables & Chemicals (Elements, Antiscalants, Cleaning) (EUANAFAJ), Filtration & Media (Screen/Disc/Sand Filters, Filter Media) (AFABAHAC)

Keywords

• Natural zeolite filtration media
• Pool filter media
• Drinking water filtration
• Zeolite soil amendment
• Animal feed additives

Headquarters

HQ city

Mckinney

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Zeolite Filter Media Sales: Sale of engineered natural zeolite filtration products (ZeoSand, Ruby Sand, ZeoFiber) for water filtration applications including residential pools, commercial facilities, municipal water treatment, and industrial processes. Products are sold as one-time consumable media replacements.
2. Agricultural & Environmental Solutions: Sale of EcoSand soil amendments for turf and agricultural applications, and ZAR-MIN feed additives for animal nutrition. These mineral-based products support nutrient retention, moisture management, and animal health.
3. Private Label Programs: Custom formulations, packaging, and technical support delivered under customer brand names. Includes material selection, processing, packaging, and logistics for water filtration, animal health, and industrial applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ZEO researches, develops, and markets engineered natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) and mineral-based products for water filtration, soil amendment, and animal nutrition applications. The company sells consumable filter media (ZeoSand, Ruby Sand, ZeoFiber) that replace or supplement conventional sand in residential pool/spa, commercial, municipal, and industrial water treatment systems, along with agricultural products (EcoSand soil amendment, ZAR-MIN feed additive) and custom private-label mineral formulations.

Product overview

ZEO offers a portfolio of engineered natural zeolite and mineral-based products focused on filtration and agricultural applications. The product line centers on five core offerings: ZeoSand (natural zeolite filter media for 2-5 micron filtration), Ruby Sand (porous ceramic filter media for 3-5 micron filtration), ZeoFiber (cellulose fiber filter media as a DE alternative), EcoSand (zeolite soil amendment for turf and agriculture), and ZAR-MIN (zeolite feed additive for animal nutrition). These products share a common foundation in natural zeolite technology and clinoptilolite-based mineralogy, with each product engineered for specific performance requirements across water filtration, soil amendment, and animal feed applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZeoSand: Engineered natural zeolite filtration media designed to capture finer particles, reduce backwashing, and improve system efficiency. Provides 2-5 micron filtration.
• Ruby Sand
• ZeoFiber
• EcoSand
• ZAR-MIN

Products and services

• ZeoSand Engineered natural zeolite filtration media delivering 2-5 micron particle filtration, approximately 100x higher surface area than conventional silica sand, and up to 3x greater dirt-holding capacity. Designed as a direct replacement for sand in residential, commercial, and municipal filtration systems. Third-party certified to NSF/ANSI 61 and NSF/ANSI 372 for drinking water applications.
• Ruby Sand Porous ceramic (calcined clay) filtration media engineered for 3-5 micron particle capture, featuring a lightweight bulk density of approximately 40 lb/ft³ and reduced backwash frequency compared to conventional silica sand. Compatible with all standard sand filter systems.
• ZeoFiber
• EcoSand
• ZAR-MIN

Quantifiable outcome

• 2-5 micron filtration vs 20-40 microns for conventional sand
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• EP Minerals (U.S. Silica subsidiary): EP Minerals produces diatomaceous earth, perlite, and specialty filter media for pool, industrial, and food/beverage filtration — directly competing with ZEO's ZeoSand, ZeoFiber, and Ruby Sand product lines.
• KMI Zeolite: KMI mines and markets natural clinoptilolite zeolite for water filtration, soil amendment, and animal feed — competing head-to-head with ZEO's ZeoSand, EcoSand, and ZAR-MIN.
• St. Cloud Mining Company: St. Cloud Mining produces natural clinoptilolite zeolite for filtration, odor control, and agricultural uses, directly overlapping ZEO's core product applications.
• Clack Corporation: Clack manufactures water treatment filtration media and control valves for municipal and point-of-use water systems, competing in the same drinking water filtration segment as ZEO.

Broad incumbents

• Imerys Filtration Minerals: Imerys is a global mineral specialties leader producing diatomite, perlite, and engineered filtration media across pool, beverage, and industrial water markets — overlapping with ZEO's pool and municipal customers.
• Pentair: Pentair is a major pool and water treatment equipment manufacturer that sells filter media and systems to residential and commercial pool customers — ZEO's ZeoSand and ZeoFiber are often specified within Pentair-compatible filter systems.
• Filter Corals / Fairmount Santrol (Sibelco): Sibelco's Fairmount Santrol division produces silica sand and specialty filtration media for pool, industrial, and municipal water treatment, directly competing with ZEO's ZeoSand in the sand-replacement market.
• 3M Purification: 3M manufactures industrial filtration products including filter media for water treatment, overlapping with ZEO's industrial process water and RO pretreatment applications.

Emerging players

• Zeotech Corp: Zeotech develops synthetic and natural zeolite-based products for agricultural, environmental, and industrial uses — partially overlapping with ZEO's EcoSand soil amendment business.

Regional players

• Zeocem AS: Zeocem is a European producer of natural zeolite for filtration, agriculture, and animal feed, serving similar applications to ZEO but focused primarily on European markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zeo-inc-

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 ZEO