Witherby Publishing Group

What Witherby Publishing Group does

Witherby Publishing Group Ltd is a 285-year-old privately-held maritime publishing company headquartered in Livingston, Scotland, with additional offices in Edinburgh and Singapore (CapitaGreen). The company produces operational guidance, technical standards, and regulatory compliance materials for the global shipping industry, maintaining a catalogue of more than 400 specialist titles spanning navigation, ECDIS, passage planning, security, flag state regulations, cargo operations (chemical, gas, oil, bulk, container), and environmental compliance (ballast water, biofouling, emissions). Its flagship digital platform is Witherby Connect, a browser-based hybrid eReader delivered via Web Assembly with no client installation, sandboxed cyber-architecture aligned to IMO Resolution MSC.428(98), offline operation on bandwidth as low as 0.3 Mbps, and UK MCA plus 20+ flag-state recognition for electronic carriage of publications on board ships. Supporting software products include SHIPMOOR (cloud-based mooring analysis with 3D visualization, co-developed with HR Wallingford, primarily for LNG carriers), LNG Port Info database, and ASNAv (in-house celestial navigation software developed by Technical Director Johan Machtelinckx).

Revenue is generated through a mix of mechanisms: one-time publication sales (titles ranging from roughly $33 to $434), recurring subscriptions to the Witherby Connect digital library and to flag-state regulation access (£399/year for 12 flag states), and enterprise licensing / co-publishing agreements with maritime industry bodies including BIMCO, OCIMF, SIGTTO, IACS, IMarEST, ICS, CDI, UK Chamber of Shipping, and the North of England P&I Association. Distribution is omnichannel: an owned e-commerce storefront at shop.witherbys.com, a global network of authorized distributors and stockists covering 110+ countries, and direct enterprise sales to regulators and flag administrations — including selection by the IMO as the technical platform for the official IMO Bookshelf. Witherby Connect is currently deployed on approximately 5,000 ships.

Customer segments are verticalized by role within the maritime value chain: ship operators and owners (primary) needing regulatory compliance materials, active seafarers and maritime professionals using on-board references, flag-state administrations, maritime industry bodies (BIMCO, OCIMF, SIGTTO, IACS, IMarEST), and maritime training institutions. Distribution-channel mix, subscription model, and the Witherby Connect fleet footprint together point to a stable, recurring component of revenue layered on top of legacy one-time publication sales, with recent expansion into adjacent software (SHIPMOOR) and training (VIRSEC CBT joint venture, August 2025) signalling product-line diversification beyond traditional publishing.

Name

Witherby Publishing Group

Legal name

Witherby Publishing Group Ltd

Website

https://witherbys.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1740

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Witherby Publishing Group is a privately-held Scottish maritime publisher producing 400+ technical publications, the Witherby Connect browser-based eReader (deployed on 5,000 ships), and software tools like SHIPMOOR, serving ship operators, seafarers, flag-state administrations, and maritime industry bodies globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Publishing

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210), Directory and Mailing List Publishers (513140)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Sensors, Instrumentation & IoT (Condition Monitoring) (IMAJAJAI)

Keywords

• Maritime publishing
• Navigation publications
• Maritime regulations
• Passage planning guides
• Flag state compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Livingston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Publication Sales: Sale of maritime operational guidance and technical standards publications in both physical and digital formats. Titles span navigation, ECDIS, passage planning, security, flag states, cargo types, environmental compliance, and maritime regulations.
2. Witherby Connect Subscription: Browser-based eBook reader platform providing access to maritime publications. Digital library access model with online and offline viewing capabilities.
3. Flag State Regulations Access: Annual subscription model providing access to flag state compliance legislation for 12 flag states at £99/year.
4. Enterprise Licensing: Multi-user license agreements for shipping companies and maritime organizations. Licensing agreements with organizations like TSO for MCA and ILO eBooks.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Witherby Publishing Group publishes operational guidance and technical standards for the maritime industry in both digital and physical formats, with a portfolio of 400+ specialist titles spanning navigation, ECDIS, passage planning, security, flag state compliance, and cargo handling. The company operates the Witherby Connect browser-based digital library platform and complementary tools including SHIPMOOR (mooring analysis), LNG Port Info (terminal database), and ASNAv (celestial navigation software).

Product overview

Witherby Publishing Group is a privately owned maritime publishing company offering a platform-plus-products architecture. The core digital platform is Witherby Connect, a browser-based hybrid eBook reader providing access to maritime publications online and offline. Supporting digital products include SHIPMOOR (mooring analysis with 3D visualization), LNG Port Info (LNG terminal database), and ASNAv (free celestial navigation software). The company publishes over 400 specialist titles across Navigation & ECDIS, Passage Planning, Security, Flag State Regulations, Cargo Types (Chemical, Container, Gas, General Cargo, Oil, Bulk), Environmental (Ballast Water, Biofouling, Emissions), and general maritime guidance. Publications are produced in-house and through collaborative partnerships with industry bodies including BIMCO, CDI, IACS, IMarEST, OCIMF, SIGTTO, and others. The company exports to more than 110 countries and maintains offices in Livingston and Edinburgh, Scotland, and Singapore.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Witherby Connect: Browser-based hybrid eReader software providing maritime industry library access with cyber security features, online and offline viewing capabilities.
• SHIPMOOR
• LNG Port Info
• ASNAv

Products and services

• Witherby Connect Browser-based hybrid eBook reader platform providing maritime industry library access from any browser with nothing to install. Enables online and offline access to purchased maritime publications with cyber security architecture compliant with IMO Resolution MSC.428(98), multi-device support, annotation capabilities, and search across all publications.
• SHIPMOOR Web-based application facilitating mooring analysis and 3D visualization of mooring arrangements. Performs static and dynamic mooring analysis using cloud-based servers, validates results against OCIMF's Mooring Equipment Guidelines, and reduces errors by storing and sharing pre-entered LNG berth and ship data.
• LNG Port Info Database that collates all information needed to visit LNG terminals around the world, providing maritime professionals with consolidated reference data for LNG port operations.
• ASNAv Free celestial navigation software developed in-house by Technical Director Johan Machtelinckx. Calculates position by observations of stars or planets without need for a nautical almanac, computes and plots most probable position with ellipse of probability, and supports star selection, azimuth, rhumb line, Great Circle and ETA calculations.
• Flag State Regulations Digital, up-to-date maritime regulatory solution providing full access to flag State compliance legislation for 12 flag states (Bahamas, Bermuda, Cyprus, Denmark, Isle of Man, Malta, Marshall Islands, Norway, Panama, Singapore, UK, US CFRs). Delivered on Witherby Connect platform at £399/year.
• Navigation & ECDIS Publications Navigation publications with emphasis on ECDIS and passage planning, developed over 20 years with continuous refinement by a team of senior navigating officers to ensure relevance to modern bridge setups.
• Passage Planning Guides Authoritative Passage Planning Guides maintained for 50 years through relationships with Marine Administrations, Port Authorities and pilotage organisations worldwide.
• Security Publications Security publications written by experts in practical application of maritime security, covering piracy, armed robbery, cyber security, drug trafficking, stowaways, and ISPS compliance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000 ships now use Witherby Connect for maritime publication access
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• VIRSECcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 August 2025CBT (Computer-Based Training) Joint Venture announced to develop maritime training solutions.
• Indonesia's Directorate General of Sea TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2025Landmark agreement to publish Passage Planning Guide for Indonesia's Lombok and Sunda Straits.
• HR WallingfordcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 July 2021Joint development of SHIPMOOR, a ship mooring analysis tool. HR Wallingford provides scientific and engineering expertise while Witherbys provides maritime publishing and distribution capabilities.
• North of England P&I AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2019Publishing partnership for North's range of Loss Prevention publications. Witherbys publishes and distributes North's Loss Prevention Guides providing practical advice for ship operators and seafarers.
• BIMCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for creating specialist maritime publications. Witherbys publishes BIMCO's official publications that promote understanding of industry regulations and guidelines.
• OCIMF (Oil Companies International Marine Forum)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to publish OCIMF guidance and best practices for the maritime industry, including mooring equipment guidelines referenced by SHIPMOOR.
• SIGTTO (Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for gas tanker and terminal operations publications.
• IACS (International Association of Classification Societies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for publishing classification society standards and technical guidance.
• IMarEST (Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for publishing technical standards and guidance.
• International Chamber of ShippingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership including joint publication of the Cyber Security Workbook for On Board Ship Use.
• CDI (Chemical Distribution Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for publishing chemical tanker industry guidance.
• UK Chamber of ShippingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for shipping industry publications.
• International Maritime Organization (IMO)flagshipTechnology or IntegrationWitherby Connect selected as the technical solution for IMO Bookshelf, the official digital eBook platform of the International Maritime Organization.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• DNV: Global classification society and maritime advisory firm that issues rules, standards, and technical guidance to shipowners. Comparable as a publisher of authoritative maritime technical content and partner of Witherbys via IACS.
• ABS (American Bureau of Shipping): Classification society issuing rules, technical standards, and digital services for marine and offshore assets. Comparable incumbent in maritime technical publishing and a fellow IACS member organization.
• Class NK: Japanese classification society producing rules, statutory services, and digital tools for ship operators. Comparable broader incumbent in maritime technical standards and a fellow IACS publisher.
• Lloyd's Register: Maritime classification society producing rules, statutory services, and digital tools for ship operators. Overlaps with Witherbys in the regulatory and technical guidance space and is also an IACS member publisher.
• Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore: Classification society and TIC provider issuing maritime rules, guidance, and digital compliance services to shipowners. Comparable as a broader incumbent producing maritime technical content alongside IACS partners.

Emerging players

• Seagull Maritime: Specialist provider of maritime competence and training solutions, including e-learning and onboard familiarization tools. Adjacent to Witherbys' reference publishing and increasingly the CBT/training offerings it is expanding into via the VIRSEC joint venture.
• The Nautical Institute: International professional body for maritime professionals that issues technical publications, guidance, and seafarer certification materials. Overlaps with Witherbys' professional maritime publishing portfolio.

Direct peers

• Brown, Son & Ferguson: Glasgow-based maritime publisher producing nautical and shipping operational guides, including ECDIS and passage planning titles. Direct overlap with Witherbys in specialist maritime book publishing for ship operators.
• Videotel (Kongsberg Maritime): Provider of maritime e-learning, computer-based training, and onboard video training, now part of Kongsberg Maritime. Closely comparable to Witherbys in delivering digital training and reference content to ship operators and seafarers.
• Imray, Laurie, Norie & Wilson: Long-established nautical chart and marine publication house serving yachtsmen and professional mariners. Comparable to Witherbys in producing authoritative navigational reference content for the maritime community.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCU9JWNWZfvmvvDpDUgug8MQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/witherby-publishing-group-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/astrabikini

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Witherby Publishing Group