Zero USV - Montpellier Integrated

Zero USV: Elevating from startup to global player in marine autonomy

Established in 2024 ZeroUSV is a designer and manufacturer of long range autonomous uncrewed service vessels (USVs), operating primarily in the domains of defence, surveying, and oceanic scientific research.

Created under its founding company, MSubs, with our suppport ZeroUSV has established itself as being a unique startup. In fact, the company is already contributing to and shaping national Government issues and has an expanding global customer base from North America to the Middle East.

PR & MEDIA

TECHNOLOGY

MARITIME

The Challenge

Plymouth-based ZeroUSV are creating genuinely world leading ‘over-the-horizon’ high-endurance USVs, but its message and market position was the world’s best secret – and brand awareness, invisible.

Not only that, but its brand needed creating too – including logo, website, social media presence, and key message.

The company not only wanted to be known as its own entity away from MSubs and be positioned as a world leader in marine autonomy, but ZeroUSV also wanted to, in the long term, tackle the big issues that affect the growth and progress of the wider marine autonomy economy, by lending its voice to national and international debates and challenges, particularly around regulatory constraints on innovation.

The engagement began in September 2023, with the launch of ZeroUSV’s flagship, and first vessel, Oceanus12.

The Solution

We set in motion a tactical approach to address the challenges that lay ahead.

To address its brand and website issues, we advised throughout their creation, so that ZeroUSV began to look a key player, and transition away from its startup image.

To launch Oceanus12, and announce ZeroUSV to the media stage, Montpellier devised a six month programme leading up the launch of the company’s first 12 meter, 2000-mile range, fully autonomous vessel – which included event attendance where the vessel was being launched, lining up media interviews, OpEds targeting key vertical media to highlight the problems its solves, press releases on the progress on the assembly of the vessel, and of course the launch itself of Oceanus12.

Following the six-month project, Montpellier’s PR team built on that success by creating and executing annual strategic media outreach and content plans, consisting of; an aggressive and proactive press office function, OpEd placements discussing ‘bigger picture’ issues, extensive profiling for its MD, Matthew Ratsey, and strategic announcements of major company milestones.

Now, less than two years on, ZeroUSV is a renowned global player in its target markets of defence, geotechnical & hydrographic surveying and subsea infrastructure monitoring, featuring extensively in the national and international media, including The New York Times and broadcast channels.

Not only that, but Matthew has become a trusted advisor to the government when it comes to marine autonomy in the defence context thanks to his profile building.