Product Reports Resources Pricing Login Book a demo
COMPANY PROFILE

ZipWorld

Explore full profile

Zip World won international acclaim when it opened Zip World Velocity at Bethesda in March 2013

Bangor, United KingdomFounded 2013Travel
Valuation $100–500M Latest valuation · 2025
Revenue $10–50M Latest reported FY
Headcount 100–500 Current team size
Total funding $50–100M Disclosed equity funding
Unlock exact values This page shows ranges. Dealroom has the exact numbers for ZipWorld and the history behind them.

About ZipWorld

ZipWorld is a prominent operator in the UK's adventure tourism market, distinguished by its strategy of repurposing former industrial sites into large-scale outdoor activity destinations. The company was established in 2013 by Sean Taylor, a former Royal Marines commando, who leveraged his military background in zip lines to pioneer the venture. His journey began in 2007 with 'Treetop Adventures', which would later be rebranded as Zip World Fforest. The official launch of the Zip World brand occurred in March 2013 with the opening of Velocity at the Penrhyn Quarry, starting with just eight employees.

Read full description

The company's business model centers on offering a diverse portfolio of adrenaline-based and family-oriented experiences, generating revenue primarily through ticket sales for these activities. The customer base is broad, appealing to thrill-seekers, families, and corporate groups. A significant portion of bookings, around 85%, are made in advance. Complementary revenue streams include food and beverage sales at on-site restaurants and cafes, merchandise, and more recently, an expansion into short-break holiday accommodation with luxury lodges and a hotel.

Zip World operates multiple sites across Wales and England, each with a unique set of attractions. Its flagship product is Velocity 2 at Penrhyn Quarry, which holds the title of the world's fastest zip line, reaching speeds over 100 mph. Other key offerings include Titan, a four-person zip line; underground attractions like Bounce Below, a network of trampolines in a slate cavern, and an underground golf course; and the Fforest Coaster, an alpine coaster. The company has intentionally broadened its portfolio beyond just zip lines, which now constitute less than half of its 29 adventures. This includes mountain carts, high-ropes courses, and giant swings. A key element of their strategy involves sympathetic regeneration of the landscape, preserving the heritage of the post-industrial sites they occupy.

Significant milestones include securing a minority investment from LDC in 2018, which valued the business at £45 million and fueled a period of rapid expansion. By 2021, the company reported a turnover of £10 million. In 2023, Andrew Hudson was appointed CEO, with founder Sean Taylor moving to the role of President. A major development occurred in early 2025 when Dolphin Capital acquired a majority stake in a deal that valued Zip World at over £100 million. The company has also achieved B Corp Certification, recognizing its commitment to social and environmental standards. Over the last decade, it is reported to have contributed £941 million to the Welsh economy. Keywords: adventure tourism, outdoor activities, zip line, North Wales tourism, Sean Taylor, experience economy, leisure industry, destination attractions, corporate hospitality, family attractions, adrenaline sports, Velocity 2, Bounce Below, Fforest Coaster, Penrhyn Quarry, Llechwedd Slate Caverns, industrial regeneration, adventure park operator, UK attractions, B Corp, mountain carting, alpine coaster, underground adventures, adventure travel, thrill rides

Source: Dealroom company data

At a glance

Status
Acquired
Founded
2013
Headquarters
Bangor, United Kingdom
Employees
214
Open positions
5
Dealroom signal
0.0/100
Industry
Travel
Sub-industry
Booking & Search
Sector
Leisure, Travel, Tourism, Outside Tech, B Corp
Business model
SaaS
Client focus
b2c
Investment activity
1 company, latest Apr 2023
Capital deployed
$2.8M
Preferred round
SEED

Latest news

Press, funding announcements and product moves mentioning ZipWorld.

See all news

Funding history

2 recorded events

Company financing events and reported valuations.

Deal typeDateAmountValuationInvestorsSource
BUYOUTOther financing Jan 2025 $132M $132M Dolphin Capital
GROWTH EQUITY VCOther financing Jan 2019 $58M LDC
Showing the latest 2 of 2 recorded eventsBook a demo for the full funding history →

Financials

Revenue, earnings and profit over time

Revenue, earnings and other financial measures where available. Years marked “E” are estimates.

Company filings, research estimates and Dealroom dataBook a demo for the full financial model →

Growth signals

ZipWorld website traffic

Latest recorded traffic for ZipWorld is 160K monthly website visits, down 27.3% over the last three months. ZipWorld's team grew 72.6% over the past year.

Latest monthly visits160K 3-month web change-27.3% 1-year team growth+72.6%
Summary metrics are public; monthly history is available with a demoCompare with peers →

Investments and acquisitions

Capital deployed

Recent portfolio relationships for companies that also act as investors or acquirers.

Investors

2 investors on the cap table

From Dealroom's funding and investor records, grouped by the round each investor first entered.

Series B and later2 investors entered at this stage

  • LDC
  • Dolphin Capital
Team profiled 4 named & role-tagged
Founders Hidden — book a demo/100 quality score
Key operators 4 quality Hidden — book a demo/100
Potential founders Hidden — book a demo likely future founders
Startup mafia Hidden — book a demo alumni-founded startups
Talent movements Hidden — book a demo in · Hidden — book a demo out past 12 months

Source: Dealroom Talent Intelligence.

Global footprint

Workforce and web traffic by country
Workforce by country
2 countries with
team presence
🇬🇧 United Kingdom99%
🇦🇺 Australia1%
2 countries shown

Market sentiment

Posts on X, past 7 days

An AI-synthesised read of the highest-engagement posts about ZipWorld on X, ranked by likes and reposts, corporate channels excluded.

Reading the room on X — pulling top posts and synthesizing themes…

Source: X recent search ranked by engagement (likes + retweets) · Synthesis by Claude · Cached for 1 hour

See ZipWorld’s full profile on Dealroom

Request a free trial to see the complete deal history, financials, people graph and growth signals.

Takes under a minute. Already use Dealroom? Log in.