Omar Ebeid

Founder and CEO at Zeal

Whilst at Surrey:

• Founder and President of the Egyptian Society
• Vice-President of Arabic Society
• Vice-President of Surrey Entrepreneurs
• Winner of Vice-Chancellor's Award for Contribution to University Life 2015/16
• Surrey Student Entrepreneur of the Year 2019

SurreyLeaders

I’m really excited about being part of this network and am so grateful for the people I’ve already met—other SurreyLeaders who are all on similar paths of creating a positive impact in the world. It’s inspiring to be surrounded by such driven and like-minded individuals, and I find it incredibly powerful to share this journey with them.

How did you start Zeal?

The idea for Zeal came about from a very ordinary moment. I was at the Friary Centre buying juice when the cashier asked me if I had a loyalty card. I said no, she then told me their loyalty program was actually an app. I downloaded it, checked it out, and thought, “Wow, that’s actually very smart.”

Shortly after that, I returned to Egypt for compulsory military service. Fortunately, I was exempt, which gave me more time to focus on the idea that would eventually become Zeal. I found a co-founder who became my CTO, I pitched him the idea. We started building an MVP (minimum viable product), and that’s how Zeal began.

Then came the lightbulb moment. If retailers are willing to pay extra for data, does that mean card machines don’t provide any insight into who’s behind a transaction? I looked into it, and it turned out I was absolutely right. That realization reframed the problem we wanted to solve: how to help retailers identify and retain in-store customers using the card machine itself. This began shaping Zeal into what it is today.

What role has Surrey played in your life? 

Surrey has played a huge role in both my personal and educational development. I joined the University of Surrey in 2012, starting with a foundation program before moving on to study Mechanical Engineering. I always made the most of summer internships, working in various engineering companies. Coming from a family business in engineering, I thought it was inevitable that I’d graduate and step into a managerial role within the family business.

Little did I know that I’d end up in payments and fintech! My shift into this world wasn’t planned—it was fuelled by passion and curiosity. That said, my engineering background played a huge role in preparing me for the journey. It taught me how to break things down, understand processes, and figure out how things work. While I didn’t need much coding knowledge, my technical foundation helped me grasp the mechanics behind payments, card machines, and other systems.

In a way, I see Zeal as an engineered product. That mindset—building something from the ground up, understanding how every piece fits together—is what Surrey and my engineering education gave me. It’s been invaluable in shaping my career path.

What has been your proudest moment so far? 

I think the proudest moment in my career so far was closing a funding round with a venture capital firm. While raising from angels is great, securing investment from institutional investors is a whole different game. It’s a huge validation—not just for your idea, but for you as a founder. You almost feel like you’ve entered this new “club” or community of people who’ve managed to achieve that milestone.

What made it even more special for me was that we didn’t just raise from any VC—we brought on the top venture capital firms in the Middle East to invest in us (Raed Ventures, Pinnacle Capital, and Cur8 Capital).

What are your interests away from work? 

I absolutely love traveling—it’s hands down my biggest passion. One of my favourite things about work, which I also carry into my personal life, is the opportunity to visit new cities, meet new people, and build meaningful connections globally. There’s something amazing about exploring places I’ve never been to and getting to know people from different walks of life.