Two of the UK’s largest midmarket managed services provider are joining forces to create a €650m-revenue monster.
Claranet yesterday announced it has acquired Six Degrees, an acquisitive peer with revenues of £70m.
Here are six things you need to know….
1. Deal creates a €650m business
Microsoft, VMware, AWS, IBM, Nutanix and Mimecast partner Claranet said the deal for its fellow London-based MSP will push group revenues and headcount to “in excess” of €650m and 3,500 staff, respectively.
A lot of this is outside of the UK, however.
Going by its latest accounts filed on Companies House, Claranet’s UK arm turned over £95.5m in its fiscal 2025. Its wider business – which also operates in France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Brazil, Italy, Switzerland, India and USA – registered a £304.8m top line.
UK-only Six Degrees turned over £70m in its fiscal 2025, meanwhile.
The move comes 15 months after Claranet sold its £175m-revenue, resale-focused Portuguese arm to reduce debt.
2. They’re like-for-like peers
This acquisition appears to be more about scale than expanding into white space, with the two similar-sized peers boasting an overlapping repertoire of skills.
While Claranet’s stomping ground spans “cloud, cybersecurity, Data, AI, applications, Networks and Workplace Solutions”, Six Degrees is a “Secure Infrastructure, Hybrid Cloud, Cybersecurity and Modern Work” specialist.
They ranked 45th and 59th in Oxygen 250 2026, respectively.
Claranet said the acquisition “brings together two experienced managed services providers with complementary strengths”.
The enlarged company will operate under the Claranet brand.
3. Both were built via acquisition
The two companies are also cut from the same acquisitive cloth.
Founded in 2011 by serial entrepreneur Alastair Mills, by 2015 Six Degrees had grown revenues rapidly to £70m via a string of 13 acquisitions (backed by Maven and Penta Capital).
Now backed by Charlesbank, its M&A activity has cooled off in recent years.
Tikehau-backed Claranet also went on an acquisition stampede in the noughties, acquiring businesses across Europe, including AWS partner Bashton and cyber specialist Sec-1 in the UK.
4. Revenues have since flattened
Both businesses have seen revenues plateau in recent years, at least in the UK.
Six Degrees saw its top line fall for a fifth consecutive year in the 12 months to 31 March 2025 as it battled “headwinds” in winning new business and customers churning from legacy to modern services.
Its average monthly headcount fell from 430 to 309 during the period, its accounts indicate.
Clarenet’s UK arm saw revenues shrink for a second successive year to £95.5m in its year to 30 June 2025. It chalked this up to the “challenging environment”, saying companies are “cutting costs and pausing investment decisions”.
5. No mention of AI
Claranet and Six Degrees should get a prize for not mentioning AI once in their joint press release.
“It’s our mission to help our customers make the most of internet-enabled technology, and the acquisition of Six Degrees will enable us to continue to deliver on this promise,” Claranet CEO Charles Nasser stated.
6. Leaders pipe up
Nasser said the deal would enable Claranet to “deliver a broader services portfolio to our customers”.
Six Degrees CEO Vince DeLuca was also quick to hail the deal.
“Claranet’s enlarged UK business will continue to help customers modernise and protect their organisations through secure, scalable and high-performance IT services,” he said.
