Ideal has put out a “business as usual” message after selling up to an overseas peer for £14.6m and swapping CEOs.
The Brighton-based IT solutions and smart buildings specialist today announced it has been acquired by Sofia-based technology services provider Telelink Business Services Group (TBS Group).
It’s not the first Cisco partner to join forces with a larger European counterpart in recent years, following TIGL’s sale to Conscia and ONI’s acquisition by Thrive.
“No major changes planned”
The deal sees Tim Gaynor, previously Ideal’s CFO, stepping into the CEO hotseat as incumbent Moto Shakoori exits the business.
Counting NATO and Lufthansa among its 300 clients, Bulgarian Stock Exchange-listed TBS Group employs 500 staff.
The combination of TBS Group’s SOC and Ideal’s NOC “makes for a genuinely compelling new offering for customers”, Ideal said.
The Sofia-headquartered outfit had been “looking closely” at the UK for “some time”, it claimed.
“The acquisition of Ideal by TBS Group is part of a deliberate European growth strategy,” it stated.
“In practice, that means Ideal remains free to work in the usual way, with no major changes planned to personnel, offices or customer and supplier relationships. The name on the door, the people customers know and the way the company works stay the same – what changes is the depth of what stands behind it.”
Founded in 2009, Ideal became a smart buildings specialist “by mistake”, Shakoori told IT Channel Oxygen in 2024.
According to TBS Group, Ideal achieved normalised EBITDA of £0.95m on revenues of £11.81m in 2025.
The aggregate total consideration for 100% of the issued share capital of Ideal was £14.57m.
“Ideal is highly regarded by blue-chip customers and vendors alike,” TBS Group CEO Ivan Zhitiyanov stated.
“It is a professional company, with exceptional technical, sales and support staff and a strong local presence in the UK market. This makes Ideal a solid investment for us, and we look forward to welcoming them to the TBS Group.”
