Six Degrees Group

About Six Degrees Group

Six Degrees Group operates as a cloud-led managed service provider, focusing on delivering secure, integrated cloud services to the UK mid-market. The company was founded in 2011 by Alastair Mills, who successfully replicated a previous business model of building a company through a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisitions. This "buy-and-build" strategy was backed by private equity firm Penta Capital, which invested over £50 million, enabling an aggressive acquisition campaign from the outset. Within its first few years, Six Degrees made numerous acquisitions to build a comprehensive service portfolio.

The business offers an integrated suite of managed communication services, including private cloud, colocation, connectivity, mobile, and unified communications. Its service model is built around providing the infrastructure foundations necessary for businesses undergoing digital transformation. The client base is diverse, encompassing sectors such as finance, legal, manufacturing, retail, and the public sector. Six Degrees leverages its own assets, including UK-based data centres and a next-generation data network, to deliver and support its portfolio of applications and services. Revenue is generated by providing these managed technology solutions to mid-market corporate customers.

A significant milestone in the company's history was its acquisition by US-based private equity firm Charlesbank Capital Partners in June 2015, which provided substantial capital for further expansion. Founder Alastair Mills, who led the company from a startup to over £100 million in revenue within five years, eventually stepped back from the CEO role to become Chairman in 2017, before launching a new venture, Kerv, in 2020. The company has seen a succession of leadership since, with Vince DeLuca appointed as CEO in June 2024. The company's growth has been marked by a series of strategic acquisitions, with at least 11 noted by 2018, including companies specializing in managed security, cloud infrastructure, and IT services to expand its capabilities. A key acquisition was CNS Group in 2018, which significantly enhanced its cyber security offerings, adding a dedicated Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC).