Connectus Business Solutions is marking 15 years of operation at a time of significant momentum, with the IT and cyber security company having expanded its user base substantially, completed seven acquisitions and now preparing for another period of growth.
Roy Shelton, CEO of Connectus Business Solutions, said the company’s anniversary on 11 August 2026 represents an important milestone, but that the focus remains firmly on the opportunities ahead as investment and acquisition activity continue to increase.
“Fifteen years in, the pace is only increasing,” he said. “We’ve gone from a standing start in Doncaster to supporting more than 700 businesses and 15,000 users, and this is the most active period of acquisition and investment we’ve had in the business’s history. This isn’t a moment to slow down and reflect; it’s only the beginning of the next 15 years.”
The milestone follows Connectus’s recent strategic investment in Glu Digital, the company’s fastest transaction to date from the initial announcement through to delivery. The partnership quickly moved into action, with two joint projects completed within weeks of the deal and the creation of the new Digital Connect Group.
Since 2020, Connectus has increased its reach from 380 clients and 7,000 users to more than 700 businesses and over 15,000 end users. Its seven transactions have included Cybersity, YouCloud Solutions, Mango Tech, IT 4 Growth, the PCSC customer base, the assets of i7 Technologies and Glu Digital. The company has also recorded double-digit recurring revenue growth for three consecutive years, with turnover now projected to pass £6 million.
The company was originally established in 2011 as Eximus Solutions, following its spin-out from Peel Telecoms. It went on to build a full fibre network at Doncaster Sheffield Airport in 2013 and launched the UCentrix hosted voice platform in 2014. Following an acquisition in 2018, Connectus Group was formed with FW Capital backing and Paul Ruocco as chairman. In 2019, Shelton, Commercial Director Andy Marden and Operations Director Phillippa Shelton set an initial goal of developing a managed services business with 500 customers. The company has since more than doubled that figure.
Shelton said the business had managed to scale without compromising the standards that have underpinned its customer relationships. “We didn’t just hit that target, we grew beyond it, more than doubled the number of users we support, completed seven transactions and built a great team along the way,” he said. “What matters most is that we’ve kept our standards. We still treat customer 700 exactly the way we treated customer one. That consistency is why partners like Glu Digital want to build something with us.”
The business remains 100% privately owned, with every share held within its team. Connectus introduced its Connectus Evolve AI-as-a-Service platform in 2025 and was also recognised as SME of the Year at the Doncaster Chamber Awards that year. Its links with the local community have continued to develop, with the company moving from Club House Sponsor to front-of-shirt sponsor of Doncaster Knights.
Connectus is now planning further acquisitions across its managed services and channel businesses, alongside continued investment in AI-enabled managed services through Connectus Evolve. The company also intends to strengthen its presence across the Northern Powerhouse, Midlands and wider UK. Microsoft-stack-focused managed services businesses have been identified as priority acquisition prospects for 2026 and 2027, while organic growth will continue across cyber security, business connectivity and telephony.
“We are privately owned, team-owned and completely in control of our own pace, which means we can be bold,” Shelton added. “The market does not need another IT provider that just keeps the lights on. It needs partners who reduce cost, complexity and risk while genuinely innovating. That is what Digital Connect Group is about, that is what Connectus Evolve is about, and that is what the next 15 years of this business will be about.”
