inq.
inq. is a private, Convergence Partners-owned edge solutions provider delivering managed connectivity, security, cloud, and Edge AI services to large enterprises and public-sector clients across 9+ African countries via proprietary platforms and tier-1 technology partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersEbène, Mauritius
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What inq. does
inq. is a private, Convergence Partners-owned edge solutions provider founded in 2013 with operational headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa. The company builds and operates a proprietary edge technology stack — including the inq. Control Platform (orchestration, billing, provisioning), inq. Fabric (software-defined cloud connectivity), inq. Edge Sentry (secure edge with LTE failover), inq. SD-WAN, and the perpetually licensed Enea Edge IP for uCPE orchestration — delivered as managed services to large enterprises and public-sector clients across 9+ African countries and 16+ cities. Per company claims, inq. connects more than 1,200 of Africa's largest corporations spanning BFSI, Oil & Gas, Mining, FMCG, and government verticals, with the 2022 acquisition of Syrex adding South African hyperconverged capabilities and ICASA ECS/ECNS licensing.
The revenue model blends recurring managed services, subscription connectivity (Broadband Connect, Premium Connect, IP Transit, MPLS, Mobile Connect), hardware/software resale, and Edge AI/IoT project work. Distribution combines direct enterprise field sales with a deep tier-1 partner ecosystem — Microsoft Gold, AWS, Cisco, Fortinet, Check Point (4-star), Google Cloud, Mimecast MSP, Netskope, Seceon, Sendmarc, and Ridge Security — plus value-added distributors such as Corr-Serve in South Africa. The 2023 leadership refresh (Group CEO Glad Dibetso, Nigeria MD Ifeanyi Akosionu) and the Smart Zambia digital ID partnership reflect an explicit push to deepen pan-African footprint and move up the value chain into digital transformation and public-sector programs.
inq. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- inq.
- Legal name
- inq. Holding Limited
- Website
- https://inq.inc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- inq. is a private, Convergence Partners-owned edge solutions provider delivering managed connectivity, security, cloud, and Edge AI services to large enterprises and public-sector clients across 9+ African countries via proprietary platforms and tier-1 technology partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
inq. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Edge Computing & Managed ICT Services
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), All Other Telecommunications (517810)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Telephone Interconnect Systems (7385), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- IT Service Management for Data Centers (ITSM/CMDB/Change) (HDABANAF)
Keywords
Where inq. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ebène
- HQ country
- Mauritius
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices9 records
Markets served
inq. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Managed Services: Comprehensive managed IT services including connectivity, cloud solutions, security, and bespoke IT support. Delivered through Syrex subsidiary and direct inq. operations across Africa.
- Hardware and Software Sales: Sale of networking hardware, security appliances, and software licenses. Syrex is a Microsoft Gold Partner and offers Check Point, Fortinet, and other enterprise software solutions.
- Cloud Services: Cloud hosting, virtualization, Office 365, backup and archiving services. Includes connectivity to major cloud providers and hybrid cloud solutions.
- Connectivity Services: ISP services including Broadband Connect, Premium Connect, IP Transit, Mobile Connect, MPLS, and Core Connect. Offered as managed services with 24/7 monitoring.
- Security Services: Cybersecurity solutions including firewall, VPN, security management, and advanced threat protection through partnerships with Check Point, Fortinet, Mimecast, and Seceon.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Broadband Connect - 10 Mbps to 1 Gbps uncapped DIA plans |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium Connect - Enterprise grade dedicated 1:1 DIA |
| Subscription | Monthly | IP Transit - National bandwidth from major data centres |
| Subscription | Monthly | MPLS Managed Services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
inq. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
inq. provides edge computing and managed ICT services to African enterprises, anchored by its proprietary inq. Control Platform™. Its core offerings include Edge AI and IoT analytics, software-defined cloud connectivity (inq. Fabric), SD-WAN, Edge Sentry secure edge networking, managed cloud services, and integrated cybersecurity, delivered alongside connectivity (broadband, premium DIA, MPLS, IP transit, mobile) and supported by its Syrex subsidiary in South Africa.
Product overview
inq. is a global edge solutions provider offering a platform-plus-modules architecture built around its central inq. Control Platform. The core product portfolio includes Artificial Intelligence (Edge AI and IoT), Analytics and IoT, Cloud Services, Security, Intelligent Connectivity, Communication and Collaboration, and Digital Transformation. Key products include Edge Sentry for secure edge connectivity, SD-WAN for enterprise networking, Fabric for software-defined cloud connectivity, and various connectivity services (Broadband Connect, Premium Connect, IP Transit, MPLS, Mobile Connect). The company resells/bundles third-party security products including Check Point Infinity, Fortinet Security Fabric, Mimecast, Sendmarc, Netskope, Seceon, and RidgeBot as part of its managed security offerings. The portfolio spans from edge AI and IoT to network security and cloud connectivity, all managed through the central Control Platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Connected over 1,200 of the continent's largest and leading corporations
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use inq.
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
inq. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
AI capability8 records
Feature6 records
inq. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and strategic.
- SeceoncoreStrategic partnership to provide the Seceon Open Threat Management Platform - AI/ML-driven cyber threat detection and remediation for enterprises and MSSPs. Seceon is represented in South Africa through Corr-Serve as local value-added distributor.
- MicrosoftcoreMicrosoft Gold Partner providing cloud services including Office 365, virtualization, and Azure connectivity. Syrex holds Gold partnership status.
- AWS (Amazon Web Services)coreTechnology partner for cloud infrastructure and services integration.
- CiscocoreTechnology partner for networking infrastructure, routing, switching, and SD-WAN solutions.
- Check Pointcore4-star Check Point Partner providing Infinity cybersecurity architecture including Quantum, CloudGuard, Harmony, and Horizon solutions for network, cloud, endpoint, and mobile security.
- FortinetcoreFortinet Security Fabric partner providing cybersecurity mesh architecture with interoperability, analytics, intelligence, and automation for comprehensive enterprise security.
- MimecastcoreMSP Partner for email security, resilience, data retention, compliance, and security awareness training.
- Google CloudcoreTechnology partner for cloud infrastructure and services integration.
- EneacoreLicensed Enea Edge Intellectual Property for edge orchestration and management of white box uCPEs. Strategic licensing agreement for global telcos, ISPs, and MSPs.
- KubernetessupportingTechnology partner for container orchestration and cloud-native application deployment.
- ElasticsupportingTechnology partner for search and analytics platform used in security and monitoring solutions.
- SendmarcsupportingDMARC compliance software protecting domains against email phishing and impersonation attacks with full protection status guarantee.
- NetskopecoreSASE architecture partner providing CASB, SWG, ZTNA, Firewall-as-a-Service, and SSE components through Netskope Borderless SD-WAN and Intelligent SSE.
- Ridge SecuritysupportingRidgeBot automated penetration testing solution for security validation including MITRE ATT&ck framework testing, ransomware tests, and asset profiling.
- Zambia Government (Smart Zambia Institute)strategicPartnership to support Zambia's homegrown digital ID rollout as part of the $100 million World Bank-funded Digital Zambia Acceleration Project targeting 80% digital economy inclusion by end of 2026.
- OpenStacksupportingOpen source cloud computing platform partner for infrastructure virtualization.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
inq. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Liquid Intelligent Technologies: Pan-African fiber network operator and cloud/cybersecurity/managed services provider serving enterprise customers across multiple African countries. The most directly comparable peer to inq. in terms of business model, geographic scope, and integrated connectivity-plus-cloud-plus-security offering.
- BCX (Business Connexion): South African ICT services provider offering cloud, security, managed services, and connectivity to large enterprise and public sector customers. Directly comparable to inq./Syrex operations in South Africa.
- Internet Solutions (NTT): African ISP and cloud services provider serving enterprise customers with connectivity, cloud, and managed services across multiple African countries. Closely aligned with inq.'s Intelligent Connectivity portfolio.
- MainOne: West African connectivity, data center, and cloud services provider with submarine cable infrastructure serving enterprise and hyperscaler customers. Comparable to inq.'s West African operations and ISP business.
- Teraco Data Environments: Largest carrier-neutral data center operator in Africa with facilities in South Africa, providing colocation and cloud on-ramp services. Comparable to inq.'s edge infrastructure and cloud connectivity offerings.
- Africa Data Centres: Pan-African data center operator with facilities across multiple African countries serving enterprise and cloud provider customers. Comparable infrastructure layer to inq.'s edge and cloud services portfolio.
- Workonline Communications: South African connectivity and IP transit provider serving ISPs and enterprises across Africa. Closely aligned with inq.'s Premium Connect, IP Transit, and MPLS services targeting carrier and enterprise buyers.
Broad incumbents
- Seacom: Submarine cable operator and connectivity provider in Africa with cloud and managed services offerings. Broader infrastructure incumbent that overlaps with inq.'s ISP services but does not specialize in edge AI or enterprise managed services.
- Dimension Data (NTT Data): Global ICT services provider with strong African heritage offering cloud, security, networking, and managed services. Larger incumbent that competes for the same large enterprise customers but with a broader global portfolio rather than an African edge-specialist focus.
Emerging players
- Raxio Data Centres: Pan-African carrier-neutral data center operator building facilities across multiple African countries. Adjacent/emerging player with partial overlap to inq.'s edge and cloud infrastructure layer, though more focused on wholesale colocation than managed services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
inq. social profiles
Digital presenceinq. compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
inq. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
inq. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
inq. subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
inq. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
inq. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about inq.
What does inq. do?
inq. provides edge computing and managed ICT services to African enterprises, anchored by its proprietary inq. Control Platform™. Its core offerings include Edge AI and IoT analytics, software-defined cloud connectivity (inq. Fabric), SD-WAN, Edge Sentry secure edge networking, managed cloud services, and integrated cybersecurity, delivered alongside connectivity (broadband, premium DIA, MPLS, IP transit, mobile) and supported by its Syrex subsidiary in South Africa.
Is inq. a public or private company?
inq. is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was inq. founded?
inq. was founded in 2013. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is inq. based?
inq. is headquartered in Ebène, Mauritius, in the Africa region.
How does inq. make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Managed Services are the primary driver. The others are hardware and Software Sales, cloud Services, connectivity Services and security Services.
Who are inq.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Liquid Intelligent Technologies, BCX (Business Connexion), Internet Solutions (NTT), MainOne, Teraco Data Environments, Africa Data Centres and Workonline Communications. Broad incumbents are Seacom and Dimension Data (NTT Data). Raxio Data Centres is listed as an emerging player.
Does inq. have an API?
No public API is recorded for inq..
What industry is inq. in?
inq.'s product category is Edge Computing & Managed ICT Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDABANAF, IT Service Management for Data Centers (ITSM/CMDB/Change). Its NAICS code is 518210 and its SIC code is 7370.