SamKnows
SamKnows is a London-based internet performance measurement company that builds whitebox routers running custom OpenWRT firmware for independent broadband quality testing, primarily serving government regulators and ISPs undertaking national broadband monitoring programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What SamKnows does
SamKnows is a London-based, privately held internet performance measurement company founded in 2003. It designs and distributes whitebox routers — most notably the SK-WB8 model — running custom OpenWRT firmware engineered for independent, fixed-line broadband performance testing. The company sells primarily to government regulators and ISPs, with its most prominent documented engagement being the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission's (ACCC) Measuring Broadband Australia program, under which approximately 4,000 SK-WB8 units were distributed to volunteer households across the National Broadband Network between 2020 and the program's conclusion in June 2026.
The company's commercial model combines two revenue streams: hardware sales of whitebox routers deployed under government broadband measurement initiatives, and recurring data-collection services that deliver speed, latency, and quality-of-service telemetry to regulators and ISPs. Its primary customer segment is government regulators seeking standardized, independent broadband quality data to support consumer protection and policy decisions; a secondary segment comprises ISPs looking for independent verification of advertised network performance. Go-to-market is direct, B2G-led, with no public pricing or channel structure disclosed.
The disclosed business footprint is narrow and concentrated. The ACCC program represented a multi-year national-scale deployment and, per available sources, was the company's most visible commercial engagement; its termination in June 2026 — at which point the ACCC remotely disabled the deployed routers — is a material event. A referral URL from SamKnows toward Cisco ThousandEyes' Connected Devices product (a closely related broadband subscriber-experience visibility offering) suggests a partnership, integration, or acquisition relationship, the nature and terms of which are not disclosed in the input data. Ownership, funding history, financial performance, and management-team composition beyond three named executives (CEO Alex Salter, Founder & CTO Sam Crawford, and Head of Product Marketing Alberta Bosco) are not documented in the available source material.
SamKnows firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SamKnows
- Website
- https://samknows.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SamKnows is a London-based internet performance measurement company that builds whitebox routers running custom OpenWRT firmware for independent broadband quality testing, primarily serving government regulators and ISPs undertaking national broadband monitoring programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SamKnows industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Network Performance Monitoring Hardware
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)
- SIC
- Computer Communications Equipment (3576)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Network Performance, Visibility & SLA Monitoring (Managed NPM/Observability) (HDAIAFAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Small Business/SoHo Routers & Gateways (HDAFAIAH)
Keywords
Where SamKnows is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
SamKnows business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel
Revenue model
- Government Router Supply: Supply of whitebox testing routers to government programs for broadband measurement and quality-of-service monitoring
- Broadband Testing Services: Ongoing data collection services provided to government regulators for broadband performance monitoring programs
SamKnows product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SamKnows designs, supplies, and operates whitebox routers (SK-WB8) running custom OpenWRT firmware that are deployed to volunteer households to collect real-world fixed-line broadband performance data. The offering combines measurement hardware with ongoing data collection services, primarily serving national regulatory bodies and ISPs that need independent verification of broadband speed and quality of service.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SamKnows SK-WB8 Router A whitebox router running a custom version of OpenWRT firmware, distributed to volunteers for fixed-line broadband performance testing over the NBN. The devices were part of the Measuring Broadband Australia program administered by the ACCC, collecting broadband speed data since 2020 and reaching planned end-of-life on June 30, 2026.
- Broadband Testing Services (MBA program) Recurring data collection service provided to government regulators (e.g., the ACCC) that supplies real-world broadband speed and quality-of-service data collected from in-home SK-WB8 measurement endpoints. The service supports objective, independent reporting of fixed-line broadband performance across ISP networks.
Companies that use SamKnows
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SamKnows technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
SamKnows partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC)coreSamKnows supplied SK-WB8 whitebox routers to the ACCC for deployment in the Measuring Broadband Australia program, a national initiative to measure and report on fixed-line broadband performance across ISP networks in Australia. The partnership involved distributing ~4,000 testing devices to volunteer households since 2020, collecting real-world speed and performance data for regulatory reporting purposes.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
SamKnows competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Measurement Lab (M-Lab): Open-source network measurement platform providing broadband diagnostics and performance data; offers an alternative crowdsourced data source for regulators evaluating independent measurement providers.
- ThousandEyes (Cisco): Cisco-owned network observability platform offering connected-device and subscriber-experience visibility; directly comparable to SamKnows' broadband performance measurement business and referenced via samknows301 utm_source in company materials.
- Ookla: Operates Speedtest, the dominant consumer and crowdsourced broadband performance measurement service; competes with SamKnows for regulator-grade broadband QoS data using a software/app-based model.
- RIPE Atlas: RIPE NCC-operated global internet measurement network with thousands of probe hosts collecting connectivity and performance data; comparable as a regulator/research-grade measurement infrastructure.
Broad incumbents
- Viavi Solutions: Major incumbent in network test, measurement, and assurance instrumentation for carriers; overlapping capability in broadband service quality monitoring.
- Cisco: Parent of ThousandEyes and broader networking incumbent; relevant as the channel owner of the ThousandEyes platform that is positioned as a complementary/successor route for SamKnows' measurement data.
- Spirent Communications: Established provider of network test, assurance, and measurement solutions for service providers and equipment vendors; broader portfolio but overlapping in fixed-line broadband performance testing.
- NetScout Systems: Provider of network performance management and service assurance solutions for service providers and enterprises; comparable at the network observability layer that underpins broadband QoS reporting.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
SamKnows social profiles
Digital presenceSamKnows financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SamKnows leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
SamKnows funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SamKnows M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SamKnows
What does SamKnows do?
SamKnows designs, supplies, and operates whitebox routers (SK-WB8) running custom OpenWRT firmware that are deployed to volunteer households to collect real-world fixed-line broadband performance data. The offering combines measurement hardware with ongoing data collection services, primarily serving national regulatory bodies and ISPs that need independent verification of broadband speed and quality of service.
When was SamKnows founded?
SamKnows was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SamKnows based?
SamKnows is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does SamKnows make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Government Router Supply is the primary driver. The others are broadband Testing Services.
Who are SamKnows's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Measurement Lab (M-Lab), ThousandEyes (Cisco), Ookla and RIPE Atlas. Broad incumbents are Viavi Solutions, Cisco, Spirent Communications and NetScout Systems.
Does SamKnows have an API?
No public API is recorded for SamKnows.
What industry is SamKnows in?
SamKnows's product category is Network Performance Monitoring Hardware. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIAFAI, Network Performance, Visibility & SLA Monitoring (Managed NPM/Observability), with a secondary code of HDAFAIAH, Small Business/SoHo Routers & Gateways. Its NAICS code is 5182 and its SIC code is 3576.