What Unicom does

Clear Business is a UK-focused business services aggregator that bundles five essential operating services — business energy (gas and electricity via Sinq Power Limited and Economy Gas Limited), water (Clear Business Water Limited), telecommunications (broadband, digital voice, and mobile via O2 network), insurance brokerage (via Simply Business partnership), and card payment processing (powered by Worldpay) — into a single supplier relationship for small businesses. The platform is built on the Customer Zone self-serve portal, which provides 36 months of billing history, Direct Debit management, meter-read submission, and account administration; the technology layer also includes Android-powered smart card terminals, online payment gateways, POS systems, and smart meters for energy tracking. Headquartered in Sale, Greater Manchester, the company is operated by the Verastar Group, a privately-held collection of six UK limited companies with no external institutional investors disclosed.

The business serves approximately 80,000 to 130,000 UK small businesses across retail, hospitality, automotive, professional services, and other verticals, with a horizontal segmentation approach targeting the long tail of SMBs that incumbent utilities historically underserve. Revenue is generated through a mix of subscription/recurring charges (energy, water, telecoms), per-unit consumption charges (energy and water), transaction-based fees on card processing, and brokerage commissions on insurance. Distribution combines digital self-serve (website, online quoting, Customer Zone), inside sales via phone, a regional field sales team for card terminal deployment across nine UK regions, and the Simply Business insurance referral partnership. Key differentiators include multi-utility licensing (a regulated barrier to entry), over 20 years of SMB-specialist operating history, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications, and a 23% UK market share in business water. Strategic moves emphasise cross-sell (e.g., Business Cash Advance up to £1 million anchored on card turnover) and geographic build-out in Scottish water rather than M&A or external funding. The company has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities and operates with conventional fintech/telecom infrastructure; revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Unicom

Legal name

Clear Business (operated by Verastar Limited, TBO Services Limited, Inspire Payment Services Limited, Sinq Power Limited, Economy Gas Limited, and Clear Business Water Limited)

Website

https://switchingon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Clear Business (Verastar Group) is a UK-based multi-service aggregator bundling energy, water, telecoms, insurance, and card payments for approximately 80,000-130,000 small businesses, consolidated through a single Customer Zone portal and a regulated multi-utility licence structure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Energy Supply (Gas & Electricity): Clear Business supplies business gas and electricity at fixed prices through its subsidiaries Sinq Power Limited (electricity) and Economy Gas Limited (gas). Revenue is generated through unit-based consumption charges, standing charges, and pass-through charges for transmission/distribution costs. The company offers both standard and 100% renewable electricity tariffs.
2. Water Supply: Business water and wastewater services supplied through Clear Business Water Limited across Scotland and England. Revenue comes from volumetric water charges, wastewater charges, and fixed supply charges based on SPID numbers.
3. Telecommunications (Broadband, Voice, Mobile): Business broadband (up to 900mb/s with full-fibre, part-fibre, and copper options), digital voice, and mobile services. Mobile services provided through O2 network partnership. Revenue from monthly subscriptions and usage charges.
4. Business Insurance Brokerage: Insurance brokerage service sourcing quotes from panel insurers including AXA, Churchill, Hiscox, and AIG through partnership with Simply Business. Revenue generated through brokerage commissions from insurance providers.
5. Card Payment Processing: Card payment services including card machines (Smart Terminals, Mobile, Countertop, Portable), online payments, and POS systems. Revenue from transaction fees (percentage of card sales) with transparent pricing. Also offers flexible funding up to £1 million based on card turnover.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Unicom, now operating as Clear Business, supplies essential business utilities and connectivity services — broadband, business phone systems, gas, electricity, water, card payment machines, EPoS systems, and business insurance — to UK small and medium-sized enterprises. The company operates under Verastar Limited, serving approximately 26,000 customers with a bundled, single-supplier proposition that simplifies procurement for SME owners.

Product overview

Clear Business is a bundled business services platform offering essential services for UK small businesses under one roof. The portfolio includes Business Broadband (with Digital Voice and Business Mobile for telecoms), Business Energy (gas and electricity with 100% renewable tariff option), Business Water, Card Payment Solutions (Smart Terminals, Online Payments, POS Systems, and Business Cash Advance), and Business Insurance—provided through a partnership with Simply Business. All services are managed through the Customer Zone self-serve portal, allowing consolidated billing and account management. The company serves approximately 130,000 small businesses and arranges insurance for over 15,000 customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Broadband Leased Line, SoGEA, and FTTP broadband connectivity services for UK small businesses requiring reliable internet access for daily operations.
• Business Phone Systems Hosted Voice (cloud-based VoIP) telephony and Business Mobile services for UK SMEs.
• Business Energy Gas and electricity supply contracts for UK small and medium-sized businesses.
• Business Water Water supply services for UK small businesses, provided as part of a bundled utilities offering.
• Card Payment Machines and Online Payments Card payment terminals and online payment processing solutions for UK SMEs to accept customer payments in-store and online.
• EPoS Systems Electronic Point of Sale systems integrating with payment terminals for retail and hospitality businesses.
• Business Insurance Commercial insurance brokerage services including public liability, employers' liability, and other business cover for UK SMEs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £37 million saved by businesses on water services compared to default rates
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Simply BusinesscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClear Business has partnered with Simply Business, one of the UK's largest business insurance brokers, to offer tailored insurance quotes from leading providers including AXA, Churchill, Hiscox, and AIG. The partnership enables Clear Business to provide instant online insurance quotes and same-day protection for small businesses, leveraging Simply Business's quote comparison platform and panel of insurers.
• O2 (Virgin Media O2)coreTechnology or IntegrationClear Business mobile services are provided through the O2 network, which was named Best Network for Business at the Mobile Industry Awards 2022 and won Best Network for Reliability from 2018-2021 by Global Wireless Solutions. O2 provides the underlying network infrastructure for Clear Business mobile plans, enabling businesses to keep their existing numbers when switching.
• WorldpaycoreTechnology or IntegrationClear Business card payment processing is powered by Worldpay, the UK's #1 payment gateway provider. Worldpay was recognized as 'Best Performing Gateway' and 'Fastest Transactions' in The Strawhecker Group's 2025 Real Transaction Metrics Awards for the second consecutive year, based on gateway performance metrics including uptime, speed, transaction success rate, and authorization rates.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus): UK-listed multi-service utility bundler offering energy, broadband, mobile, and insurance on a single bill, predominantly to households and small businesses. Operates the closest analogue to Clear Business's one-stop-shop essential services model, with multi-utility licensing, partner-led delivery, and similar SMB customer orientation.
• Bionic: UK business utilities comparison and switching platform helping SMBs source energy, broadband, insurance, and payments from suppliers. Targets the same small business segment as Clear Business with overlapping services, competing for the same wallet share on price and convenience.
• Water Plus: UK business water retailer supplying water and wastewater services to commercial customers across England and Scotland. Directly competes with Clear Business Water Limited for the same regulated business water market where Clear Business holds 23% UK share.
• Castle Water: One of the largest UK business water retailers, competing head-to-head with Clear Business Water in the deregulated English and Scottish business water markets. Highly comparable in regulated licensing, customer mix, and pricing-led competitive dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• British Gas Business: Incumbent UK business energy supplier (Centrica group) offering gas, electricity, and adjacent services to small and mid-sized businesses. Far larger and broader portfolio than Clear Business, but overlaps materially on energy supply to the same SMB segment.
• SSE Business Energy: Established UK business energy supplier serving thousands of commercial customers under multi-year fixed and flexible contracts. Comparable to Clear Business's energy offering but part of a much larger diversified utility group.
• Opus Energy (Shell Energy Business): UK business energy supplier (now part of Shell) serving SMBs with gas and electricity supply. Competes with Clear Business's Sinq Power and Economy Gas entities for the same small business customer base.
• TalkTalk Business: UK business telecoms provider offering broadband, voice, and mobile to SMB and mid-market segments. Directly comparable to Clear Business's broadband and digital voice offerings, with a larger scale and broader portfolio.
• BT Business: UK incumbent business telecoms provider offering broadband, voice, mobile, and managed services to SMBs and larger enterprises. Overlaps with Clear Business's connectivity, voice, and mobile product set within the same SMB segment.

Emerging players

• SumUp: European SMB-focused card payment and POS provider offering terminals, online payments, and business accounts to micro and small merchants. Comparable to Clear Business's card payment business in targeting small UK merchants, but focused on payments only.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/_clearbusiness
• Facebookfacebook.com/ClearBusiness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unicom---universal-utilities-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/lifeatverastar

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Unicom