Glide

What Glide does

Glide is a UK-based business connectivity provider operating for over 35 years, delivering full fibre broadband, managed Wi-Fi, dark fibre, and connected-building technology to enterprise and mid-market customers. The company is privately held under the legal entity Glide Student & Residential Ltd., headquartered in Birmingham (registered office) with operations across the United Kingdom and a recently announced expansion into European markets. Glide's product portfolio is anchored by three commercial propositions: Glide Business (broadband and Wi-Fi for SMB and enterprise), Glide Manage (next-generation connected buildings and ESG-enabled infrastructure), and Glide Fibre (high-capacity fibre network infrastructure, inherited from the 2021 acquisition of Concept Solutions People). Underlying technology is a terabit-ready full fibre network with managed Wi-Fi deployment capabilities designed for complex, high-density environments.

The company serves eight verticals — Education, Student Accommodation (PBSA), Build-to-Rent, Small & Medium Business, Hospitality, Data Centres, Public Sector, and Manufacturing/Warehousing/Logistics — with the first four flagged as primary. Glide operates a blended go-to-market combining enterprise field sales (including a new European Sales Director), inside sales for mid-market and SMB, and a partner/reseller channel. Revenue is generated through recurring managed-services contracts and subscription pricing on annual billing cycles, with quote-based enterprise pricing. King's College London is cited as a major reference customer for fibre and managed Wi-Fi. No external venture funding or public listing is disclosed, and the company appears to be privately held by management or founders.

The core infrastructure asset is the UK fibre footprint, materially expanded by the 2021 CSP acquisition. Glide participates in the UK government's Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme as an approved supplier. Leadership is led by Group CEO Tim Pilcher, with Alan Marshall recently appointed to lead European strategy. Customer segments are diversified across verticals, but enterprise anchor exposure and a capital-intensive fibre asset base create moderate concentration risk and require sustained capital deployment to maintain the terabit-ready network proposition.

Name

Glide

Legal name

Glide Student & Residential Ltd.

Website

https://glidegroup.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Glide is a UK-based connectivity provider offering full fibre broadband, managed Wi-Fi, dark fibre, and connected-building technology to universities, student accommodation, build-to-rent developers, and businesses across the UK, with operations expanding into Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Clevedon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Managed Internet and Connectivity Services: Recurring managed services revenue from providing internet connectivity, Wi-Fi, and fibre broadband solutions to businesses and residential developers. Services include ongoing monitoring, management, and support.
2. Network Infrastructure Services: Revenue from dark fibre, full fibre broadband, and network infrastructure deployment for buildings and communities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Glide is a UK-based telecommunications provider delivering internet connectivity, broadband, VoIP and managed communication services to businesses, student accommodation, build-to-rent residences, hospitality venues and public sector organisations. The company supplies fibre broadband, managed Wi-Fi, dark fibre and connected-building solutions backed by its own carrier network.

Product overview

Glide is a UK-based provider of managed internet, Wi-Fi, and connectivity services with over 35 years of experience. The company operates two main divisions: Glide Business provides broadband and Wi-Fi solutions for businesses with terabit-ready network infrastructure, while Glide Manage focuses on connected building technology and ESG responsibility. The core service portfolio includes Fibre Broadband, Managed Wi-Fi, Dark Fibre, and network infrastructure services. Glide also operates through its sub-brand Glide Fibre (formerly Concept Solutions People) to expand high-capacity broadband networks across the UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Glide Fibre: Fibre network brand operating under Glide Group, formerly known as Concept Solutions People (CSP), providing high-capacity broadband networks across the UK.

Products and services

• Glide Business (Business Broadband)

Quantifiable outcome

• Specialist expertise developed over 35+ years serving complex connectivity environments

Named customers1 record

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Concept Solutions People (CSP) - Acquired and renamed Glide FibrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2021Glide Group acquired Concept Solutions People (CSP), a fibre network builder, which was renamed Glide Fibre. This acquisition allows Glide to expand its high-capacity broadband networks across the UK, leveraging CSP's expertise and network infrastructure. The acquisition is part of Glide's strategy to grow its fibre network footprint.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Gigaclear: UK rural-focused full-fibre altnet serving residential and business customers. Comparable as an alternative network provider delivering fibre broadband to underserved areas with similar managed-service and customer-segment dynamics.
• Colt Technology Services: UK-headquartered provider of enterprise connectivity, fibre, and managed network services including dark fibre. Overlaps with Glide's business connectivity, dark fibre, and managed-services offerings for enterprise and data-centre customers.
• Zayo Group: International fibre and bandwidth infrastructure provider offering dark fibre, wavelengths, and managed connectivity to enterprise and data-centre customers. Comparable in dark fibre, network infrastructure, and enterprise-connectivity offerings to Glide's higher-end services.
• CityFibre: UK alternative network provider building full-fibre infrastructure targeting residential, business, and public-sector customers. Highly comparable to Glide as a UK altnet serving similar B2B and property-developer segments with full-fibre and dark fibre services.
• Community Fibre: London-focused full-fibre altnet offering gigabit broadband to residential, BTR, and business customers. Comparable business model and vertical mix to Glide, particularly in MDU and BTR segments.
• Hyperoptic: UK full-fibre broadband provider specializing in multi-dwelling units (MDUs), build-to-rent, and student accommodation — the same core verticals as Glide. Direct overlap in PBSA and BTR markets makes it a close comparable.
• ASK4: UK-based managed broadband provider specializing in student accommodation, build-to-rent, and residential developments. Directly competes with Glide in the PBSA and BTR verticals with similar managed Wi-Fi and connectivity propositions.

Broad incumbents

• TalkTalk Business: UK business broadband and connectivity provider serving SMB and mid-market customers. Comparable to Glide's SMB and business segments, though TalkTalk offers a broader portfolio including voice, mobile, and managed services.
• Virgin Media O2: Major UK cable and fibre broadband provider serving residential and business customers. Competes with Glide across SMB, BTR, and enterprise segments, with substantially larger scale and capital base.
• BT Group (Openreach): UK incumbent telecom operator and largest fixed-line network owner through Openreach. Competes with Glide across all verticals as both a wholesale infrastructure provider and a retail broadband provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GlideUK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCEIOKCi74RK-yzAorH7BtxA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/18644382/admin
• Facebookfacebook.com/GlideUK

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Glide