SONEMA
Sonema is a privately held Monaco-headquartered integrator-operator providing managed connectivity, security, and hosting services to enterprises operating in regions with limited telecom infrastructure, primarily across francophone Africa, using proprietary French Tier III datacenters and satellite teleport infrastructure.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersMonaco, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SONEMA does
Sonema is a privately held integrator-operator of managed telecommunications and IT services, founded in 1985 in Monaco and operating through two entities (SONEMA SAM Monaco and SONEMA SARL France) plus the wholly-owned technical subsidiary Expertmedia. The company provides services to major enterprises operating in regions with limited telecommunications infrastructure—primarily francophone Africa—and is built on proprietary infrastructure including a Tier III datacenter in Fréjus (10,000+ sq.m., 99.98% availability, PCI-DSS certified) and the Lognes-Paris Teleport (8,000+ sq.m., 12 antennas). Its portfolio is organized around three pillars: Connectivity (VSAT/satellite, SD-WAN, ExpressRoute Sonema for Microsoft Azure/Office 365), Security (Bastion PAM with Wallix, Access Protection, Network Access Control via Fortinet FortiNac, Data Protection, Mail Protection, Pentests, Audit & Consulting, Cyber Security Awareness via Riot), and Hosting & Cloud (Housing, Virtual Servers IaaS, Save & Restore backup, PRA/PCA disaster recovery, Microsoft 365, Electronic Signature via DocuSign).
The business model is managed-services recurring revenue with a Pay-as-You-Grow (PAYG) component on hosting services; pricing is quote-based for enterprise connectivity and security contracts. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales with dedicated account managers and a 40+ strong technical-partner network across Africa (including Burundi and DRC) that provides local deployment and maintenance. Customer concentration appears concentrated on financial-services and enterprise buyers (e.g., OMOA Group, African banks), supported by regulatory certifications (PCI-DSS in 2019) and French data-sovereignty positioning as a defensible differentiator versus hyperscalers. Strategic momentum is evidenced by recent product launches (managed SD-WAN in 2018, Riot cyber-awareness distribution in December 2025), ongoing event activity (Africacom 2025, Africa Day 2025), and an expanding technology-partner ecosystem (Microsoft, Wallix, Fortinet, DocuSign, Dell, Veeam, DataCore, VMware).
SONEMA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SONEMA
- Legal name
- SONEMA
- Website
- https://sonema.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Sonema is a privately held Monaco-headquartered integrator-operator providing managed connectivity, security, and hosting services to enterprises operating in regions with limited telecom infrastructure, primarily across francophone Africa, using proprietary French Tier III datacenters and satellite teleport infrastructure.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SONEMA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Managed Telecommunications Services
- NAICS
- Satellite Telecommunications (51741), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Data Center Operations & Managed Services (Remote Hands, NOC/SOC) (HDABANAA)
Keywords
Where SONEMA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Monaco
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
SONEMA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Connectivity Services: Satellite (VSAT) and terrestrial network connectivity services providing hybrid network solutions for enterprises operating in areas with limited telecom infrastructure. Includes SD-WAN managed services and ExpressRoute connections to Azure and Office 365.
- Security Services: Comprehensive security solutions including Network Access Control, Bastion privileged access management, Access Protection with 2FA, Pentests, Audit & Consulting, Data Protection, Mail Protection, and Cyber Security Awareness training. Revenue generated through managed service contracts.
- Hosting & Cloud Services: Datacenter services including Housing (rack rental, dedicated rooms), Virtual Servers (IaaS), Save & Restore (backup), PRA/PCA (disaster recovery/business continuity), Microsoft 365 Cloud Solutions, and Electronic Signature. Delivered from proprietary Tier III datacenters.
- Professional Services: Consulting, implementation, and support services including audit and consulting for security strategy, PCI-DSS compliance assistance, ISO 27001 certification support, and migration services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Housing - Dedicated rack and room space with redundant power and cooling |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Virtual Servers - IaaS cloud computing on virtual machines with NGFW included |
| Subscription | Monthly | Mail Protection - Per mailbox pricing for advanced email filtering |
| Subscription | Annual | Cyber Security Awareness - Per user training and simulation platform |
| Hybrid | Pay-as-you-go | PRA/PCA Services - Disaster recovery and business continuity planning |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
SONEMA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SONEMA provides managed telecommunications and IT infrastructure services to enterprises operating in Africa. Its offerings span three pillars — Connectivity, Security, and Hosting & Cloud — delivered via four operator service lines (Telecom Operator, Integrator Operator, Datacenter Operator, and Cybersecurity Operator), backed by proprietary Tier III datacenters in France and on-the-ground African technical presence.
Product overview
Sonema is an integrator-operator offering a portfolio of managed telecom and IT services structured around three core pillars: Connectivity, Security, and Hosting & Cloud. Connectivity includes ExpressRoute Sonema (private Azure/Office 365 access), SD-WAN hybrid network management, and satellite connectivity. The Security portfolio encompasses Bastion (Wallix-based PAM), Access Protection (VPN/2FA/Bastion modules), Network Access Control (Fortinet FortiNac-based), Data Protection (all-in-one NGFW/WAF/sandbox), Mail Protection (proxy-based email filtering/sandbox), Pentests, Audit & Consulting, and Cyber Security Awareness training (via Riot partnership). The Hosting & Cloud suite covers Housing (colocation), Virtual Servers (IaaS with NGFW), Save & Restore (outsourced backup), PRA/PCA (BCP/DRP), Microsoft 365 Cloud Solutions (licence resale/management), and Electronic Signature (DocuSign-based). All hosting services run on Sonema's proprietary Tier III PCI-DSS-compliant datacentres in Fréjus and Lognes, France.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ExpressRoute Sonema: Private connection to Microsoft Azure and Office365 services
- Bastion
- Save & Restore
- Network Access Control
- Access Protection
- Pentests
- Audit & Consulting
- Data Protection
- Mail Protection
- Sensibilisation Cybersécurité
- Housing
- Serveurs Virtuels
- PRA/PCA
- Microsoft 365 Cloud Solutions
- Signature Électronique
Products and services
- Telecom Operator services Managed telecommunications operator services providing connectivity and voice/data services to enterprise customers with operations in Africa. Targets businesses, NGOs, and institutions requiring reliable telecom where local infrastructure is limited.
- Integrator Operator services Integration and operation of multi-vendor telecom and IT environments for enterprise customers. Combines design, deployment, and ongoing management of integrated infrastructure.
- Datacenter Operator services Datacenter operator services delivered from proprietary Tier III certified facilities in Fréjus and Lognes, France. Provides colocation, hosting, and cloud services to enterprise customers with African operations or European infrastructure needs.
- Cybersecurity Operator services Managed cybersecurity services for enterprise customers operating in Africa, including protection, monitoring, and response capabilities integrated with SONEMA's connectivity and hosting services.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99.98% datacenter availability (1.6 hours average annual interruption)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SONEMA
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
SONEMA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature7 records
SONEMA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- RiotcoreExclusive distribution partnership in francophone Africa for Riot's cybersecurity awareness solutions. Sonema acts as exclusive distributor providing a new model of proactive, measurable cyber awareness training centered on reducing human risk. Partnership announced December 2025 with a webinar scheduled for January 2026.
- MicrosoftcoreMicrosoft partnership established in 2020 providing dedicated connectivity solution for Azure and Office 365 services, plus resale of Microsoft solution licenses. ExpressRoute Sonema solution enables private connection to Microsoft cloud services.
- Technical Partners (Africa)coreNetwork of technical partners across Africa providing local deployment, installation, and maintenance services. Key milestones include 40th partnership in 2012 (Burundi) and partnership in DRC (2014) operating throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- WallixcoreStrategic technology partnership for Bastion Privileged Access Management solution. Bastion was developed with Wallix and is available on-premise or as-a-service. Provides PAM capabilities including Access Manager, Session Manager, and Password Manager modules.
- FortinetcoreTechnology partnership for Network Access Control solution based on Fortinet's FortiNac product. Provides visibility and control of IoT and BYOD devices with fine-grained security policy enforcement and remediation capabilities.
- DocuSignsupportingPartnership for electronic signature solution based on DocuSign's market-leading platform. Sonema resells and manages DocuSign-powered electronic signature services providing document authenticity and integrity guarantees.
- VMwaresupportingTechnology partnership for hypervisor solutions supporting PRA/PCA infrastructure. Major industry reference for disaster recovery and business continuity implementations.
- DellsupportingStorage solutions partner referenced for disaster recovery and business continuity infrastructure implementations.
- DataCoresupportingStorage solutions partner referenced for disaster recovery and business continuity infrastructure implementations.
- VeeamsupportingBackup solutions partner referenced for disaster recovery and business continuity implementations supporting PRA/PCA services.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SONEMA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- OVHcloud: French-headquartered cloud and datacenter provider with owned infrastructure across multiple regions. Comparable to Sonema's French Tier III datacenters, IaaS virtual servers, and European data sovereignty positioning.
- Speedcast: Global managed satellite communications and network services provider for enterprise and government customers. Closely comparable integrator-operator model delivering VSAT, hybrid network, and managed services to remote operations.
- Liquid Intelligent Technologies: Pan-African managed connectivity, datacenter, and cloud services provider serving enterprise customers across the continent. Highly comparable to Sonema's Africa-focused integrator-operator model with hybrid network and datacenter footprint.
- Colt Technology Services: Enterprise-focused managed network services and datacenter provider with strong SD-WAN and hybrid connectivity offerings. Comparable to Sonema's enterprise managed connectivity and SD-WAN portfolio serving multinational customers.
- Paratus Africa: Africa-focused telecom and datacenter operator providing connectivity, cloud, and managed services to enterprise customers across multiple African countries. Comparable to Sonema's integrator-operator model and African channel approach.
- MainOne: West African connectivity, submarine cable, and datacenter operator serving enterprise and carrier customers. Comparable to Sonema's combination of wholesale connectivity and Tier III datacenter services targeted at African enterprises.
Broad incumbents
- Orange Business Services: Global telecom and IT managed services arm of Orange Group with significant Africa presence. Overlaps with Sonema's enterprise connectivity, security, and cloud offerings but as part of a much broader portfolio across many geographies.
- SES: Global satellite operator with teleport and managed connectivity services for enterprise and government customers. Comparable to Sonema's teleport ownership and VSAT delivery, though SES operates at wholesale/infrastructure scale.
- Eutelsat: European-headquartered satellite operator providing connectivity services globally including to enterprise customers. Comparable to Sonema's satellite teleport and VSAT infrastructure at the wholesale/orbital level.
- PCCW Global: Global managed telecom and connectivity services provider with significant enterprise presence. Comparable to Sonema's managed connectivity and SD-WAN for international enterprise customers across multiple regions.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SONEMA social profiles
Digital presenceSONEMA compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
SONEMA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SONEMA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
SONEMA subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
SONEMA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SONEMA 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 SONEMA
What does SONEMA do?
SONEMA provides managed telecommunications and IT infrastructure services to enterprises operating in Africa. Its offerings span three pillars — Connectivity, Security, and Hosting & Cloud — delivered via four operator service lines (Telecom Operator, Integrator Operator, Datacenter Operator, and Cybersecurity Operator), backed by proprietary Tier III datacenters in France and on-the-ground African technical presence.
Is SONEMA a public or private company?
SONEMA is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was SONEMA founded?
SONEMA was founded in 1985. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is SONEMA based?
SONEMA is headquartered in Monaco, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does SONEMA make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Connectivity Services are the primary driver. The others are security Services, hosting & Cloud Services and professional Services.
Who are SONEMA's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are OVHcloud, Speedcast, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Colt Technology Services, Paratus Africa and MainOne. Broad incumbents are Orange Business Services, SES, Eutelsat and PCCW Global.
Does SONEMA have an API?
No public API is recorded for SONEMA.
What industry is SONEMA in?
SONEMA's product category is Managed Telecommunications Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDABANAA, Data Center Operations & Managed Services (Remote Hands, NOC/SOC). Its NAICS code is 51741 and its SIC code is 7370.