What Principal does

Principal is a UK-based managed print services (MPS) and IT solutions provider headquartered in Horsham, West Sussex, founded circa 1987–1992. Operating as Principal I Ltd., the company serves thousands of UK businesses across SMB and enterprise tiers, with explicit vertical emphasis on education and professional services. The Principal Group also includes 4th Platform Ltd. as a wholly-owned IT solutions subsidiary, broadening the group's reach beyond core print and document management.\n\nPrincipal's technology stack centers on managed print infrastructure combining multi-vendor hardware from Canon, Kyocera, Konica Minolta, and Fujifilm with proprietary monitoring branded as ProACTive™ Support and integrations with Canon uniFLOW, INVU, and Virtual Cabinet. Core offerings are the Fully Managed Print Solution, Document Management, Cloud Print Solutions, and Hybrid Mail; the Digital Solutions portfolio extends into Unified Communications, Content Services, Invoice Processing, HR Onboarding, Total Quality Management, and eFax Corporate. The company holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications, achieved an EcoVadis Bronze sustainability rating in June 2025, and is authorized by the Financial Conduct Authority with Firm Reference Number 662493, enabling equipment financing partnerships.\n\nRevenue is generated through monthly managed print service contracts with cost-per-page billing, multi-vendor hardware sales, document management subscriptions, and equipment financing arranged through partners including Macquarie Corporate and Asset Finance, BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions, CF Corporate Finance, and PEAC. Distribution combines direct enterprise field sales with dedicated account management, website-driven inbound inquiries using free print audits as lead capture, and Fujifilm Elite Partner status placing Principal within Fujifilm's UK distribution strategy for the Apeos series.

Name

Principal

Legal name

Principal I Ltd.

Website

https://principal.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Principal is a UK-based managed print services and IT solutions provider headquartered in Horsham, delivering fleet optimization, document management, cloud printing, and managed hardware services to thousands of UK businesses across SMB and enterprise tiers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Horsham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Managed Print Services (MPS): Ongoing managed print service contracts providing device management, maintenance, supplies, and monitoring under a consolidated monthly fee structure. Reduces print costs by up to 30%.
2. Print and Copy Hardware Sales: Sale of printers, multifunction devices (MFDs), and print hardware from Canon, Kyocera, Konica Minolta, and Fujifilm. Devices also available through flexible financing arrangements.
3. Document Management Solutions: Solutions including INVU and Virtual Cabinet for scanning, archiving, secure access, and digital workflows. May be sold as software or bundled with managed services.
4. Flexible Finance/Leasing: Partnership with funding partners including Macquarie Corporate and Asset Finance, BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions, CF Corporate Finance, and PEAC to provide equipment leasing and financing options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Principal provides managed print services, document management solutions, and IT solutions to UK businesses. The company's core offering is a managed print service that optimizes customers' print fleets through proactive monitoring, maintenance, and consolidated supply of multi-vendor hardware (Canon, Kyocera, Konica Minolta, and Fujifilm). It is complemented by document management platforms, cloud-based printing, and broader IT solutions targeting organizations in education and professional services.

Product overview

Principal is a UK-based managed print services and IT solutions provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of print and document management solutions. The core offering is the Fully Managed Print Solution, which encompasses fleet optimisation, maintenance, monitoring, and cost control. This is supported by document management solutions (INVU and Virtual Cabinet), cloud printing capabilities, and hardware partnerships with Canon, Kyocera, Konica Minolta, and Fujifilm. The Digital Solutions portfolio includes Unified Communications, Content Services, Invoice Processing, HR Onboarding, Total Quality Management, and eFax Corporate. The 4th Platform represents their broader IT solutions offering. Services span from print audits and hardware supply to proactive support, hybrid mail, and flexible financing options, all designed to help organisations reduce print costs by up to 30% while improving efficiency and security.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ProACTive™ Support: Proactive monitoring and maintenance support service for managed print clients
• 4th Platform

Products and services

• Managed Print Services Outsourced management of customer print fleets including proactive monitoring, maintenance, supplies, and consolidated multi-vendor hardware supply (Canon, Kyocera, Konica Minolta, Fujifilm). Designed for UK businesses seeking cost-per-page print management across SMB, mid-market, education, and professional services.
• Document Management Solutions Software and services for capturing, storing, retrieving, and routing business documents, supporting digital workflow and records management. Targeted at UK organizations looking to digitize document-heavy processes.
• Print and Copy Hardware Supply Supply of multi-brand print and copy devices from Canon, Kyocera, Konica Minolta, and Fujifilm (Elite Partner) to UK customers, typically bundled within managed print or leasing arrangements.
• IT Solutions Broader IT services and infrastructure solutions delivered to UK businesses, complementing the company's managed print and document management offerings.
• Cloud Printing Services Cloud-enabled printing capabilities allowing users to print from cloud-connected devices and applications, supporting distributed and hybrid workplace print needs.
• Flexible Finance / Leasing Hardware leasing and flexible finance options enabling customers to acquire print and document management hardware and services on subscription or lease terms rather than capital purchase.

Quantifiable outcome

• Print cost reduction of up to 40%
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• FujifilmcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrincipal is a Fujifilm Elite Partner, serving as a trusted UK distribution partner for the Apeos series of multifunction printers. Principal is positioned at the forefront of Fujifilm's transformation of the European office technology landscape.
• CanoncoreTechnology or IntegrationPrincipal works with Canon as a key hardware vendor, offering Canon's imageRUNNER ADVANCE DX series devices including the C3922i A3 colour MFD. Canon uniFLOW print management platform compatibility is offered for advanced print tracking and cost control.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HP UK: HP UK provides managed print services through HP Managed Print Services, offering hardware, software, and services to enterprise and SMB customers. As one of the largest global MPS providers, HP competes directly with Principal across the same customer segments, hardware categories, and solution types including MPS, document management, and printing-as-a-service.
• DocuWare: DocuWare provides cloud-based document management and workflow automation software for businesses, directly comparable to Principal's Document Management solutions (INVU and Virtual Cabinet integrations). Both serve enterprise and SMB customers looking to digitize, archive, secure, and automate document workflows.
• Lexmark UK: Lexmark UK offers managed print services, document management, and print hardware to UK organizations. As a competing MPS vendor and hardware manufacturer, Lexmark directly overlaps with Principal's print fleet management and document workflow offerings for enterprise and SMB customers.
• Xerox UK: Xerox UK provides managed print services and document technology solutions across UK businesses, mirroring Principal's core offering. As a global market leader in MPS, Xerox competes directly for enterprise and SMB clients with similar managed print, document management, and workflow optimization capabilities.
• Ricoh UK: Ricoh UK is a major managed print services and office technology provider serving UK businesses. As one of the leading global MPS players alongside Xerox and HP, Ricoh directly competes with Principal in offering print hardware, managed services, and document workflow solutions to enterprise and SMB customers.
• Konica Minolta UK: Konica Minolta's UK business supplies multifunction devices and offers managed print services as both a hardware vendor and service provider. While Principal is a Konica Minolta partner, Konica Minolta also competes in the UK MPS market with its own fleet optimization, document management, and managed services capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Canon UK: Canon UK is a major office technology vendor supplying multifunction devices and print hardware, including imageRUNNER ADVANCE DX series that Principal resells. While Canon has expanded into MPS and managed services, their UK presence is broader than Principal's, encompassing imaging products, professional services, and consumer printers, not specializing in pure managed print services.
• Kyocera UK: Kyocera UK is a hardware vendor for printers and multifunction devices that Principal resells as one of its multi-vendor partners. Kyocera's UK business extends across office printing, industrial ceramics, and broader technology solutions, broader than Principal's focus on managed print services and document management.

Emerging players

• Y Soft: Y Soft offers print management software solutions, including YSoft SafeQ for secure print management and 3D printing services. Y Soft's print management software overlaps with Principal's Print Management Software offering, though it focuses primarily on the software layer while Principal offers full-stack MPS including hardware.
• Brother UK: Brother UK supplies printers, multifunction devices, and managed print solutions to UK businesses as a hardware manufacturer with growing services. Brother's hardware-focused approach and broader product portfolio differentiates it from Principal's full-stack managed print services offering, while sharing the same UK customer base of SMB and enterprise organizations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/principal-corporation
• Xx.com/PRINCIPALUK_

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Principal