BGF portfolio companies enter strategic partnership to empower new and existing customers with improved Wi-Fi offering. Hear from their CEOs.
5 December 2024
Evolve, the leading provider of Managed Network Solutions and IT services, has announced a strategic partnership with Purple, a leading provider of Wi-Fi and place-based analytics solutions.
Both Evolve and Purple are part of the BGF portfolio. Evolve announced its investment with BGF earlier this year and Purple has already experienced rapid growth under BGF’s guidance since October 2023.
The alignment in ambition and values between the two companies made Evolve a natural choice as part of Purple’s growth strategy, supporting increased efficiency and freeing up resources to focus on other areas of business development. As Purple expands into new sectors, including hospitality, it will leverage Evolve’s established experience to provide an industry-leading Guest Wi-Fi experience to new and existing customers.
“Purple has an impressive track record when it comes to enhancing visitor experiences, optimising efficiency and increasing cost-effectiveness. I am confident that this partnership, and the change in Wi-Fi provider, will only benefit our customers and their customers with a scalable and modern solution.”
Alan Stephenson-Brown
CEO of Evolve
The partnership also marks a strategic move for Evolve, as it shifts away from its existing in-house Guest Wi-Fi to use Purple Wi-Fi for its own services. This will offer Evolve’s customers increased functionality from personalised communications and promotions (thanks to Purple’s automation tool) to automatic customer surveys, with a 97% average response rate.
Alan Stephenson-Brown, CEO at Evolve, said: “Guest Wi-Fi is no longer a ‘nice to have’, but vitally important to businesses across the retail and hospitality sectors. Enabling customers to connect and use various digital services in-store or on-the-go, as well as being a valuable marketing tool for businesses that offers insights into customer behaviour, Evolve remains committed to providing our customers with industry-leading Guest Wi-Fi services.”
Initially started in 2012 out of frustration for poor guest Wi-Fi connection, Purple has evolved into the ultimate tool for businesses to turn their physical venues into intelligent spaces. Today, Purple helps physical venues thrive by enhancing visitor experiences, optimising staff efficiency, and driving additional revenue, with its hardware-agnostic indoor locations services. With a team of over 120 dedicated employees, Purple is focused on delivering a cutting-edge, industry-leading solution, and is expanding rapidly.
“We are delighted to be working with Evolve as they embark on the next chapter of their growth plan. Evolve has an established and respected role in the hospitality industry, among other sectors, and we are confident that our joint offering will provide real added value to those businesses.”
Gavin Wheeldon
CEO at Purple
Founded in 2005, with Guest Wi-Fi as its core offering, Evolve has since seen exponential growth with the incorporation of SD-WAN, internet connectivity, and a range of innovative IT support solutions. Today, Evolve is a fully managed B2B network provider operating in 12 countries, offering its customers reliable, secure and resilient solutions.
Since its inception, Evolve has built a strong reputation for helping businesses to reduce costs and simplify the management of services across a variety of sectors including retail, hospitality, food-to-go (FTG) and petroleum franchises. Evolve’s fully managed network solutions and Guest Wi-Fi services are essential for businesses to operate efficiently and deliver a seamless customer experience.
Gavin Wheeldon, CEO at Purple, added: “By working together with Evolve to provide an improved Guest Wi-Fi service, we are creating a unique and best-in-class solution for the market. The joint credibility of Purple and Evolve will ensure that we can help to scale businesses in a robust marketplace.”
