{{Short description|Irish IT Cloud and Cybersecurity company}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Use British English|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox company | name = Ekco Cloud Ltd | logo = | logo_caption = | logo_upright = <!-- default: 1 --> | logo_alt = | type = Private | industry = IT | predecessor = <!-- or: predecessors = --> | founded = 2017 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland | founders = Eoin Blacklock and Jonathan Crowe | defunct = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | fate = | successor = <!-- or: successors = --> | hq_location_city = Malahide, Dublin | hq_location_country = Republic of Ireland | area_served = <!-- or: areas_served = --> | key_people = Eoin Blacklock <br/> Jonathan Crowe <br/> Don Robert | products = | owner = <!-- or: owners = --> | num_employees = 1000 | num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) --> | parent = | website = {{URL|https://www.ek.co/}} }} '''Ekco Cloud Ltd''', trading as '''EKCO''', is an IT cloud based services provider headquartered in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The business was founded in 2017 as '''Internet Corp.''' by Eoin Blacklock and Jonathan Crowe, before rebranding as EKCO in 2020.
==History== Eoin Blacklock and Jonathan Crowe created the business in 2017, after previously setting up KeepItSafe, an IT cloud computing business. KeepItSafe was sold to US internet business J2 Global in 2010. Blacklock and Crowe stayed on at J2 Global, growing the business until they departed in 2016.<ref name=it6320>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/running-a-multinational-from-above-a-shop-in-malahide-1.4193868|title=Running a multinational from above a shop in Malahide|newspaper=Irish Times|date=6 March 2020}}</ref> When registering the business, they had planned to call the business Evil Internet Corp. as an inside joke about taking over the world referencing Austin Powers, but dropped the Evil when completing the registration.<ref name=it6320/> The new business was funded by €8 million brought in by IBI Corporate Finance, with a further €16 million provided by Ulster Bank.<ref name=it6320/> A further €8.4 million was raised by ACT Venture Capital in 2019.<ref name=it6220>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/cloud-computing-group-internet-corp-raises-8-4m-as-it-rebrands-as-ekco-1.4163043|title=Cloud computing group Internet Corp raises €8.4m as it rebrands as Ekco|newspaper=Irish Times|date=6 February 2020}}</ref> The finance raised was used to purchase four businesses in Netherlands, four in the United Kingdom, including Cloudhelix, and Datastring in Ireland over the first {{frac|2|1|2}} years of operation.<ref name=it6320/><ref name=it6220/><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.insidermedia.com/news/south-east/cloudhelix-snapped-up-by-ekco|title=Cloudhelix snapped up by Ekco|magazine=Insider Media|date=30 March 2020}}</ref> By 2020, the company provided cloud services to blue chip companies such as PostNL, Heineken, Schiphol airport in Amsterdam and CPL Resources and in February of that year renamed themselves as EKCO.<ref name=it6320/><ref name=it6220/><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://thecurrency.news/articles/15162/there-is-going-to-be-the-big-five-of-the-cloud-in-every-market-i-think-we-absolutely-will-be-one-of-them/|title=There is going to be the big five of the cloud in every market. I think we absolutely will be one of them|magazine=The Currency|date=29 April 2020}}</ref>
In 2021, EKCO purchased CTI Global, a cloud infrastructure and IT security firm owned by Denis O'Brien.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://thecurrency.news/articles/38803/ekco-acquires-cti-global-from-denis-obrien/|title=Ekco acquires CTI Global from Denis O'Brien|magazine=The Currency|date=6 March 2021}}</ref> The company grew further in June 2021 by purchasing cybersecurity provider Kontex Security, which with its earlier purchases of Ward Solutions and Caveo Systems, made it the second largest Irish owned business in the cybersecurity market.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://businessplus.ie/ma/ekco-cloud-bolts-on-kontex-security/|title=Ekco Cloud bolts on Kontex Security|magazine=Business Plus|date=27 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://thecurrency.news/articles/87752/partnering-for-zero-trust-ekco-to-acquire-kontex/|title=Partnering for zero-trust: Ekco's acquisition drive continues with deal for hacker buster Kontex|magazine=The Currency|date=22 June 2022}}</ref><ref name=sr101022/> This was followed up in August with the purchase of cloud services business Unity Technology Solutions, increasing EKCO's annual turnover to €103 million.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2022/08/09/irish-it-group-ekco-buys-unity-from-datalex-chair-david-hargaden/|title=Irish IT group Ekco buys Unity from Datalex chairman David Hargaden|newspaper=Irish Times|date=9 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.siliconrepublic.com/enterprise/ekco-unity-acquisition-cloud-cybersecurity-it-ireland#|title=Ekco acquires Irish IT company Unity to enhance cloud services|magazine=Silicon Republic|date=9 August 2022}}</ref> In October 2022, Corten Capital, a London-based private equity firm became its majority shareholder when they purchased a stake worth €300 million.<ref name=sr101022>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.siliconrepublic.com/start-ups/ekco-corten-capital-investment-security-dublin|title=London VC firm to take majority stake in Dublin's Ekco|magazine=Silicon Republic|date=10 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/ekco-founders-cash-in-stake-sale-corten-capital-cwjphcrt8|title=Ekco founders cash in with stake sale|newspaper=The Times|date=9 October 2022}}</ref>
During February 2023, EKCO, Microsoft and the National Cyber Security Centre collaborated to launch a new Secure Configuration Framework for Microsoft Office 365.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://irishtechnews.ie/new-security-guide-with-microsoft-and-ekco/|title=Irish government launches new security guide in collaboration with Microsoft and Ekco|website=Irish Tech News|date=8 February 2023}}</ref> EKCO continued with their purchasing spree, buying Waterford based Radius Technologies, which specialised in end-to-end IT services for small to medium-sized businesses, and {{proper name|iSYSTEMS}}, a cloud migration and cyber security services company, making EKCO one of the fastest-growing managed cloud and security services providers in Europe.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/companies/arid-41259025.html|title=Ekco acquires Waterford's Radius Technologies|newspaper=Irish Examiner|date=31 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.businesspost.ie/tech/cloud-and-security-provider-ekco-acquires-radius-technologies/|title=Cloud and security provider Ekco acquires Radius Technologies|newspaper=Business Post|date=23 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://technologyreseller.uk/ekco-uk-expands-its-cloud-migration-and-security-capabilities-with-isystems-acquisition/|title=Ekco UK expands its cloud migration and security capabilities with iSYSTEMS acquisition|magazine=Technology Reseller|date=24 March 2023}}</ref> The purchase was followed up in December by buying Milton Keynes based Bluecube, an IT security services company, taking their employee count to 860 and revenue to over €150 million.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.siliconrepublic.com/enterprise/ekco-bluecube-acquisition-uk-it-cloud-cybersecurity-msp-revenue|title=Ekco snaps up IT firm Bluecube to double UK operations|magazine=Silicon Republic|date=6 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2023/1205/1420274-irish-it-firm-ekco-buys-uk-business-bluecube/|title=Irish IT firm Ekco buys UK business Bluecube|website=RTE|date=5 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.businesspost.ie/tech/revenues-surpass-e150m-at-ekco-on-back-of-bluecube-acquisition/|title=Revenues surpass €150m at Ekco on back of Bluecube acquisition|newspaper=Business Post|date=5 December 2023}}</ref> In the same month, Don Robert, the chair of the London Stock Exchange and a co-founder of EKCO's largest shareholder Corten Capital, became chairman of the company while EKCO became Ireland's first IT cloud provider to be awarded Microsoft Managed Service Provider achieving all four of the Microsoft security specialisations.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://thecurrency.news/articles/136259/the-chair-of-the-london-stock-exchange-group-is-now-chair-of-fast-growing-tech-company-ekco/|title=The chair of the London Stock Exchange Group is now chair of fast-growing tech company Ekco|magazine=The Currency|date=6 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.techcentral.ie/ekco-secures-all-four-microsoft-security-specialisations/|title=Ekco secures all four Microsoft security specialisation|website=Tech Central|date=18 December 2023}}</ref> In April 2024, EKCO continued the purchasing streak by buying CTS Group, a provider of cloud and managed IT services to law firms and barristers in Britain and Ireland that had gone into administration. The purchase had taken EKCO staff numbers to over 1000.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://thecurrency.news/articles/146334/ekco-acquires-british-firm-cts-group-taking-its-team-of-cloud-and-security-experts-to-1000-people/|title=Ekco buys British firm CTS Group as its team of cloud and security experts tops 1,000 people|magazine=The Currency|date=5 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.siliconrepublic.com/business/ekco-bluecube-acquires-cts-legal-it-uk-ireland|title=Ekco-owned Bluecube focuses on legal IT with CTS deal|magazine=Silicon Republic|date=10 April 2024}}</ref>
In May 2025, Ekco appointed industry veteran Ben Savage as their new chief executive officer.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.computerweekly.com/microscope/news/366624013/Ekco-unveils-fresh-CEO-as-Evolve-IP-extends-ecosystem|title=Ekco unveils fresh CEO as Evolve IP extends ecosystem|magazine=Computer Weekly|date=14 May 2025}}</ref> A week later, Ekco announced the purchase of Manchester-based cyber security consultancy Predatech.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.computerweekly.com/microscope/news/366624132/Ekco-bolsters-cyber-testing-with-Predatech-buy|title=Ekco bolsters cyber testing with Predatech buy|magazine=Computer Week|date=19 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.insidermedia.com/news/national/cyber-security-consultancy-snapped-up-by-ekco|title=National Cyber security consultancy snapped up by Ekco|website=Insider Media|date=21 May 2025}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
Category:Cloud infrastructure Category:Cloud platforms Category:Companies based in Dublin (city) Category:Computer security companies Category:Irish companies established in 2017 Category:Technology companies established in 2017