PORTFOLIO — tech SERVICES

FourNet

FourNet is a customer experience and AI transformation partner to organisations operating in mission-critical and regulated environments.

It transforms the customer and citizen services people depend on, combining consultancy, technology and its own platforms with the cyber security and network expertise organisations need to adopt AI safely.

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Key Facts

Initial investment: 10/06/2021

Sector – Tech Services

Fund — Buyout Fund IV

Status — Current

Investment highlights

  • Built a Customer Experience (CX) division delivering consulting-led transformation.
  • Developed and launched IntellAIgent, FourNet’s own agentic AI platform, bringing a digital workforce for voice and back-office work together with the cyber security, network and governance expertise organisations need to scale agentic AI.
  • Completed four acquisitions to date, adding cyber security, network, connectivity and contact centre capability. Acquired C>Ways in May 2022, Nowcomm in April 2023, 01T in November 2023, and SVL in September 2026.
  • C>Ways added infrastructure and security capability, and Nowcomm, a highly accredited Cisco partner, brought managed security and networking. 01T provided the end-to-end resilient connectivity behind Connect, FourNet’s own multi-carrier network platform. SVL, a NiCE Platinum partner and a FourNet partner for nearly a decade, brings around 100 customers and additional CX capability and capacity.
  • Supported FourNet’s cyber security capability build, creating a 24/7 UK security operations centre (SOC) certified to CREST Pathway, with ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus held across the business.
  • Strengthened the business’ ESG credentials: achieving EcoVadis Silver with a score of 75/100, the top 7% globally, generating over £3 million of social value in 2025 and winning Palatine’s Leadership in Social Value Award.

Partnership Motivation

FourNet is a highly respected, well-managed business with a loyal customer base. We see significant opportunity for FourNet to strengthen its position as a customer experience and AI transformation partner to organisations operating in mission-critical and regulated environments. Given our strong track record in the technology sector, we believe we will be able to assist management in capitalising on the market opportunity.

We will look at selected buy-and-build opportunities, but we also see great potential for organic growth. We see a major opportunity to work with management to further develop the company’s already strong environmental, social and governance credentials, an area of ever-increasing significance in procurement across enterprise, regulated and public sector markets.

Richard Pennington – CEO FourNet

With 25 years’ experience leading successful teams and businesses in highly competitive markets, Richard co-founded FourNet and is responsible for the overall direction of the business.

Richard provides board sponsorship for key customers and strategic programmes, including the development of FourNet’s CX consulting team and IntellAIgent, its agentic AI platform. He has led the business through its key stages of growth, including the acquisition of SVL, as it has become a leading customer experience and AI transformation partner to organisations operating in mission-critical and regulated environments.

“Palatine has backed us through four acquisitions, including SVL, and through our evolution into a customer experience and AI transformation partner.

The organisations we work with run the services people depend on, and they want to adopt AI with the security and governance those services demand.

We bring consultancy, our own platforms and our cyber security and network expertise together with technology from the world’s leading vendors, all under one accountable partner to make that possible. Palatine’s support lets us keep investing in the specialist team and platforms behind it.”

Richard Pennington
Chief Executive Officer – FourNet

Investment Team