Fiber Nederland (Fiber NL), a provider of triple play and smart home solutions, is acquiring its competitor Stipte (formerly Scarlet Netherlands).
Fiber NL is an independent provider, which was founded three years ago by Martijn van Scherpenzeel, and operates independently of network operators. “Between powerhouses such as KPN and Ziggo Fiber NL is a relatively small player, but in a consolidated market competition has generally more to lose than to gain. As a smaller party we are more flexible, more creative, service-oriented and able to react faster to trends.”
Van Scherpenzeeland points out that for instance Fiber NL beat KPN in 2015 by being the first to offer an integrated smart home solution. The company also took a majority stake in the technology company that offers the Smart Alarm home automation services.
Stipte was founded in 1992 as Scarlet Netherlands as part of the American Telecommunications Group and is one of the oldest independent providers in the country. In 1999 the Dutch assets of Scarlet were acquired by investors NeSBIC and Egeria. After a series of acquisitions (including the Belgian Tiscali) In 2008 it was acquired by Belgacom for EUR175 million, and in 2014 through a management buy-out led by director Matthijs Kamp became Stipte. Kamp will join the management of Fiber NL
Van Scherpenzeel added: “With the acquisition of Stipte, known for its operational excellence and its organisation and brand fits well with Fiber NL, we hope to expand our role as a challenger. We are pleased to welcome Matthijs Kamp as a partner and collaborate with an enthusiastic group of professionals. This acquisition has no impact on staffing and delivery of services to customers of Stipte.”
