Foresight invests in Distology in NorthEdge's ninth tech exit
Thu, 3rd Sep 2026 (Today)
Foresight Group has invested cybersecurity distributor Distology from NorthEdge, marking NorthEdge's ninth technology exit.
Based in Stockport, Distology operates across the UK and Northern Europe, with businesses in the Netherlands and Germany. Since NorthEdge invested in 2021, it has expanded its services and vendor base.
Foresight's investment gives Distology new backing as it looks to grow further in Europe and pursue acquisitions. The new ownership is also expected to support investment in staff, technology and other strategic projects across its UK and European operations.
During NorthEdge's ownership, Distology reported a 48% EBITDA compound annual growth rate over the two years to FY26. It also expanded its vendor portfolio, added services through the acquisition of Squareball in 2022, and appointed a chief technical officer and a chief commercial officer.
The transaction also ends NorthEdge's involvement in one of the deals made through its SME Fund. According to NorthEdge, the fund's three exits so far have produced a blended 4.3x gross MOIC.
Growth plans
Hayley Roberts, founder and chief executive officer of Distology, outlined how the business sees its next phase under Foresight's ownership.
"NorthEdge has been a fantastic partner over the past five years. They believed in us at a pivotal moment, backed our vision and helped us grow across the UK and Europe, while always supporting the culture and people that make Distology what it is today.
This investment means we can be much more ambitious with our growth plans, particularly across Europe, and gives us greater opportunity to pursue strategic acquisitions.
It's exciting news for our partners and vendors too. We'll be able to provide even greater technical expertise, strengthen our vendor portfolio and give our partners more insight into what's happening across the cybersecurity market and where the opportunities lie. That means they can have better conversations with customers, bring them the right solutions and become even more valuable to their businesses.
Expanding across Europe is a major part of this next chapter. We'll bring Distology's value-add approach to our existing vendors in new markets, while also attracting new, high-growth cybersecurity vendors looking for a true value-added distributor with the expertise and scale to support them across Europe," Roberts said.
Distology said demand has been rising in areas including identity, cloud security and software engineering. Over the investment period, it also expanded its technical and professional services work as partners took on more complex cybersecurity projects.
Investor view
Foresight has 13 local offices across the UK and Ireland and has built a presence in the North West. Its investment in Distology adds another regional technology business to its portfolio.
"Distology has established itself as one of the most respected specialist value-added distributors in the cybersecurity market whilst retaining the agility, energy and customer focus that have been central to its success. Hayley and the team have consistently demonstrated an ability to identify emerging cybersecurity technologies, build meaningful vendor partnerships and create real value for customers and resellers alike. We believe the business is exceptionally well placed to capitalise on the opportunities ahead and are excited to support the team as they continue to scale across Europe," said Stephen McGuinness, senior investment manager at Foresight.
NorthEdge presented the sale as another technology exit from a business it backed through a period of expansion. Its original investment supported Distology's first institutional funding round and was intended to broaden the company's vendor range, build technical depth and extend its international footprint.
"Distology is exactly the kind of business we set out to back - a founder-led regional business operating in a strategically important sector with genuine national and international reach. Throughout our investment, Hayley and the team delivered strong growth by diversifying the vendor portfolio, deepening technical capability and extending Distology's reach across Northern Europe, all while building a culture that attracts and retains exceptional talent.
As NorthEdge's ninth technology realisation, Distology reflects our strong track record in the sector and we wish Hayley and the team every success in this exciting next chapter," said Liam May, partner at NorthEdge.
The ownership change comes as cybersecurity distributors seek to broaden their reach and add advisory and technical services alongside software sales. Distology's footprint in the UK, the Netherlands and Germany gives it an existing base for that expansion in Northern Europe.