Group.one, a prominent European web hosting provider based in Sweden, is expanding its reach into Central and Eastern Europe by acquiring Slovakian company Webglobe. The acquisition follows the sale of 100% of Webglobe’s shares by founders Igor Strečko and majority owner Sandberg Capital. Webglobe also operates in Serbia under the name Webglobe doo Niš.
According to Webglobe’s website, group.one is renowned for its cloud and hosting services across Europe. Since 2022, it has been supported by the British private equity fund Kinven, worth several billion dollars, and one of the world’s largest pension funds, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.
Daniel Hagemeier, CEO of group.one, expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition, describing the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region as a vibrant area with significant potential for digital solutions targeted at small businesses. “This strategic acquisition is perfectly aligned with our growth ambitions. With Webglobe’s strong position in the region and talented team, we are confident in our ability to accelerate growth and innovation in this dynamic region,” said Hagemeier.
Founded in 1999 by Igor Strečko and Juraj Hantak, Webglobe has grown through numerous acquisitions and currently manages nearly 300,000 registered domains for 100,000 clients. It registers about 10% of national domains in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Serbia.
Advisors for the transaction on the seller’s side included investment bank Raymond James, law firm Barger Prekop (Slovakia), Kocian, Šolc, Balaštik (Czech Republic), Moravčević, Vojnović & Partners (Serbia), and financial advisor BDO.
