Evolve is based in Wigan, United Kingdom, and offers business connectivity with LTE/5G back-up, SD-WAN and network segmentation, and managed guest Wi-Fi. Areas served: UK and 12 countries.
- Founded
- 2005
- Team size
- 140 employees
- Areas served
- UK and 12 countries
- Based in
- Wigan
Visit website (opens in a new tab) evolvebg.co.uk
Evolve runs managed networks on more than 8,000 sites in 12 countries for multi-site brands, watched by a UK network operations centre staffed 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and says its SD-WAN security gateway is PCI Level 1 certified.
Why franchise networks use it
In a franchised coffee shop or quick service restaurant, payments, ordering, loyalty, guest Wi-Fi and CCTV often share one connection, so a single fault stops trade. Evolve’s franchise articles describe separating card payments, guest Wi-Fi and back office traffic at every site and managing the security rules for the whole network from one place, so each franchisee runs the same standard without its own IT team. Evolve announced in February 2024 that it had joined the British Franchise Association to work with franchise businesses; the BFA’s supplier directory did not list it when we checked in November 2026.
What it supplies
- Business connectivity chosen per site from several carriers, with LTE or 5G back-up and interim links so a new site can trade before its fixed line arrives.
- SD-WAN and segmentation that keep POS, kiosks and tablets apart from guest Wi-Fi, which it says keeps PCI scope small.
- Managed guest Wi-Fi with branded sign-in and analytics.
- Managed IT, patching, devices and field engineers under the same service level agreement.
How a rollout runs
Work starts with an assessment of uptime, failover and compliance scope at real sites, then a pilot running beside your current set-up, then cutovers in waves with rollback plans. For quick service brands it suggests piloting one to three stores, then waves of 10 to 25 sites. Pricing is per-site bundles with volume breaks and connectivity charges passed through openly; it does not publish a headline price. It reports 86% of tickets raised proactively and 99.995% average network uptime, and has a 6,000 sq ft staging warehouse for pre-built kit.
Clients and leadership
Published case studies include EG Group across 10 countries, 116 Asda forecourt sites, Hydes Brewery’s pubs and the Ascona group. Jon Shaw founded the company in 2005 to provide guest Wi-Fi; it now has 140 staff and investment from BGF. Alan Stephenson-Brown is chief executive, Lee Simpson chief financial officer, Ryan Stephenson-Brown chief information officer, Robert Brown chief operating officer, with Caroline Oxley as CPO.
Other telecoms suppliers
Most of the telecoms and call answering hub is call handling rather than networks: Moneypenny in Wrexham supplies UK receptionists and live chat, SinglePoint Calls routes calls to each franchisee’s territory, and ReceptionHQ starts at £15 a month plus VAT. For card terminals see payment and merchant services, and for more suppliers browse business services and UK franchise suppliers. Our guide to data protection in a franchise network covers who is responsible for customer data at each site.
Source: evolvebg.co.uk
Who you’ll deal with
- Alan Stephenson-BrownCEO
- Lee Simpson Director of Evolve B G Limited (Companies House)CFO
- Ryan Stephenson-Brown Director of Evolve B G Limited (Companies House)CIO
- Robert Brown Director of Evolve B G Limited (Companies House)COO
- Caroline Oxley Director of Evolve B G Limited (Companies House)CPO
- Jon Shaw Director (Jonathan Henry Shaw) on Companies HouseFounder
Named by Evolve on its own website: evolvebg.co.uk.
Services and who each suits
| Service | Who it suits |
|---|---|
| Segmented site networks for payments, guest Wi-Fi and back office | Franchise networks such as coffee shops and quick service restaurants. |
| Interim LTE/5G connectivity for new openings | Brands opening sites before fixed lines are live. |
| Phased rollouts after a dual-run pilot | Multi-site estates of 50 to 1,000 venues. |
| Managed network services for franchise businesses | Franchisors and multi-site franchisees. |
Source: evolvebg.co.uk (page 1, faqs, hospitality, page 4).
Registers and regulation
| Register | Listed as | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Companies House | Evolve B G Limited (05659614) | Active, incorporated 20 December 2005; named WiFi Solutions (UK) Limited until 2013 |
| British Franchise Association supplier directory | Evolve | Joined per its February 2024 news post; not listed in the BFA supplier directory when checked |
Checked on the official registers on 9 November 2026. Each register name links to the entry.
Fees
Per-site bundles with volume breaks and pass-through connectivity costs; no headline price published
Published by Evolve: evolvebg.co.uk.
All services
- Business connectivity with LTE/5G back-up
- SD-WAN and network segmentation
- Managed guest Wi-Fi
- Managed IT services and field engineering
- 24/7/365 network operations centre
- PCI compliance support
Brands and products
- EvolveWAN
- Mako Networks (platinum partner)
Certifications and memberships
- PCI Level 1 certified SD-WAN security gateway (Mako Networks)
Case studies
Published by Evolve on its own website.
Details from Evolve’s own published information (source: evolvebg.co.uk, checked 9 November 2026).
Where to find Evolve
Map loads here.
1 Smithy Court, Smithy Brook Road, Wigan WN3 6PS
View a larger map (opens OpenStreetMap in a new tab) Get directions (opens OpenStreetMap in a new tab)
Reviews
Worked with Evolve?
Your review helps others decide. Reviews come from people with a confirmed account, and an editor checks each one before it appears. How we check reviews
Write a review
