London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Vodafone dials up sale of stake in £1bn Internet of Things unit

Vodafone dials up sale of stake in £1bn Internet of Things unit

The FTSE-100 telecoms giant has hired Akira Partners to help find a buyer for a minority stake in the division which focuses on internet-connected devices.
Vodafone has picked advisers to help sell a stake in its 'Internet of Things' (IoT) division as it bets on a rapid global expansion of connected devices amid growing investor interest in the space.

Sky News has learnt that the FTSE-100 telecoms giant has hired Akira Partners, an independent advisory firm specialising in deals in the telecoms, media and technology sectors, to field offers from outside investors.

City sources said that Vodafone was potentially interested in selling up to 49% of its IoT arm, which they said could be valued at somewhere in the region of £1bn.

A minority sale is likely to draw interest from private equity firms, according to insiders.

It would follow a collaboration announced earlier this month with Japan's Sumitomo Corporation to build a standalone 'Economy of Things' operation.

That partnership, which is subject to regulatory approval, will involve the British company owning 80% of the new venture, and Sumitomo holding the remainder.

"Under the agreement, Vodafone will transfer its new global Economy of Things platform, called Digital Asset Broker (DAB), as well as intellectual property, contracts, technology and software, into the new business," the company said.

"In turn, Sumitomo will invest in the new business and work with Vodafone to attract additional investors, partners, and customers."

News of Akira's appointment comes on the eve of Vodafone's full-year results, which will underline the scale of the transformation effort awaiting Margherita Della Valle, its new chief executive.

Sky News revealed last month that its former finance chief was about to be picked for the top job.

She replaces Nick Read, who stepped down after an unhappy tenure punctuated by the appearance of strategic and activist investors on its share register.

The company remains in discussions with the owner of Three UK about a merger of their British operations, while it has also been reported to be in talks about various deals involving parts of its European operations.

According to Vodafone's latest annual report, its IoT service was established in 2008 "and has grown to be the largest IoT connectivity provider globally".

It boasted 150m IoT SIM connections last year, up from 123m in 2021.

Nevertheless, the unit accounted for just 2% of Vodafone's €38.2bn of service revenues in its last financial year.

It is betting heavily on the growth of IoT delivering substantial benefits to consumers, citing a growing range of applications including smartwatches, tracking devices for pets, bags and bicycles, and connected vehicles - which it argues could reduce insurance premiums and enable advanced in-vehicle solutions.

"For businesses, the demand for IoT and potential use cases is even more evident," Vodafone has said previously.

"These include solutions such as automated monitoring of energy usage across national grids, tracking consumption in smart buildings and detecting traffic and congestion in cities."

A Vodafone spokesman declined to comment on the appointment of Akira.

Shares in the company closed on Monday at 90.03p, giving it a market value of £24.2bn.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×