VIANET GROUP PLC
Vianet Group Plc is a public limited company registered in England and Wales under company number 05345684. It was incorporated on 28 January 2005, originally as Gweco 253 Limited, and has traded under its current name since 2 April 2012 following earlier periods as Brulines (Holdings) Limited/Plc and Brulines Group Plc. The company’s registered office is at 1 Surtees Way, Surtees Business Park, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 3HR, and its Companies House record shows an active status.
Vianet Group Plc provides cloud-based Internet of Things monitoring and telemetry solutions. Its Smart Zones division, trading as Vianet Limited and built around its Brulines beer and beverage dispense monitoring technology, serves pubs, bars and other licensed hospitality premises in the UK licensed on-trade. Its Smart Machines division supplies remote monitoring, data capture and machine-management services for unattended retail vending operators. According to the company, roughly 40,000 vending machines and 10,000 hospitality venues are connected to its platform across the UK, continental Europe, the United States and Canada.
Vianet Group Plc’s ordinary shares have been admitted to trading on AIM, a market operated by the London Stock Exchange, since 2006, under the ticker VNET (ISIN GB00B13YVN56).
For the financial year ended 31 March 2026, the group reported consolidated revenue of £15.50 million, an increase of 1.5% on the prior year, with recurring revenue of £13.60 million representing 88% of the total. The group ended the year with a net cash position of £0.44 million, compared with net debt of £0.38 million a year earlier, and proposed a total dividend of 2.40p per share for the year, an increase of 84.6% year-on-year.
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Shareholders
Shareholders of Vianet Group Plc
Vianet Group Plc is a public limited company whose ordinary shares are admitted to trading on AIM, so it discloses shareholders under the UK major shareholding notification regime rather than through a full share register. As at 7 September 2026, according to the company’s own investor relations disclosure, its largest reported holders were Gresham House (19.48%), Chairman James Dickson (18.70%), Interactive Investor Trading (6.40%), Hargreaves Lansdown Asset Management (5.15%), Liontrust Asset Management (4.87%), The Lord Lee of Trafford (4.53%), Sankofa Investment Partners (3.17%), Teviot Partners (3.07%), Evelyn Partners (2.56%) and Halifax Share Dealing (2.48%). The company states that 39.24% of its issued share capital is not in public hands, defined as shares held by directors and substantial shareholders. All holdings listed are direct interests in a single class of ordinary 10p shares; no further share-class breakdown was disclosed.
Ultimate beneficial ownership
Vianet Group Plc filed a statement with Companies House on 24 July 2017 declaring that it knows or has reasonable cause to believe there is no registrable person or registrable relevant legal entity with significant control, consistent with the exemption available to companies whose voting shares are admitted to trading on AIM. No individual shareholder is currently disclosed above the 25% ownership level typically used as a UBO threshold; Chairman James Dickson is the largest disclosed individual holder at 18.70%, but this is a reported shareholding rather than a confirmed ultimate-beneficial-owner determination, and no UBO is formally registrable for this company.
Data availability
Shareholder disclosure for this company is major shareholders only: notifiable interests are published once they cross regulatory disclosure thresholds (broadly 3% and above), and smaller holdings are not publicly reported. Companies House holds no separate shareholder register for this entity beyond its statutory PSC statement.
Sources
- Companies House — Persons with significant control, VIANET GROUP PLC — find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05345684/persons-with-significant-control — statement notified 24 July 2017 — retrieved 11 September 2026
- Vianet Group Plc — Investing in Vianet (major shareholders) — vianetplc.com/investors/investing-in-vianet/ — published 7 September 2026 — retrieved 11 September 2026
Officers
16
Directors and officers of Vianet Group Plc
Companies House records five active officer appointments for Vianet Group Plc: four directors and one company secretary, with one person (Sarah Bentham) holding both a secretary and a director appointment. The current board comprises Chairman James William Dickson (director since 20 April 2005), Chief Executive Officer Craig Roy Brocklehurst (appointed 1 June 2026), Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary Sarah Bentham (secretary since 16 July 2025, director since 1 August 2025), and Non-Executive Directors David Charles Coplin (since 1 April 2018) and Stella Panu (since 13 July 2022). A further ten officer appointments are recorded as resigned, the most recent being former Chief Financial Officer Mark Foster, who resigned as director on 16 July 2025. All current directors have British nationality officially disclosed at Companies House, with country of residence recorded as England or the United Kingdom. Functional titles such as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer are drawn from the company’s own announcements and investor relations materials rather than Companies House, which records all directors under the generic role of Director.
Recent officer changes
- New appointment: Craig Brocklehurst appointed Chief Executive Officer and director, effective 31 May 2026 (Companies House appointment recorded 1 June 2026). Source: Vianet Group Plc RNS, Trading Update and Board Change.
- Change of role: James Dickson stepped down as Chief Executive Officer and became Non-Executive Chairman, effective 31 May 2026. Source: Vianet Group Plc RNS, Trading Update and Board Change.
- New appointment and resignation: Sarah Bentham was appointed Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary, succeeding Mark Foster, who resigned as director on 16 July 2025. Source: Vianet Group Plc RNS, Appointment of New Director.
Data availability
Officer information for UK companies is full: Companies House publishes current and historical director and secretary appointments, including appointment and resignation dates. Nationality is officially disclosed for all current directors; occupation is not separately reported by Companies House for this company’s directors.
Sources
- Companies House — Officers, VIANET GROUP PLC — find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05345684/officers — retrieved 11 September 2026
- Vianet Group Plc RNS — Trading Update and Board Change — investegate.co.uk — retrieved 11 September 2026
- Vianet Group Plc RNS — Appointment of New Director — investegate.co.uk — retrieved 11 September 2026
- Vianet Group Plc — Investors / Board — vianetplc.com/investors/ — retrieved 11 September 2026
Registry feed — rows exactly as filed with Companies House, including entries the profile above does not cover.
Group Structure
Group structure of Vianet Group Plc
Vianet Group Plc is the ultimate parent company of a verified UK corporate group. It has no registered parent or controlling shareholding entity of its own; its shares are held by public and institutional investors as described in the shareholders block. Companies House PSC filings confirm two direct subsidiaries, Vianet Limited and Brulines Group Limited, each held at 75% or more of share capital and voting rights since 6 April 2016. Through Vianet Limited, the group also verifiably controls three further subsidiaries held indirectly: Brulines Limited, Vendman Systems Limited and, one level further down through Vendman Systems Limited, Vendman Europe Limited — each again held at 75% or more per Companies House PSC records dated 2016 and 2017. All five entities in the confirmed structure are registered in the United Kingdom and remain active according to Companies House.
Verified corporate relationships
| Entity | Country | Registration number | Relationship | Ownership | Status | Information date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vianet Limited | GB | SC138846 | Direct subsidiary | 75% or more of shares and voting rights | Active | 6 April 2016 |
| Brulines Group Limited | GB | 07743683 | Direct subsidiary | 75% or more of shares and voting rights | Active | 6 April 2016 |
| Brulines Limited | GB | 04312345 | Indirect subsidiary (via Vianet Limited) | 75% or more of shares and voting rights | Active | 6 April 2016 |
| Vendman Systems Limited | GB | 03550481 | Indirect subsidiary (via Vianet Limited) | 75% or more of shares and voting rights | Active | 3 October 2017 |
| Vendman Europe Limited | GB | 06710727 | Indirect subsidiary (via Vendman Systems Limited) | 75% or more of shares and voting rights | Active | 1 October 2017 |
Data availability
Corporate-linkage information for this group is full for the confirmed UK subsidiaries: each relationship is independently supported by a Companies House Persons with Significant Control filing. Because PSC filings report ownership as a band (75% or more) rather than an exact figure, a precise effective ownership percentage for the lower-tier indirect subsidiaries cannot be calculated; each tier is confirmed only as 75% or more. No further subsidiaries or overseas group entities were identified from official sources at the time of research.
Sources
- Companies House — Persons with significant control, VIANET LIMITED (SC138846) — retrieved 11 September 2026
- Companies House — Persons with significant control, BRULINES GROUP LIMITED (07743683) — retrieved 11 September 2026
- Companies House — Persons with significant control, BRULINES LIMITED (04312345) — retrieved 11 September 2026
- Companies House — Persons with significant control, VENDMAN SYSTEMS LIMITED (03550481) — retrieved 11 September 2026
- Companies House — Persons with significant control, VENDMAN EUROPE LIMITED (06710727) — retrieved 11 September 2026
VIANET GROUP PLC
United Kingdom
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does VIANET GROUP PLC do?
Vianet Group Plc (company number 05345684) is a UK public limited company, incorporated 28 January 2005 and registered in England and Wales, that provides IoT-enabled monitoring and telemetry solutions for the hospitality sector, including draught beer and beverage dispense monitoring via its Brulines technology, and for unattended retail vending machines, connecting around 40,000 vending machines and 10,000 hospitality venues across the UK, Europe, the US and Canada.
Who owns VIANET GROUP PLC?
As an AIM-listed plc, Vianet Group Plc discloses only major shareholdings above regulatory notification thresholds; as at 7 September 2026 the largest disclosed holders were Gresham House (19.48%), Chairman James Dickson (18.70%), Interactive Investor Trading (6.40%), Hargreaves Lansdown Asset Management (5.15%) and Liontrust Asset Management (4.87%), with smaller holders below.
Who is VIANET GROUP PLC's UBO (Ultimate Beneficial Owner)?
Vianet Group Plc filed a statement with Companies House on 24 July 2017 declaring no registrable person with significant control, consistent with its exemption as a company with voting shares admitted to trading on AIM; no individual crosses the 25% PSC threshold, so no UBO can be verified, though Chairman James Dickson is the largest disclosed individual shareholder at 18.70%.
What is VIANET GROUP PLC's company registration number?
VIANET GROUP PLC's registration number is 05345684, filed with Companies House in United Kingdom. Its current status on the register is active.
Is VIANET GROUP PLC still an active company?
VIANET GROUP PLC's status on Companies House is listed as active.
When was VIANET GROUP PLC incorporated?
VIANET GROUP PLC was incorporated on 28 January 2005, according to Companies House.
What is VIANET GROUP PLC's registered address?
The registered address on file for VIANET GROUP PLC is Stockton On Tees, United Kingdom.
What legal structure is VIANET GROUP PLC registered as?
VIANET GROUP PLC is registered as a Public Limited Company in United Kingdom.
What is VIANET GROUP PLC's revenue?
For the financial year ended 31 March 2026, Vianet Group Plc reported consolidated group revenue of £15.50 million, up 1.5% year-on-year, of which £13.60 million (88%) was recurring revenue, alongside a net cash position of £0.44 million.
Is VIANET GROUP PLC listed on a stock exchange?
Vianet Group Plc has been admitted to trading on AIM, a market operated by the London Stock Exchange, since 2006, under ticker VNET (ISIN GB00B13YVN56).
Who are the officers/directors of VIANET GROUP PLC?
Vianet Group Plc's current board comprises five active officer appointments: Chairman James Dickson (director since 2005), Chief Executive Officer Craig Brocklehurst (appointed 2026), Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary Sarah Bentham (appointed 2025), and Non-Executive Directors David Coplin and Stella Panu; all disclosed nationalities are British.
Does VIANET GROUP PLC have a parent company or subsidiaries?
Vianet Group Plc is the ultimate parent of a verified UK corporate group comprising direct subsidiaries Vianet Limited and Brulines Group Limited, and indirect subsidiaries Brulines Limited, Vendman Systems Limited and Vendman Europe Limited, each held at 75% or more of share capital and voting rights per Companies House PSC filings; Vianet Group Plc itself has no parent company.
Can Zavia monitor changes to VIANET GROUP PLC's ownership over time?
This profile reflects a point-in-time snapshot from Companies House. Zavia's monitoring API can track changes to VIANET GROUP PLC's registered shareholders, officers, and group structure going forward, flagging updates as they're filed rather than requiring a manual recheck.
Can I access VIANET GROUP PLC's data through an API?
Yes. Zavia's API connects directly to official government ownership registries across 195 countries and territories, including United Kingdom, so records like VIANET GROUP PLC's registration, shareholder, UBO, and group-structure data can be queried programmatically instead of viewed one page at a time.
Where does this company information come from, and how current is it?
This record is sourced directly from Companies House and was last synced on 8 September 2026.