LoopUp
A global provider of managed cloud telephony and Microsoft Teams calling services for multinational enterprises.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
LoopUp is a United Kingdom-based business communications provider whose principal offering is managed cloud telephony for Microsoft Teams. The company supplies enterprise voice connectivity, calling infrastructure and related management services to multinational organizations that want to operate a global telephone system through Microsoft Teams rather than contract separately with numerous country-level telecommunications carriers. The business began in 2003 in London and San Francisco under the name Ring2. Founders Steve Flavell and Michael Hughes, who met while studying at Stanford Graduate School of Business, initially focused on enterprise audio conferencing and remote-meeting services. The early proposition combined simplified meeting access and screen sharing with professionally managed audio delivered through telecommunications networks. This positioning was particularly relevant to professional-services organizations that needed reliable conferencing for client, project and internal communications. During its first decade, the company expanded its conferencing capabilities and distribution relationships. It raised funding from angel investors and Adara Venture Partners, added mobile call-control functions, and in 2010 was selected by BT to provide white-label conferencing services for the BT MeetMe product. The company adopted the LoopUp name in 2012 and broadened its remote-meetings proposition. It later developed international distribution, including a 2013 agreement with Caribbean operator LIME, and opened a New York office in 2015 to serve the large professional-services market there. LoopUp Group plc joined London's AIM market in August 2016. The flotation gave the company public-market funding and visibility as it continued expanding its conferencing platform. In 2018, LoopUp completed a reverse takeover of MeetingZone, a UK conferencing business. The transaction substantially increased the group's scale and combined two established remote-meeting operations. Revenue and staffing grew through the late 2010s and into the early 2020s. The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily increased demand for remote meetings as organizations moved to distributed work. At the same time, LoopUp began moving beyond its legacy conferencing business. In July 2020 it launched a global cloud-voice service for Microsoft Teams, using Direct Routing to connect Teams users to LoopUp's international voice network. Over the following years, cloud telephony became the company's strategic priority. Its service developed around Microsoft Operator Connect, Direct Routing as a Service and Bring Your Own Carrier arrangements, allowing customers to adopt different connectivity models according to country coverage and existing carrier relationships. In 2021, LoopUp acquired SyncRTC, the Spanish company behind mashme.io, a hybrid-collaboration platform for remote education, training and events. The acquired operation was associated with LoopUp's Hybridium business. In 2023, however, LoopUp decided to exit that activity and concentrate resources on cloud telephony. The Spanish subsidiary entered the Spanish Concurso administration process, and the withdrawal was intended to reduce ongoing cash costs and debt while simplifying the group around its faster-growing Teams communications business. LoopUp's public-company period ended in 2024. The board argued that the costs and administrative demands of maintaining an AIM quotation were disproportionate to the company's market capitalization and that private ownership would support further investment in cloud telephony. Shareholders approved the proposal, dealings in the shares ended on 10 April 2024, and the AIM cancellation became effective on 11 April. In November 2024, the company announced a £12 million equity funding round involving existing and new investors, together with a reduced debt facility. The company's current positioning is that of a managed global provider for enterprises seeking consistent Microsoft Teams calling across many jurisdictions. Its platform supports Operator Connect where available, managed Direct Routing in other markets, and integration with a customer's existing carrier through Bring Your Own Carrier. LoopUp has also extended its ecosystem through partnerships, including a 2025 collaboration with Luware focused on Microsoft Teams contact-centre deployments. The legacy LoopUp and MeetingZone meeting services remain part of the company's history and customer offering, but cloud telephony is the central strategic focus.
History
LoopUp was founded in 2003 by Steve Flavell and Michael Hughes in London and San Francisco. Originally called Ring2, it developed enterprise audio-conferencing and remote-meeting services for professional-services customers. The platform emphasized simple meeting access, screen sharing and managed audio carried through telecommunications networks. Early backing came from angel investors and Adara Venture Partners. The company expanded its conferencing product and distribution network during the 2000s. It added mobile call-control functions and in 2010 entered a white-label arrangement with BT, supplying conferencing technology for BT MeetMe. In 2012, Ring2 adopted the LoopUp name. It subsequently broadened its international reach, including a distribution agreement with Caribbean operator LIME and the opening of a New York office in 2015. LoopUp Group plc floated on London's AIM market in August 2016. Barbara Judge became chair after the flotation. The company continued to grow through a mixture of organic expansion and acquisition. In 2018 it completed a reverse takeover of MeetingZone, a UK conferencing provider, substantially increasing the scale of the group. The combined business benefited from the continuing need for business conferencing and remote collaboration, with revenue reaching its reported peak in 2020. The pandemic accelerated demand for remote meetings, but it also exposed the longer-term importance of integrated cloud communications. In July 2020 LoopUp introduced a global cloud-voice service for Microsoft Teams. The service used Direct Routing to connect Teams to LoopUp's international voice network and eventually became the foundation of the company's strategy. LoopUp developed a managed proposition based on Operator Connect, Direct Routing as a Service and Bring Your Own Carrier, allowing multinational customers to use one provider across multiple countries while retaining flexibility around local connectivity. In 2021 LoopUp acquired SyncRTC, the Spanish parent of mashme.io, a platform used for hybrid collaboration, remote education and corporate training. The activity was operated within the group's Hybridium initiative. By 2023 LoopUp concluded that the hybrid-events business did not fit its chosen growth strategy. It exited the activity and placed the Spanish subsidiary into Concurso proceedings, with the stated aim of lowering cash costs and removing associated debt while directing resources toward cloud telephony. The company also changed its ownership and capital-market structure. In March 2024 the board proposed cancelling the AIM listing, arguing that the expense of being public was disproportionate to the company's size and that a private structure would facilitate continued investment. Shareholders approved the plan. The final day of AIM dealings was 10 April 2024, and the cancellation took effect on 11 April. In November 2024 LoopUp announced a £12 million equity financing round and a reduced bank debt facility. LoopUp's later development has centered on becoming a global managed voice provider for Microsoft Teams. Its services are aimed particularly at multinational enterprises that would otherwise need to coordinate multiple national carriers. The company supports Microsoft's Operator Connect programme, managed Direct Routing outside supported Operator Connect markets, and Bring Your Own Carrier integrations. Partnerships with technology providers such as Luware have extended the proposition toward Teams contact-centre use cases. The original meetings business remains an important part of the company's heritage, but cloud telephony is the principal focus of the modern LoopUp brand.
- 2024
AIM delisting and private-company transition
[1]LoopUp's AIM quotation is cancelled on 11 April, after which the company operates as a private business.
- 2023
Strategic exit from Hybridium
[1]The company exits the hybrid-events operation and concentrates on cloud telephony.
- 2021
SyncRTC acquisition
[1]LoopUp acquires SyncRTC, the Spanish parent of mashme.io, and develops the Hybridium business.
- 2020
Microsoft Teams cloud voice launch
[1]LoopUp launches a global cloud-voice service for Microsoft Teams using Direct Routing.
- 2018
MeetingZone reverse takeover
[1]LoopUp acquires MeetingZone in a reverse takeover, more than doubling the scale of the conferencing group.
- 2016
AIM flotation
[1]LoopUp Group plc joins London's AIM market in August.
- 2012
Rebrand to LoopUp
[1]Ring2 adopts the LoopUp name as it broadens its remote-meetings proposition.
- 2010
BT white-label relationship
[1]BT selects the company to provide conferencing services for customers under the BT MeetMe brand.
- 2003
Ring2 is founded
[1]Steve Flavell and Michael Hughes establish the business in London and San Francisco to provide enterprise audio conferencing and remote-meeting services.
Products and positioning
A managed, multinational alternative to coordinating separate regional carriers for Microsoft Teams voice services, with centralized deployment, administration and support.
Cloud communications · 2020
LoopUp Cloud Telephony
LoopUp's main current proposition is managed business telephony integrated with Microsoft Teams. It gives multinational organizations a centrally administered voice environment while using LoopUp's international network and operational support. The service is designed to replace or simplify fragmented country-by-country carrier arrangements.
Microsoft Teams telephony
Operator Connect
LoopUp provides Microsoft Teams calling through Microsoft's Operator Connect framework. This model allows customers to provision business voice services within the Teams environment while relying on LoopUp for carrier connectivity, numbering, routing and managed service operations in supported markets.
Cloud telephony · 2020
Direct Routing as a Service
The managed Direct Routing service connects Microsoft Teams to LoopUp's voice network, particularly in countries or deployment scenarios where Operator Connect is unavailable or where customers need a more customized architecture. LoopUp manages the technical and operational elements for enterprise users.
Carrier integration
Bring Your Own Carrier
Bring Your Own Carrier allows enterprises to retain selected existing telecommunications relationships while using LoopUp's management and Teams integration capabilities. This supports customers with regulatory, contractual or market-specific reasons to keep local carrier arrangements.
Remote meetings
LoopUp Meetings
LoopUp Meetings is the company's original remote-meeting and audio-conferencing service. It was built for professional-services and enterprise users requiring managed conference access, screen sharing and dependable audio. Although cloud telephony is now the strategic center of the business, meetings remain part of LoopUp's product heritage and offering.
Hybrid collaboration and events · 2021
Hybridium
Hybridium was LoopUp's internal brand for the hybrid-collaboration activity obtained through the SyncRTC acquisition. The business addressed remote education, corporate training and hybrid events, but LoopUp exited it globally in 2023 as part of its strategic refocus.
Brand decisions
2024
AIM delistingStrategyBackground
The board considered the cost of maintaining the public listing disproportionate to LoopUp's market capitalization and wanted to focus capital on cloud telephony.
Action taken
Shareholders approved cancellation of the AIM quotation; the listing ended on 11 April 2024.
Aftermath
LoopUp became a private company and continued operating outside the public market.
2024
Private equity funding roundOtherBackground
Following its transition to private ownership, LoopUp sought additional capital for its cloud-telephony strategy.
Action taken
The company closed a £12 million equity funding round and arranged a reduced debt facility with Bank of Ireland.
Aftermath
The funding supported continued investment in the private company's cloud-telephony business.
Equity funding. £12 million (Announced November 2024)
2023
Exit from HybridiumStrategyBackground
LoopUp decided that the hybrid-events business did not fit its priority around faster-growing cloud telephony.
Action taken
The company exited Hybridium globally and placed the Spanish subsidiary into Concurso administration.
Aftermath
LoopUp reported expected annual cash-cost savings of approximately €1 million and a reduction of roughly €1 million of debt.
Expected annual cash-cost saving. Approximately €1 million (Announced 2023)
2021
Acquisition of SyncRTCM&ABackground
LoopUp sought to expand into hybrid collaboration, remote education and corporate training.
Action taken
The company acquired SyncRTC, the Spanish parent of mashme.io, for an enterprise value reported at approximately US$4.5 million.
Aftermath
The acquired activity was operated as Hybridium before LoopUp later exited the business.
Reported enterprise value. Approximately US$4.5 million (2021 acquisition)
2020
Launch of Microsoft Teams cloud telephonyProduct launchBackground
Demand for remote collaboration was rising, while Microsoft Teams was becoming a core enterprise communications platform.
Action taken
LoopUp launched a global cloud-voice service using Direct Routing to connect Teams users to its international voice network.
Aftermath
The launch became the starting point for a multi-year shift from conferencing toward managed cloud telephony.
Recent events
- 2025
LoopUp partners with Luware on Teams contact-centre services[1]
Other · Product launch
The partnership combined LoopUp's Teams telephony capabilities with Luware's Nimbus contact-centre platform for enterprise customer-service use cases.
- 2025
PUMA selects LoopUp for global cloud telephony migration[1]
Other
PUMA selected LoopUp to support a global move from legacy voice systems to an integrated Microsoft Teams telephony environment.
- 2024
LoopUp shareholders approve AIM cancellation[1]
Other
LoopUp ended its public quotation on AIM and became a private company, citing the cost of maintaining the listing and the need to prioritize investment in cloud telephony.
- 2024
LoopUp closes £12 million private funding round[1]
Other
The company announced equity funding from existing and new investors alongside a reduced debt facility.
- 2023
LoopUp exits the Hybridium business[1]
Bankruptcy
The company withdrew from the mashme.io-related hybrid-events activity and entered the Spanish subsidiary into Concurso proceedings to focus on cloud telephony.
- 2021
LoopUp acquires SyncRTC and its mashme.io platform[1]
M&A
LoopUp acquired the Spanish hybrid-collaboration specialist SyncRTC, later associated with its Hybridium business.
- 2020
LoopUp launches global cloud-voice service for Microsoft Teams[1]
Product launch
The company introduced a Teams voice service using Direct Routing and its international voice network, beginning its strategic shift toward cloud telephony.
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