Strato AG

Strato is a German internet-services brand headquartered in Berlin and focused on hosting, cloud storage, domains, websites, and related online infrastructure. The business serves both private and commercial customers, with Germany as its principal market and additional activity in the Netherlands. Historical expansion also took the company into Italy, France, Poland, and the United Kingdom. Reference material describes Strato as serving more than two million customer contracts, although the date and precise definition of that figure are not specified. The company was established by Marc-Alexander Ulrich, a former board member of Escom, and Norbert Stangl, formerly managing director of 1&1 Internet. Strato began offering web-hosting plans in Germany in 1997. Its early proposition was based on making internet infrastructure available through standardized packages rather than requiring customers to operate their own servers. This positioned the company between traditional telecommunications providers and specialist technical hosting firms, with products aimed at users who needed domains, websites, storage, and online business tools. From 2006 onward, Strato expanded beyond Germany into several European markets. Its portfolio broadened beyond conventional hosting to include e-commerce tools, with the company using shopping-cart technology from ePages, and a DSL business that it operated between 2007 and 2009. The DSL activity was transferred to United Internet in 2009, reflecting a sharper focus on hosting and internet infrastructure within the wider corporate group. Cloud storage became a significant part of the brand's development. In 2010 Strato introduced HiDrive, a cloud-storage platform designed to let customers store and access files online. In September 2011, entry-level packages of HiDrive became available without a charge, supporting a broader consumer-oriented cloud strategy while retaining paid options for customers requiring greater capacity or functionality. Ownership changed twice during the company's corporate history. Deutsche Telekom acquired Strato in November 2009 as part of an effort to expand the hosting business associated with T-Online. In December 2016, Deutsche Telekom sold Strato to United Internet for approximately €600 million. Under United Internet, Strato sits within a broader portfolio of internet and telecommunications businesses that includes related digital-access and hosting activities. The brand remains associated primarily with accessible web hosting, domains, cloud storage, and digital tools for small businesses and individual users. Strato's current identity is therefore that of a mass-market European hosting brand rather than a general-purpose social or content platform. Its competitive proposition rests on packaged services, self-service administration, broad availability, and integration of several basic online needs in one account. The available reference material does not provide a current executive roster, detailed financial statements, or a complete current country-by-country operating map, so those areas remain unspecified.

Strato was founded by Marc-Alexander Ulrich and Norbert Stangl, who had backgrounds in the German technology and internet industries. The available historical account identifies 1997 as the beginning of Strato's web-hosting activity in Germany, although it does not give a separate legal incorporation date. From the outset, the company concentrated on packaged internet services for private and business users, including hosting plans and associated domain and website functions. The company expanded its geographic reach from 2006, entering Italy, France, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom in addition to its German base. This period also saw diversification into adjacent internet services. Strato offered e-commerce capabilities using shopping-cart technology from ePages, allowing customers to build online shops alongside their hosting arrangements. It also operated a DSL business between 2007 and 2009. That activity was sold or transferred to United Internet in 2009, helping define a more focused hosting and online-services portfolio. Ownership changed in 2009 when Deutsche Telekom acquired Strato in November. The transaction supported Deutsche Telekom's intention to enlarge the hosting business associated with T-Online. While under Deutsche Telekom, Strato continued developing services beyond conventional website hosting. In 2010 it launched HiDrive, a cloud-storage platform that allowed customers to keep and access files online. In September 2011, the company made entry-level HiDrive packages free, an important move in expanding the reach of its cloud offering and encouraging adoption among consumer users. In December 2016, Deutsche Telekom sold Strato to United Internet for approximately €600 million. The acquisition brought Strato into the United Internet group, alongside other businesses operating in internet access, hosting, and digital services. The transaction restored a close corporate relationship with United Internet, given that Strato's DSL activities had previously been transferred to that company. Strato's development reflects the broader evolution of consumer internet infrastructure: it began with web hosting and domains, expanded geographically, added e-commerce and connectivity, and later incorporated cloud storage. Its brand proposition has remained centered on standardized, self-managed services that let individuals and businesses establish an online presence without building their own technical infrastructure. The cited materials identify Germany and the Netherlands as its main operating markets today, while also documenting earlier expansion across several other European countries. They do not provide a current executive list, detailed financial reporting, or a comprehensive account of later product changes.

• 2016

  United Internet acquisition

  [1]Strato AGen.wikipedia.org

  United Internet acquired Strato from Deutsche Telekom in December for approximately €600 million.

• 2011

  Free entry-level HiDrive packages

  [1]Strato AGen.wikipedia.org

  Beginning in September, entry packages for HiDrive were offered free of charge.

• 2010

  HiDrive launches

  [1]Strato AGen.wikipedia.org

  Strato launched HiDrive as a cloud-storage platform.

• 2009

  Deutsche Telekom acquisition

  [1]Strato AGen.wikipedia.org

  Deutsche Telekom acquired Strato to strengthen its hosting activities linked with T-Online.

• 2007

  DSL business begins

  [1]Strato AGen.wikipedia.org

  Strato entered the DSL segment, which it operated until the business was transferred in 2009.

• 2006

  European expansion

  [1]Strato AGen.wikipedia.org

  The company expanded operations into Italy, France, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom.

• 1997

  Web-hosting services begin in Germany

  [1]Strato AGen.wikipedia.org

  Strato began offering a broad range of web-hosting plans to private and business customers in Germany.

A consumer- and small-business-oriented European provider of accessible web hosting, domains, cloud storage, and online business infrastructure.

• Hosting · 1997

  Web hosting

  Strato's core offering consists of packaged hosting plans for private and business customers. These services support the publication and operation of websites without requiring customers to maintain their own physical hosting infrastructure. The reference material describes the company's hosting activity as beginning in Germany in 1997 and later expanding across several European markets.

• Cloud storage · 2010

  HiDrive

  HiDrive is Strato's cloud-storage platform, launched in 2010. It gives customers an online location for storing and accessing files. In September 2011, Strato introduced free entry-level packages, making the service more accessible to consumer users while supporting a tiered cloud-services model.

• Internet presence

  Domain and website services

  Strato provides domain-related and website-oriented services as part of its broader internet-presence portfolio. These offerings complement hosting plans by giving individuals and businesses tools to establish and manage branded websites and online identities through a packaged provider.

• E-commerce

  E-commerce services

  Strato has offered e-commerce functionality alongside its hosting services. The reference material states that its online-shop proposition relied on shopping-cart technology from ePages, linking hosted websites with tools for operating an online store.

• Broadband access · 2007

  DSL

  DSL was a historical connectivity business operated by Strato from 2007 to 2009. It was subsequently sold or transferred to United Internet and is not presented as part of Strato's current core portfolio.

• 2016

  United Internet acquires StratoM&A

  Background

  Deutsche Telekom decided to divest Strato after owning the company since 2009.

  Action taken

  United Internet acquired Strato in December 2016 for approximately €600 million.

  Aftermath

  Strato became part of the United Internet group and returned to a corporate environment closely connected with its former DSL-counterparty.

  Approximate acquisition price. €600 million (December 2016 transaction)

  Source

• 2011

  Free entry-level HiDrive packagesPrice change

  Background

  Strato sought to broaden access to its recently launched cloud-storage service.

  Action taken

  In September 2011, the company made entry-level HiDrive packages free of charge.

  Aftermath

  The pricing change lowered the entry barrier for consumers, while the available material does not specify its customer or financial impact.

  Source

• 2010

  Launch of HiDriveProduct launch

  Background

  Strato expanded beyond conventional hosting into online file storage and cloud services.

  Action taken

  The company launched the HiDrive cloud-storage platform.

  Aftermath

  HiDrive became a central example of Strato's diversification into cloud-based consumer services.

  Source

• 2009

  Deutsche Telekom acquires StratoM&A

  Background

  Deutsche Telekom sought to expand its hosting business associated with T-Online.

  Action taken

  Deutsche Telekom acquired Strato in November 2009.

  Aftermath

  Strato operated within Deutsche Telekom's wider hosting activities until its later sale to United Internet.

  Source

• 2009

  Transfer of the DSL segmentStrategy

  Background

  Strato had operated a DSL business from 2007 while continuing to develop its hosting portfolio.

  Action taken

  The DSL segment was sold or transferred to United Internet.

  Aftermath

  The move left Strato more concentrated on hosting and related internet services.

  Source

• 2016

  United Internet acquires Strato from Deutsche Telekom[1]Strato AGen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Deutsche Telekom sold Strato to United Internet in December 2016 for approximately €600 million, according to the cited reference material.

• 2011

  HiDrive entry packages become free[1]Strato AGen.wikipedia.org

  Pricing · Product generation

  In September 2011, Strato made entry-level HiDrive packages available free of charge, broadening access to its cloud-storage platform.

• 2010

  Strato launches HiDrive cloud storage[1]Strato AGen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Strato introduced HiDrive, extending its portfolio from traditional hosting into online file storage and cloud services.

• 2009

  Deutsche Telekom acquires Strato[1]Strato AGen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Deutsche Telekom acquired Strato to expand its hosting activities connected with T-Online.

• 2009

  Strato transfers its DSL business to United Internet[1]Strato AGen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Strato's DSL segment, which had operated from 2007, was sold or transferred to United Internet as the company concentrated more strongly on hosting and related internet services.

1. 1Strato AGen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Strato corporate websitestrato.de