The Stockton firm updated shareholders on a robust first half, but reiterated how customers have been cautious to invest

North East drinks and vending tech firm Vianet has announced it has sealed a “significant” deal with a US restaurant group. The Stockton business, which specialises in telemetry and data collection, said its subsidiary Vianet Americas Inc has entered a long-term, multi-year agreement with a large full-service restaurant company.

Under the deal, the value of which has not been disclosed, the US restaurant firm will use Vianet’s Beverage Metrics solution – the US-based, inventory software business Vianet acquired in 2023 – in its sites across the nation, within one of its major brands. The system helps hospitality operators to monitor and manage inventory.

James Dickson, president of Vianet Americas Inc and CEO of its parent company Vianet Group PLC, said: “This agreement reflects continued progress in the group’s strategy and together with our recent contract with World of Beer, and new partnership agreement with www.Fintech.com, it reinforces our long-term commitment to investing in the US hospitality market, which continues to perform strongly.

“Deploying Beverage Metrics to a leading restaurant operator validates the relevance of our technology for large, multi-site operators in delivering measurable operational and financial benefits at scale.”

The deal was announced as the company provided a trading update to shareholders, highlighting how its two divisions – hospitality and unattended retail – are expanding their installation footprint by extending existing customer contracts and winning new clients, despite the backdrop of UK economic uncertainty, particularly within hospitality.

Despite delivering recurring income and a healthy pipeline, it said its “customers’ current cautious approach to investment” meant its activities had been slower than previously anticipated in the second half of the year. It said a “robust” performance in the first half of 2026 saw Ebitda rise by 10.5% to £1.88m, but it expects full year profit to be similar to its 2025 performance.

Last June it reported Ebitda of £4.14m for its 2025 financial year. At the year-end, it said net debt is projected to be in line with market forecasts, which it said should facilitate a continued increase in the group’s final dividend.

Mr Dickson added: “I’m pleased with the progress our business is making despite the challenging economic environment. The expansion of existing customer contracts, the acquisition of new clients, and our advancements in the USA underscore the strength and quality of our operations.

“These developments will drive growth in recurring income and enhance cash generation. We remain optimistic about the group’s outlook and expect to deliver increased returns for our shareholders.”

Last November Vianet said earnings grew 11.6% to £1.73m in the six months to the end of September, and described a “solid” performance in which recurring revenues made up 84% of total income, with gross margins said to be healthy. The increase in Ebitda was in line with expectations despite a £140,000 investment in Beverage Metrics.

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