Founded in 1969 by Dennis Baylin,[1][2] Betacom was an electronics company specialising in audio and visual products.
In 1992 Sir Alan Sugar's Amstrad purchased a 29.9% stake in the company from Canon Street Investments PLC.
A rights issue and subscription increased Amstrad's shareholding in Betacom to 71.3%.
Betacom, a UK-based domestic telephone supplier provided Amstrad with a foothold in the developing telecommunications market .
The following year, repayment and cancellation of share capital involving a scheme of arrangement, as a result of which Amstrad's shareholding in Betacom reduced to 66.2%.