Series A23 February 2021

Soccer Manager secures £3m Series A follow-on investment led by Mercia to fund international expansion

The Preston-based gaming company raised capital from Mercia, the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, and the Government's Future Fund.

£3.0MSeries A

Soccer Manager develops and operates online football management video games played by millions globally. The Preston-based firm builds immersive digital sporting experiences with a large international user base.

Soccer Manager has secured a £3m Series A follow-on investment to support its international expansion and product roadmap. The funding round was led by existing backer Mercia, alongside contributions from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and the Government's Future Fund. The capital will enable the studio to localise its platform for markets in the Middle East and Far East, alongside further development of its SM 2022 title and the relaunch of SM World. The business has experienced strong revenue growth following recent game releases.

From the founder

"We founded Soccer Manager with a vision to create high-quality football games that the whole world could play."

Andy Gore

CEO at Soccer Manager

Investor perspective

"The video gaming market was estimated to be worth $159.3billion in 2020[1], which is a considerable increase of c.9% from 2019, in part due to the changes in the leisure time spend we have seen following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Soccer Manager is a great example of an innovative, regional business, which, with the determination of its founders, has scaled its recurring customer base and revenues to achieve high-quality games with a very loyal community. The business was already on a strong growth trajectory before the pandemic, but with the increasing numbers of ‘at home gamers’ not expected to slow down, we anticipate that there is further significant potential in this asset."

Julian Viggars

CIO, Mercia