Preston-based online game Soccer Manager has secured a further £3 million to support its continued growth.
Founded in Preston in 2004 by soccer-loving brothers, Andy, Chris and Steven Gore, the company employs over 40 staff. It has grown revenue by over 80% since the launch of Soccer Manager 2021 in September last year.
Its games are now played in 234 countries around the world and have been downloaded by more than 50 million players, attracting more than one million active users each month.
The latest investment, which comes from existing investor Mercia’s own funds, the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and the Government’s Future Fund, will allow it to grow its user base in the Middle East and Far East through local language translations, further develop its SM 2022 game which is due to launch this autumn, and relaunch its original multi-player game, SM World, by creating new apps and adding new features.
“We founded Soccer Manager with a vision to create high-quality football games that the whole world could play,” said CEO Andy Gore. “We have always had the view that football, mobile and the internet is a powerful combination to achieve this vision.
“After years of building out our IP, technology, and games to millions of people worldwide, this investment will add significant fuel to our current growth trajectory and ambitions.
“We are delighted to have Mercia as a partner that continues to share our vision and we look forward to the next stage of our journey together.”
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Julian Viggars, CIO of Mercia Asset Management, said: “The video gaming market was estimated to be worth $159.3 billion in 2020, which is a considerable increase of 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.”
videogames