Grip has raised £9.3 million in Series A funding.
The London-based events platform is revolutionising how professionals network at virtual and in-person events.
The round was led by London-based growth equity fund Kennet Partners.
Founded in 2016, Grip works with some of the world’s largest event organisers including Reed Exhibitions, Messe Frankfurt, VentureBeat and TechCrunch.
With the COVID-19 pandemic serving as a catalyst for the online events industry, Grip’s market engagement platform enables organisers to create an omnichannel experience underpinned by artificial intelligence.
The tech is proven to increase the number of quality interactions at events, creating unique insight and opportunities for organisers to generate meaningful value for their clients.
‘Inequality is rife in UK’ – Dragons’ Den star and diversity champion fights back
“Our mission is to empower organisers to bring professionals together to advance industries,” said CEO and founder Tim Groot.
“This funding round is going to enable us to take the experience to a new level, leveraging our extensive industry-leading platform, offering unique value for virtual, hybrid and in-person events.
“I’m humbled and thankful to our clients for trusting us and working with us to achieve this milestone. We’ve raised the round for them, to make our platform better.
“We’re going to invest heavily in our product and global expansion to support organisers across the world in the continued digitisation of their business and empower them to succeed in this new reality.
“Now, more than ever, we must do everything possible to help professionals connect in useful and meaningful ways.”
The Crypto Rich List: Who are the world’s richest people in cryptocurrency?
Hillel Zidel, partner at Kennet and Grip board member, added: “Grip’s ability to organise virtual events with a key focus on networking has meant that the company has seen tremendous growth over the last year.
“Event organisers and their clients have been able to remain connected with their customers despite the constraints on in-person events.
“As live events resume in the future, Grip is extremely well positioned to continue to assist event organisers through the provision of software solutions supporting live, virtual and hybrid events.”
Brent Hoberman, co-founder of Founders Factory and a previous investor, said: “Grip was born out of a need we saw in running events at Founders Forum – how do you use smart technology to catalyse the most relevant and valuable connections between your guests?
“I’m thrilled that under Tim’s leadership, Grip has become a world-class product that continues to build on this seed of an idea in using smart tech to facilitate more meaningful connections.
“It’s exciting to see the team attract and bring on a great fund in Kennet Partners – they now have the resources they need to take the company to the next level.”
AIEvents