Soccer Manager secures £3m funding

Soccer Manager has secured £3m in funding which will enable the game to spread its footprint and develop its next iteration.

The funds, secured through Mercia, will be invested in local language translations of the online soccer management game allowing it to grow ts user base in the Middle East and Far East

The team will also 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.

Soccer Manager was founded in Preston in 2004 by Andy, Chris and Steven Gore. The company employs over 40 staff and has grown revenue by more than 80 per cent 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.

Mercia first backed the company with a loan in December 2013, and invested in December 2014 and March 2015. Mercia now holds a fully diluted direct investment stake of 39.0% with a further 7.6% held by Mercia’s managed EIS funds.

Andy Gore, CEO of Soccer Manager, said: "We founded Soccer Manager with a vision to create high-quality football games that the whole world could play. 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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