Ecommerce startup Skiddle closes growth round led by Soho Square Capital
This article covers Skiddle, an ecommerce startup, closing a growth funding round with Soho Square Capital, its first external investment in 25 years. The deal aims to accelerate Skiddle's expansion into lifestyle events and Europe and to bolster technology and marketing to support promoters, organisers and the UK live-events ecosystem.
Preston-based ecommerce startup Skiddle has closed a growth funding round of an undisclosed amount with Soho Square Capital, its first external investment in 25 years. The deal is intended to accelerate the ticketing platform’s move beyond music, festivals and nightlife into lifestyle events, beef up technology and marketing, and fund planned expansion into European markets.
Why it matters
Skiddle’s decision to take external capital after a quarter-century of independence is notable for a founder-led marketplace. The investment signals a shift from organic, self-funded growth to a partnership model that aims to speed international expansion while keeping the original leadership in place. For the live-events ecosystem, stronger, better-funded ticketing infrastructure could matter as organisers look to diversify event types and audiences across borders.
Inside the product
Launched in 2001 as a What’s On guide, Skiddle has evolved into one of the UK’s established independent ticketing platforms, focused on music, festivals and nightlife. The company reports average revenue growth of more than 20 percent a year over the last two years. Management says the immediate commercial priority is building a lifestyle events offering and investing in technology, marketing and business development to support wider market reach.
Co-founders Ben Sebborn and Richard Dyer will remain in their leadership roles and continue working with CFO Peter Hinnigan and Skiddle’s long-standing senior management team.
Who are the investors?
The investment is led by Soho Square Capital. The firm says the partnership gives Skiddle access to strategic experience and a network of businesses that have navigated European expansion, supporting the company’s plans to move faster into new markets.
Joe Tebbutt will join Skiddle’s board as Soho Square’s representative. The deal is Soho Square’s second investment from Soho Square Partnership Capital Fund II.
Joe Tebbutt, Director at Soho Square Capital, added:
Skiddle is a rare example of a founder-built business that has become a leader in its market through great service and a genuine understanding of its customers. Ben, Richard and the team have earned the loyalty of promoters and fans alike, and the business has grown strongly as a result. This is exactly the kind of transaction Soho Square was built for: the founders stay in control of the business they built and fully committed to it, with the capital and support to pursue their plans for growth. We are delighted to be partnering with them for Skiddle’s next chapter.
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Founder perspective
Ben Sebborn and Richard Dyer, co-founders of Skiddle, said:
We started Skiddle because we wanted to help people find out what was on. Twenty-five years later, that’s still at the heart of what we do, but the opportunity ahead of us is bigger than ever. We want to help more people discover brilliant events, give more independent organisers the tools and support to grow, and take Skiddle into new markets. This investment gives us the backing to move faster across Europe, build our lifestyle offering and keep improving our technology.
Taking investment for the first time was a big decision. Finding a partner who understood Skiddle, our independence and the relationships we’ve built with promoters and fans was essential. Soho Square’s approach means we keep control of the business we’ve spent 25 years building, with the support to take it further.
The bigger picture
Skiddle’s move reflects a wider pattern of mature, founder-led UK marketplace businesses taking external capital to scale internationally without ceding operational control. For the live-events and ticketing market, better-funded platforms can enable organisers to reach new audiences and experiment with event formats beyond traditional music and nightlife. As companies look to expand into Europe, experienced growth investors such as Soho Square appear positioned to provide both capital and market know-how.
The deal will be watched by other UK event tech and ecommerce operators considering whether to partner with growth investors to accelerate cross-border expansion.
They've invested in Skiddle
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