A ticketing platform which is lined up to sell premium packages for Oasis’s comeback tour has secured almost £15m in investment amid soaring demand for high-end hospitality experiences.
Sky News understands that Seat Unique, which works with Wembley Stadium, where Taylor Swift recently played a string of sell-out dates, will announce the completion of an extended Series A funding round later this week.
Sources said the fundraising was being led by Nickleby Capital, an investment firm, and included previously announced backing from leading athletes including Ben Stokes, the England cricket Test captain, and Dame Jessica Ennis, the former Olympic gold medal-winning heptathlete.
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Seat Unique partners with venues – rather than artists or promoters – including Wembley, where it is an official ticket agent, and Murrayfield in Scotland, where it is an official hospitality partner.
It is also the official hospitality sales platform provider to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
The company has assembled a new advisory board which includes Dame Alison Rose, the former NatWest Group chief executive, and Alastair Lukies, the former fintech ambassador to the government.
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Seat Unique’s funding round is aimed at helping it capitalise on data suggesting that British consumers are spending more on the experience economy, despite broader cost-of-living pressures.
The new capital will be used to develop Seat Unique’s platform and expand it into new sectors, according to people close to the company.
It was set up by husband-and-wife team Robin Sherry and Philippa Hicks, and is now chaired by Richard Flint, a former boss of Sky Betting and Gaming.
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Seat Unique markets original ticketing inventory, unlike secondary platforms which have come under fire from the new Labour government for offering consumers a raw deal.
The company now has a partnership roster of more than 60 venues, clubs and promoters, which also include Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Jacksonville Jaguars UK.
On Tuesday, Seat Unique declined to comment ahead of a formal fundraising announcement.
