Industry News

VenueNext hoping for success in Europe

US-based mobile ticketing and venue management technology provider VenueNext has raised $15m (£12m/€13.5m) in Series B funding as it seeks expansion in Europe and new sectors.

VenueNext was originally spun out of the San Francisco 49ers NFL American football franchise’s Stadium Technology group in 2013 and has since signed deals to provide its services to a series of major North American sport and event venues.

VenueNext this week announced in a statement that The SAP Center, the San Jose Sharks NHL ice hockey team’s arena, had joined the likes of the New York Yankees’ Yankee Stadium, the Churchill Downs racetrack, and the homes of NFL teams Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys in using its technology.

VenueNext apps allow patrons to wave their mobile tickets at the gate to get into a game or concert, order food, drinks or merchandise to be delivered to their seats, and get information and amenities that they need when they are in the venue.

“In a venue, we want to improve your guest or fan experience, through your smartphone. For the venue operators, we’re helping them improve their business through real time data that we collect about who is in the building and what they are doing during an event or their visit,” John Paul, VenueNext’s founder, told the TechCrunch website.

Paul also told TechCrunch that VenueNext technology is being adopted by hotels and hospitals, and that the company is now seeking partnerships outside North America.

Causeway Media Partners led the Series B round, joined by food service giants Compass Group and Sharks Sports & Entertainment, along with other unnamed investors. In 2015, the company raised $9m through a Series A round.

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