Industry News

TickX set for ‘rapid expansion’

TickX is aiming to become the Skyscanner of the ticketing world as its £3m Series A funding round draws to a close.

The Manchester-based discovery platform, which currently has a presence in the UK, Ireland and Spain, will accelerate its push into Europe in 2018.

The funding round, led by venture capitalists BGF Ventures, will support TickX’s push into the Netherlands, France and Germany, before rapidly expanding further afield.

Steve Pearce (pictured left), chief executive of TickX, told TheTicketingBusiness: “Why we’re so excited in what we’re building is that there’s a billion-pound aggregator for almost all other industries, such as Skyscanner and Kayak for travel, but no one is providing that for events right now.

“TickX adds value at local and global levels as we’re able to track more than just bands, comedians, sports events, theatre productions and soon to be cinema – we also alert fans about price drops or new shows that they would be interested in.”

TickX Team - Manchester HQ

TickX currently allows customers to find and buy tickets for more than 125,000 events and attractions from all the major ticket-selling platforms, including Ticketmaster, Headout and Skiddle, in one place.

The BGF Ventures-led investment will also support the firm as it invests further in innovative technologies, such as its recently launched Chatbot for event ticketing and 3D seating maps for theatres.

The £3m ($4.1m/€3.4m) in funding will also be put towards TickX launching its cinema ticketing service, as it moves towards an all-encompassing event ticketing model.

Pearce said: “Over one million event-goers last year discovered that TickX is the only place they need to go to discover experiences and buy the best tickets.

“Now, our focus is firmly on international expansion and leading innovation in the multi-billion pound global experience market. The new funding from BGF Ventures and our other fantastic investors will drive us towards becoming the go-to destination for experience-lovers across the world.”

TickX also told TheTicketingBusiness that as it continues to innovate in the entertainment industry, it is powering search and comparison for major global partners, which will be officially announced in due course.

The company will be using its funding to grow its Manchester-based team to 35 to support its upcoming rapid expansion.

George Mills of BGF Ventures, said: “We are both proud and excited to be backing Steve, Sam and the whole of the TickX team.

“We’ve been seriously impressed by their ambition and pace in building the company, and we’re confident that TickX will continue to expand and reach their goal of becoming the global go-to platform for discovering experiences.”

TickX are confirmed in attendance at TheTicketingBusiness Forum in Manchester on 17-18 April.

Images: TickX