Tixserve to deliver growth as it enters talks with sport clubs
TIXSERVE, an interactive digital ticket delivery company based in Maynooth, Co Kildare, is in discussions with several sports stadiums and clubs looking to use its platform amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, including the FAI, Croke Park and Celtic Football Club.
The startup, which launched its product in 2017 and secured English rugby union stadium Twickenham as a client, is also close to securing business across mainland Europe in the live events industry, with the company targeting the Netherlands as a significant opportunity. It is also understood to be in talks with the Aviva Stadium, the Welsh Rugby Union and Scottish Rugby.
Patrick Kirby, a co-founder of Tixserve, said Covid-19 and the protocols that had subsequently been put in place had given the company and its digital tickets a considerable advantage over regular paper tickets.
“Initially, back in March, we were looking at our revenues stopping as live events were gone,” he said. “In the last month we have been inundated from client approaches contacting us about digital ways of getting into venues or stadiums.
“That is what is driving the demand at the moment,” he added. “We focus on the last mile, the actual delivery of the ticket. Once the ticket is sold on a website, which could be any platform, the ticket isn’t sent to a printer, it goes to our platform which is delivered securely into a wallet.”
Tixserve had also partnered with Irish company Clubspot as part of a deal with Cavan GAA.
Kirby said the number of live clients looking to work with Tixserve had gone from seven to more than 20 since the onset of Covid-19.
He said that Tixserve, which is backed by Zoosh Ventures, is also planning on securing further funding soon. Tixserve had already secured €1m of financing and is looking to raise an additional €500,000 in the short term.
“We took a while to realise that Covid-19 was actually accelerating the whole digital transformation of our industry,” said Kirby. “Once we understood that, it has become a pleasure to work with people who want to go in that direction. Our digital solution allows them to do that.”