Interesting post from Thom ( The Lottery Winners ). Great esposure for the guys when they had off to OZ & NZ with Robbie

Music is one of the UK’s greatest exports. It travels further than we ever could, puts our towns and cities on maps all over the world and has been part of this country’s identity for generations.

But behind all of that, it’s an industry that is becoming increasingly difficult to survive in.

Making records, touring, travelling, taking British music out into the world - it all costs more than ever, and for emerging artists, the gap between having the ambition and actually being able to afford it can be enormous.

That’s why support like this matters so much.

A wholehearted thank you to @bpi_music and the MEGS panel for believing in us. It genuinely means the world to us, literally.

We know what an opportunity this is, and we won’t waste it.

We won’t let you down. Let us know in the comments where you want to see us play! ♥️

See video in link below

https://www.instagram.com/thelotterywinners/?e=c7bfdb18-c11c-4852-be86-2307f7e88f86&g=5

Source https://www.youtube.com/@meinschiff

Robbie Williams-backed ticketing start-up lands £3.9m investment

Tickets for Good is hoping to grow internationally, with jobs due to be created in its native Sheffield

(Image: Simon Greener/Newcastle Chronicle)

A start-up that counts Robbie Williams among its early investors has raised £3.9m towards its international expansion.

Sheffield-based Tickets for Good distributes surplus tickets donated by event partners to NHS workers, teachers, charity staff and people receiving Cost of Living support. Recipients sign up for free then pay a nominal transaction fee for each ticket.

The four year-old business was launched by serial entrepreneur and creative industries promoter Steve Rimmer alongside fellow music lover Neville Mosey who died in 2023, aged 37. Robbie Williams is an ambassador for the company, along with former Dutch international goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar and music entrepreneur Hans Brouwer.

Now it has secured funding from NPIF II – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia Ventures as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II), alongside Shaping Impact Group (SI3), Finance Yorkshire, Leansquare and private investors. The funds will help create 10 new jobs in Sheffield over the next three years.

That will come as Tickets for Good targets international markets. With almost 750,000 verified members globally and having distributed more than 1.25 million tickets, the start-up entered into the US in 2023 when it was accepted onto the Comcast SportsTech accelerator in St Louis and now also has operations in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

Steve Rimmer, CEO and co-founder, said: “Tickets for Good was built on a simple belief that live events should be available to everyone, especially the people who give so much to our communities. This investment is a huge vote of confidence in our team, our partners and the impact we're creating.

It will help us grow internationally, create skilled jobs in Sheffield and connect many more people with live events. Neville and I started this with a shared love of music and the belief that unused tickets could do something good. Today, that idea has helped more than a million people experience live events they might otherwise have missed, and we're only just getting started.”

Chris Borrett, investment director at Mercia Ventures, added: “Demand for live experiences has never been stronger, however rising ticket prices are creating barriers to access for many consumers, while venues and promoters increasingly recognise the value of full attendance and engaged fans. Tickets for Good has created a powerful solution that aligns these interests. We believe the business has the potential to become a category-defining platform within the global live entertainment market.”

Dave Dirks, managing partner at Shaping Impact, said: “Tickets for Good is a strong example of the kind of company we want to support: commercially ambitious, highly scalable and built around a clear social purpose. By making live events more accessible to people who too often face barriers to participation, the company is creating meaningful impact in a sector with enormous cultural and social value. We are excited to support the team in this next phase of growth.”

Alex McWhirter, CEO of Finance Yorkshire, said: “In a relatively short space of time, Tickets for Good has achieved significant growth and is now reaching an international audience with its socially driven consumer platform. Finance Yorkshire is pleased to support Tickets for Good in its ambitions to further expand, particularly in overseas markets, and the creation of additional jobs in Yorkshire is particularly welcome.”

Sarah Newbould, senior investment manager at the British Business Bank, said: “The North is home to some of the most exciting, fastest growing businesses that are driving a real impact in local communities. Through NPIF II, we’re ensuring they have the capital they need to scale at pace, with businesses like Tickets For Good combining social impact with highly-skilled job creation and international expansion. By backing these businesses, we’re building stronger regional ecosystems while boosting the ability of these businesses to compete on the world stage."

Henrietta Street Capital acted as fundraising adviser to Tickets for Good on the investment round. Craden provided financial due diligence support to Mercia.

Robbie Williams-backed ticketing start-up lands £3.9m investment | Business Live