Football digital platform provider nets £775k investment
Manchester-based football digital platform provider, The Coaching Manual, has secured a £775,000 investment from NPIF-Maven Equity Finance, part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund managed by Maven Capital Partners, and a consortium of investors led by ex-England and former Manchester City defender Danny Mills.
The company was founded by brothers Terry and Chris Barton who identified the lack of expertly curated and accessible football coaching material to players, coaches and parents in grassroots football.
The company set out to transform the way coaching is delivered by producing an interactive, digital platform using cutting-edge software tools to help deliver its best-in-class coaching material developed alongside world-renowned football academies.
Its innovative product offering has proven successful in the UK through all levels of coaching, from grassroots to elite level, and it has been adopted by a number of leading Premier League and Championship clubs.
The company has also focused on the large and growing US market where it has been endorsed by a number of state associations and multi-state football clubs.
Having secured the funding, The Coaching Manual is well-positioned to continue with its expansion in the UK and US having held advanced talks with a large number of football clubs, football associations and state associations.
The Coaching Manual co-founder, Terry Barton, said: “The management team is delighted to announce that the investment into The Coaching Manual has completed.
“This gives us the ability to deliver incredible coach education across multiple digital platforms.
“The backing and Investment from Maven, and especially Danny Mills with his industry knowledge, further validates the opportunity that we have in front of us to make football better globally.”
Co-investor Danny Mills added: “When I was introduced to The Coaching Manual I instantly realised that it was a fantastic opportunity.
“My passion for football and business aligned with helping grassroots coaches and making football better for kids of all abilities and ages got me excited.
“When I saw what the management team had created I couldn’t wait to get involved. This could really help change the foundations of football.”
The investment was led for NPIF-Maven Equity Finance by Dave Furlong, who added: “We are excited by the wide range of opportunities that stand before the business.
“The Bartons have built a truly differentiated platform, thoroughly addressing the needs of coaches and players alike across the growing global football community.
“We look forward to working with the team, together with the incoming private investors, towards achieving the company’s goals.”
Andy Haigh and Juel Chowdhury of BHP Corporate Finance acted as lead advisor on the transaction.
Legal advisors were Gateley Plc (Sandip Khroud and Tamanna Keir); Hill Dickinson (David Mkhitarian and Sean Lightfoot); and Clarion (Jonathan Simms and Sarah Harrison).
