Dutch Sport Tech Fund
invests in Piing

Dutch Sport Tech Fund invests in Piing, the company announced today. This UK scale-up enables visitors of sports matches and other events to participate live in large-scale games. Piing has increased engagement during matches of Ajax, Atletico Madrid, Euroleague Basketball, FIFA Women’s World Cup, Charlotte FC (MLS), and Manchester City FC. Companies such as Adidas and Telefónica use Piing to reach their target audience.

Piing wants to get fans moving at the world’s biggest events. Gareth Langley, CEO of Piing: “People are social animals by nature. We are happiest when we do things together, when we enjoy a performance or an exciting match with others. Because of our smartphones, we are making less real contact. With Piing, we want to change that. We create games that bring people together in a shared experience and create ‘wow!’ moments that connect the entire stadium. At the same time, we offer clubs, stadiums, and advertisers a unique advertising opportunity.”

The founders of Piing developed a game five years ago that can be used by up to 100,000 people simultaneously, making it easier for visitors to interact during corporate events. During a Manchester City hackathon, the founders discovered that their games work even better in a packed stadium.

Langley: “Thousands of fans are shown advertisements during halftime that hardly interest them. Piing makes it possible to engage visitors with a fun game that everyone plays at the same time, including fans at home. These games can be sponsored by companies, who have the opportunity to collect personal data (via opt-in) through offers and promotions. And clubs or stadiums gain an additional revenue stream. Advertising with Piing is very effective, as companies learn a lot about the event visitor. It’s really a win-win-win situation, because the fan, the club or stadium, and the advertiser all benefit from our solution.”

The circle is now complete, as Manchester City is one of the companies using Piing. Up to 100,000 fans can participate in the same game at the same time. The company has twice broken the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest online quiz.

Piing is using the investment from Dutch Sport Tech Fund to expand its team, including hiring a commercial director and several developers. The company will also develop games for rugby, basketball, American football, and cricket, aiming to enter the American and Indian markets.

“Dutch Sport Tech Fund is not only helping us with an investment,” says Langley. “The connections the fund can make, the experience they have with different sectors, and the synergy benefits possible with other portfolio companies are all very valuable. We have been in contact for almost two years now, and I have come to appreciate the expertise and honesty of Alexander and the team.”

Alexander Janssen, CEO of Dutch Sport Tech Fund: “Piing connects people in both the real and digital worlds, thus creating fan engagement both inside and outside the stadium. The company responds to trends such as gamification, entertainment, competition, and participation instead of just watching. That’s why we see a lot of potential in this scale-up and look forward to helping the company grow further. We also see great synergy opportunities with our existing portfolio companies.”