Dublin-based start-up Skippio has raised €540,000 in seed funding to bring its fan experience platform overseas.
The company was founded in 2022 by Daniel Coen and is headquartered at NovaUCD. Its platform aims to reduce the problem of long queues for food and drinks at large-scale events such as sports matches and concerts.
The investment round was led by private investors with additional support from Enterprise Ireland’s High-Potential Start-Up (HPSU) funding. The money will be used to expand into the UK market.
The start-up’s app allows users to order and pay for food and drinks from anywhere in a venue without having to join a queue. They then receive real-time updates of how their orders are progressing and can collect their order via an express lane.
Found and CEO Coen said the platform significantly reduces queue times, “ensuring fans spend more time enjoying the event” while increasing revenue for event operators due to a reduction in the number of people who drop out of queues in frustration.
“The funding will be used to expand our business into major UK venues and events, grow our team and continue to develop our application with the customer at the forefront. We are in addition looking at more challenges around the fan experience outside of [food and beverages] that we can also help to address.”
A former Start-up of the Week on SiliconRepublic.com, Skippio has had a successful run since it was founded. The company received the Best Pitch award at the Prep4Seed start-up awards in November 2023. The start-up has also successfully completed all three phases of the New Frontiers Programme funded by Enterprise Ireland.
Donnchadh Cullinan, head of ICT HPSU at Enterprise Ireland, said Skippio’s technology addresses a gap in the market, letting attendees enjoy an event rather than spending unnecessary time queuing.
“I want to congratulate the team at Skippio on its recent investment wins. Enterprise Ireland is proud to have provided support to Skippio during the early stage of its growth journey including via the pre-seed start fund and participation on the New Frontiers programme and now more recently as a high potential start-up.”
By Jenny Darmody of The Silicon Republic
