• £5m investment from Foresight VCT and Foresight 4 VCT
• 13^th investment made by the Foresight Private Equity team this year

Foresight Group LLP (“Foresight”) is pleased to announce a £5 million growth capital investment into Fourth Wall Creative Limited (“FWC” or “the Company”), a technology-led merchandising business servicing the football industry.

Based in Bromborough, Merseyside, FWC was founded in 2010 by CEO Anton Botes and Joe Moroney who identified the need for an improved service for design and sourcing of merchandise within the football market. Since then the business has established itself as a market leader in the design and fulfilment of branded merchandise for football clubs.

Using several proprietary software packages to automate the process of ordering and tracking products, FWC’s 360-degree solution saves its customers hours of administration that historically came with merchandise fulfilment.

Since winning its first football contract with Liverpool FC, the Company’s customer base has grown to include ten Premier League football clubs including Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as several Championship football clubs.

FWC has benefitted from the success of Premier League football clubs in Europe this season, assisting Liverpool FC organising and planning their Champions League victory parade.

The investment from Foresight will allow the Company to deliver significant growth within its existing markets and capitalise on clear opportunities in Europe, across other sports and in non-sporting organisations. The team also has plans to develop new products and software packages that will facilitate further growth.

In addition to its investment, Foresight has introduced Richard Styles, founder and former Chairman of Kitbag.com, as Non-Executive Chairman. Richard will use his extensive industry experience and contacts to support the Company’s growth over the coming years.

Commenting on the investment, David Miles, Investment Manager at Foresight said: “Fourth Wall Creative has grown rapidly in recent years due to its exceptional reputation in the football sector. Throughout the process we have been impressed by the team’s ambition and commitment to innovation and quality of service. We are very excited to partner with Anton and the team to support the Company in continuing on its impressive growth trajectory.”

Anton Botes, Founder and CEO of FWC added: “Fourth Wall Creative has grown rapidly over the past three years and we're delighted to have secured Foresight as our strategic partner to help us grow the business even further. We’ll continue to invest in our services and further develop our software offering to complement our awarding-winning creative team and innovative merchandise manufacturing. We’re excited about the future and will strive to remain the industry leader, providing 360-degree solutions and support to our customers within the beautiful game and beyond.”

Advisers on the deal included:

Legal advisers: RW Blears LLP and Simkins LLP

Financial due diligence: Dow Schofield Watts

Commercial due diligence: RPL Advisory

Management due diligence: Catalysis Advisory

Technology due diligence: Cloud Origin

Tax due diligence: Tax Advisory Partnership

Corporate Finance: EIS Solutions