Football fan written website FTBpro Ltd. has raised $18 million from current investors Battery Ventures and Gemini Israel Ventures and new investors, London-based Dawn Capital and a major Asian media company. The company will use the proceeds to expand into Asia and open offices there to cater to the region's 1 billion football fans, and to expand its mobile and video offerings.
FTBpro was founded in 2011 by CEO Asaf Peled. It is headquartered in London and has offices in Tel Aviv. In the past two years it has established a base in the European, North and South American football markets, and raised $24 million to date, including the current round.
FTBpro's content is written by thousands of regular contributors providing hundreds of daily articles in seven different languages. It has more 100 million page views and millions of active monthly users on the internet, mobile, and social networks, and has chalked 50% quarterly growth. The company has commercial deals with the League Managers' Association and the Professional Footballers' Association in England, and has secured the naming rights for the Fan Player of the Month and Year Awards for the 2013/14 season. The company's content features regularly on "MSN", "Huffington Post", "GQ", "London 24", "Manchester Evening News", and other outlets.
"This new investment will enable us to continue to enhance our offering and expand our global presence. We are proud to be considered the only truly global media platform in online football, and this investment, coupled with the planned expansion into new markets, will further cement that position," said Peled.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 30, 2014
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