Swansea spinouts score with Swansea City

Shareholders in Swansea’s football team Swansea City have revealed plans to co-invest alongside Swansea University Innovation Fund (SUIF), the institution’s recently launched university venturing fund.

The two shareholders, Martin Morgan and Brian Katzen, will provide a mixture of equity and debt investments alongside SUIF through investment vehicle Swansea Ventures which will provide up to £50,000 ($75,740) per spinout company.

The two shareholders purchased Swansea City in 2002, at the time besieged by debt, for £20,001. In the years since, the team has seen their fortunes change drastically, finishing 8^th in the Premier League last season while bringing in £98m in revenues.

SUIF launched in August, and offers both proof-of-concept funding of up to £5,000, and early-stage funding worth up to £50,000 per spinout.

Gerry Ronan, head of Swansea’s technology transfer office Swansea Innovations, said: “With their wealth of experience amassed over many successful years in industry, Brian and Martin have a huge amount to offer many of our spinout businesses and we very much look forward to having them on board as we continue to accelerate our commercialisation activities.”

Brian Katzen added: “Martin and I have always discussed starting up  new businesses together to give something back to the local community, and what better place to start that journey than in Swansea!  Operating in tandem with Swansea University, we will be able to combine our resources and knowledge to provide a unique approach to helping aspiring entrepreneurs obtain the skills needed to create and build their own business ventures.”