The AIB Seed Capital Fund, co-managed by Enterprise Equity Venture Capital, has completed an equity investment in Dublin based digital start-up Huggity.
The €600,000 investment from AIB Seed Capital Fund and Enterprise Ireland will fast track Huggity’s international scaling strategy and lead to 16 new sales support and relationship management positions in the Dublin headquarters.
Established in 2011, Huggity allows fans to relive the joy and excitement of their favourite sporting and music events. Huggity’s core product is FanPic which is a giant 360º panoramic, multibillion pixel crowd image that allows brands and sponsors to engage directly with their audience at sporting events and concerts, through social media platforms. Once a FanPic is posted online, users can zoom into the crowd photo to find themselves and their friends. They can then share a branded message with friends and family on Facebook, Twitter or e-mail through a tagging feature. The branded interface and Facebook stories let brands connect with the fan experience and extend brand exposure beyond the event.
Since the company’s launch, Huggity has worked at high profile events and with brands including Euro 2012 Fanzone and the Euro 2016 Qualifiers, as well as with brands such as Manchester United, Liverpool FC, the Football Association of Ireland, the Irish Rugby Football Union, Aviva, Chevrolet, Royal Bank of Scotland, MTV, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, Swatch, and the Qatar Foundation.
Currently employing a staff of 6, which will grow to 22 by the end of 2013, the company has now started selling through partners in the US, Brazil, Australia, Norway, Poland, Turkey, and Belgium, and is also in discussions with a reseller in India. The new positions within Huggity will focus on business development, customer support, marketing and development of new products.
Mike Sikorski, CEO, Huggity (pictured), said: The objective behind Huggity is to combine our photography, technology and marketing skills with our love of sport and music to create a positive experience for fans and a powerful engagement tool for brands, venues and artists."
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