PickGuru, a new social gaming platform launched by the co-founder of Stats Perform, is set to change how sports fans engage with prediction games. Backed by £2.6m (€3.1m/$3.5m) in seed funding from several angel investors, the platform allows users to challenge their friends in various sports prediction games, participate in mini leagues, and compete for cash prizes. Players will place small stakes on their predictions, with dynamic leaderboards that update as games unfold, rewarding participants with prizes.
The platform, which secured a £6m pre-money valuation, attracted notable angel investors, including a former communications director at Paddy Power, Global Cycling Network founder Simon Wear, and Oliver and Alexander Kent-Braham, founders of the unicorn Marshmallow. Will Neale, founder of Grabyo, also joined the funding round.
In the leadership team, Slipper will assume the role of chairman, joined by Paul Cobley, founder of Matulo Software, and Paul Watkins, who previously served as the financial planning and analysis director at Stats Perform. Additional contributors include Jon Owen and Jon Youell, founders of Pitch International, and Adam Perrin, co-founder of Masomo Games and former brand director at Paddy Power.
To support its growth, PickGuru is looking to fill ten roles across development, compliance, and marketing, with plans to recruit an additional twenty employees over the next year. The platform aims to launch in early 2022.
“Following months of hard graft and huge investment, we’re proud to be building the first UK-focused platform that uniquely combines elements of fantasy sports, gaming, and live action, and strongly believe users will love the result,” Slipper stated. He added, “I’m delighted that some of the most successful sports entrepreneurs shared our vision and I thank them for backing our ambitious plans for the business.”
