Festival operator Vision Nine raises £5m through EIS scheme

Ingenious leads funding initiative for Lovebox and Global Gathering-affiliated directors 

Festival and event operator Vision Nine has raised £5 million through a fundraising initiative led by independent investor Ingenious.

The funds will be put towards expanding the business’s event and media offering – including sporting festivals Boardmasters and The Freeze Festival.

Vision Nine founders Julian and Andrew Topman will be leading the expansion – along with former MAMA Group founders Adam Driscoll and Philip Murphy. Paul Bedford from Ingenious will also join as group finance director.

Between them the five have experience of turning live events and festivals into established brands. They have worked on top-line events including Lovebox and The Great Escape.

The funding, which comes via the government-backed Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), will help the company continue its development as a leading independent, multi-faceted festival and events company.

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Corporate events clients serviced by the clients also include Coca Cola and EE.

Vision Nine co-CEO Adam Driscoll commented that the live entertainment sector is in “an exciting phase of development”.

“The boom in live music has led to audiences seeking ever more engagement with live experiences,” he continued.

“This new funding will allow us to take our IP into international markets, as well as helping us to capitalize on the many opportunities that are available to us.  We are aiming to deliver substantial growth in the next few years.”

Ingenious senior investment director Paul Bedford added that the company’s live events team has “invested over £100 million into the live sector on behalf of our clients”.

“Vision Nine represents a very exciting opportunity for investors – a great brand and an impressive team with massive potential. We are delighted to add our proven experience of structuring, promoting and managing investment opportunities across the entertainment industry,” he added.

Further reading: FieldCandy’s crowdfunding campaign looks to capitalise on ‘festival fever’

Praseeda Nair

Praseeda Nair

Praseeda was Editor for GrowthBusiness.co.uk from 2016 to 2018.

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Early Stage Funding