Prematch closes pre-seed financing round

The Cologne-based company has raised a six-figure sum; the eight business angels are founders and investors from the German start-up scene.

The start-up Sorare is now worth 4.3 billion dollars, and its German counterpart Prematch is taking its cue from the French. And a first step has been taken, as the Cologne-based company has found investors for its pre-seed financing round. The sum is in the mid six-figure range.

The money comes from Roman Kirsch, founder of Casacanda and Amorelie, and Contorion founders Frederick Roehder and Tobias Tschötsch, who sold their company in 2019. Ralf Reichert, CEO of ESL Gaming, Nikolaus Glasmacher, manager of the sports section of the Bild newspaper, Ontruck founder Robert Ermich, Alex Luik and Nils Wilde, former university friends who founded Otto Wilde, and Christian Greb, co-founder of Precire, will also be there.

Since August of this year, the Cologne-based start-up has been offering its app, which is designed to provide friends of amateur soccer with all the information about their club. The start-up, founded by Niklas Brackmann, Fiete Grünter and Lukas Röhle, also works with gamification and the app contains a three-part offer. Prematch was part of the first cohort of the WHU Accelerator; founder Brackmann studied at the associated Otto Beisheim University School of Management.

For the three founders, Prematch's offering is a gap in the market, as the focus on professional soccer neglects all fans of small and local clubs from the 2nd league upwards. "Companies like Sorare are just the tip of the iceberg. Prematch is the next logical step," says investor Reichert, explaining his investment.