GigPig, a Northern hospitality tech start-up, has secured a seven-figure pre-seed investment as it launches its new gig booking and management platform.
The company will use the investment to build a sales and customer service team in a bid to expand its reach and service for both its business clients and musicians.
GigPig allows hospitality venues to book musicians directly, removing third party involvement and plugs into the venue’s operations, finance and marketing departments. The company is currently working with the likes of venues including Mission Mars, Arc Inspirations, Crazy Pedros, STACK, Apartment Group, NQ64 and Ramona.
Musicians are also able to manage their own live dates through the use of integrated calendar systems and automatic accountancy tools to handle invoicing and payment.
GigPig was founded by four entrepreneurs across Newcastle and Manchester, Michael Forster, Andrew Garner, Kit Muir-Rogers and Ed Francis, who share a combined passion for music and hospitality. The online platform has been developed with both musicians and venues in mind, creating a portal that increases opportunities for both parties.
Michael Forster, co-founder and CEO of GigPig, began his career in the music industry over 30 years ago when he founded AMV Live Music with fellow GigPig co-founder Andrew Garner in 2010.
Michael Forster said: “The idea of GigPig came around when one of our large multi-venue clients enquired about bringing their bookings in-house and essentially licensed our existing bespoke booking platform. We were hesitant at first, but we soon began to see an opportunity of removing a booking agent as a third party and allowing venues to directly book musicians.
“We were disruptors back in the day with AMV and with this investment we can build a highly effective sales and customer service team to do that again with GigPig.”
Kit Muir-Rogers added: “We’re seeing a dramatic rise in venues looking at events such as live music to increase guest footfall, encourage dwell time and heighten guest experience. We want to simplify and support the return to trade by demystifying this process for our users, by challenging the way entertainment is booked in the on-trade throughout the UK. I’m incredibly proud to support artists in finding increased opportunities in their area and encouraging them to have full autonomy in the way they are booked for gigs.”
