It’s fair to say that tennis star Andy Murray is not known as an orator. Like most sports stars, he prefers to do his talking in his chosen arena, notably Wimbledon, or the Stade Roland Garros.
So it gave us a wry smile when we received an announcement from Seedrs, the London-based equity crowdfunding platform, saying that it had entered into a long-term partnership arrangement with the tennis champion.
Murray imparted these wise words: “I’ve always been interested in investment, and being able to get involved in an innovative way to help support British startups really appealed to me. Equally as important was working with people I trusted and who fully understood the huge responsibility of handling people’s money. I’m looking forward to working with Seedrs and the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.”
Right. Well, er, that has an authentic ring to it. The corporate PR who came up with that quote must have fought back the temptation to lob in a few tennis phrases, such as Murray serving an investment ace, or smacking a cross court start-up volley.
Still, respect has to go to Seedrs who really have played a fine game, enticing Murray into the court of crowdfunding.
Fair play to Seedrs as Andy Murray signs-up
The top British tennis player (until Scottish Independence of course) is joining the Seedrs Advisory Board to provide advice on businesses with interests in the health, sports and wearable technology sectors.
But if you’re thinking about asking Andy a question about your forehand, in a talk about your tech portfolio, the official statement puts a stop to that: “Andy will not be offering advice to individual investors or recommending specific campaigns.”
The statement also adds that Andy will be spending some of his hard earnt winnings via Seedrs: “He will also be investing regularly in startups and other early-stage businesses through Seedrs and helping Seedrs to grow its brand in the UK and internationally.”
Quite a coup for Seedrs then. CEO and co-founder Jeff Lynn, who hopefully wrote his own quote, said: “Andy Murray is the perfect partner for Seedrs as we drive our growth to the next level. In many ways, he represents the exact combination of qualities that entrepreneurs need to be successful: determination, focus, integrity and skill. We are particularly looking forward to working with him as a member of our Advisory Board: we believe he can bring a different perspective into certain aspects of the early-stage business community in the health, sport and wearable technology spaces, and we look forward to his input and support.”
So there you are. What’s the betting that Wimbledon will be well attended by Seedrs personnel this year?
