Mercia Asset Management PLC

("Mercia", the "Group" or the "Company")

Soccer Manager secures significant new licences

Mercia Asset Management PLC (AIM: MERC), the proactive, regionally focused specialist asset manager with c.£940million of assets under management, is pleased to note that its direct portfolio company Soccer Manager Limited ("Soccer Manager") has signed several high-profile licences, giving it access to rich content for its mobile games. These include top European football club Inter Milan, Premier League team Wolverhampton Wanderers and teams from the Scottish Premiership. In addition to these, Soccer Manager has also been granted player likenesses rights from the Federation Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnel ("FIFPro"), the global representative of professional footballers.

These licence deals follow the highly successful launch of Soccer Manager's latest game in the Soccer Manager series, Soccer Manager 2022 ("SM22"), in October 2021. SM22 has been well received by the gaming community and it is expected to emulate the success of last year's edition, which resulted in significantly increased revenues.

Soccer Manager's games are played in 234 countries around the world, having been downloaded by more than 50 million players, with more than one million active monthly users.

Mercia currently holds a 39.0% fully diluted stake in Soccer Manager with a further 7.6% held by Mercia's managed EIS funds. 

Julian Viggars, CIO of Mercia Asset Management PLC, said: "Since the beginning of the pandemic, Soccer Manager has maintained its strong growth, and this is expected to be further boosted by these new licence deals, with the licence granted by FIFPro of particular significance. Soccer Manager is one of a number of Mercia portfolio companies that we believe demonstrate the potential for UK-based developers to capitalise on the growing multi-billion pound global video gaming market. The progress that Soccer Manager is making is also testament to Mercia's 'Complete Connected Capital' investment model which supports thriving regional businesses with the right capital at the right time to help accelerate their growth."

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About Mercia Asset Management PLC

Mercia is a proactive, specialist asset manager focused on supporting regional SMEs to achieve their growth aspirations. Mercia provides capital across its four asset classes of balance sheet, venture, private equity and debt capital: the Group's 'Complete Connected Capital'. The Group initially nurtures businesses via its third-party funds under management, then over time Mercia can provide further funding to the most promising companies, by deploying direct investment follow-on capital from its own balance sheet.

The Group has a strong UK footprint through its regional offices, 19 university partnerships and extensive personal networks, providing it with access to high-quality deal flow. Mercia currently has c.£940million of assets under management and, since its IPO in December 2014, has invested c.£111million gross into its direct investment portfolio.

Mercia Asset Management PLC is quoted on AIM with the EPIC "MERC".