TheFactory Sportstech Fund I represents a rare opportunity for investors to invest in the fastest growing industry, exploit diversity in their portfolio and be a part of the positive impact supporting health and well-being.
Welcome to
TheFactory Sportstech Fund
TheFactory Sportstech Fund I (TFSF) represents a unique investment opportunity to invest in qualified and thoroughly selected ideas in a fast-growing industry with a global reach, namely the sports industry.
Sportstech is the fastest-growing industry
Investments in Sportstech lead to innovations and disruptions reshaping the sports industry.
Diversification in your investment portfolio by investing beyond traditional industries.
Sports industry has a global reach through fan base, leagues and tournaments.
Business opportunities exist in Enhanced Fan Engagement, Sponsorship and Branding, Data Analytics and League and Club administration.
Contribute to health, recovery, talent and well-being.
-
We are a founder friendly Venture Capital investor with a primary focus on early-stage tech companies.
-
We invest in the best founders with great ambitions, following our investment method HERO+ and CORE+
HERO+High Growth Potential, Executing Power, Reaction of the Market and Opportunity Size.
CORE+
Commercial Criteria, Opportunity Size, Reaction of the Market and Executing Power.
-
Meet expert advisorsPrepare for expansion
Join our community of talents
Access global network and capital
-
-
It all started in 2015…
TheFactory was founded in 2015 as an accelerator and incubator, with the first accelerator program in 2016. The mission was at the time to accelerate and to invest in Nordic early-stage fintech and insurtech startups. Even though fintech accounted for over 11% of total capital invested in the Nordics in 2016, there was not a fintech oriented accelerator programs in Norway.
TheFactory Accelerator positioned itself as the first Norwegian fintech accelerator that ran a 3-months program where startups received pre-seed funding, thorough startup methodology training, help from a pool of experienced mentors, and had a unique opportunity to meet key corporate players from the financial industry.
In 2017 TheFactory Accelerator was awarded “The Best Accelerator Program in Norway” by Nordic Startup Awards. In 2019, TheFactory received the same award - not only for Norway - but was awarded Best Accelerator / Incubator Program in Nordics” by Nordic Startup Awards, and will in 2020 compete against similar programs from other parts of the world in Global Startup Awards.
In addition to that, TheFactory’s CEO Ingar S. Bentsen was awarded “Ecosystem Hero of 2019” for his contribution and efforts to the Norwegian entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Who are TheFactory Angels? TheFactory Angels, formerly known as FintechAngels, are a group of private investors with an appetite for fintech and proptech startups. By joining forces with an investment company to invest in the best fintech and proptech companies that come through TheFactory's accelerator programs.
For each accelerator program, a new investment company (ie TheFactory Angels I - VII) will be set up to which external investors are invited to participate. The investment companies are managed by TheFactory AS - the company behind TheFactory Accelerator & Incubator. TheFactory AS has a 22.5% ownership interest in the respective investment companies.
Investors in TheFactory Angels are angel and early-stage investors who share a common goal of helping entrepreneurs and startups accelerate forward, while making good, value-adding investments. So far, 60+ investors have invested in TheFactory Angels companies!
In later years we have established AIF registered fund TheFactory Norway Fund and TheFactory Sportstech Fund .
-
💥 3 exits
🚀 Accelerated 500 + startups in total
🪙 Invested in 56 + startups
😇 200+ Investor network
💡250+ mentors and experts
-
Access high-growth companies early and leverage on valuation creation
Contact us here to get more information about the investment opportunities and get access to relevant Information Memorandum and investment documents.
Or contact someone in the Management Team +
-
Past performance is no guarantee of future performance.
The value of your investment and any income from it may go down as well as up and you may not get back the amount invested. This is because the share price is determined by the changing conditions in the relevant stockmarkets in which the Company invests and by the supply and demand for the Company’s shares.
As the shares in an investment trust are traded on a stock market, the share price will fluctuate in accordance with supply and demand and may not reflect the underlying net asset value of the shares; where the share price is less than the underlying value of the assets, the difference is known as the ‘discount’. For these reasons, investors may not get back the original amount invested.
Although the Company’s financial statements and other data are denominated in sterling, it may invest in stocks and shares that are denominated in currencies other than sterling and to the extent they do so, they may be affected by movements in exchange rates. As a result, the value of your investment may rise or fall with movements in exchange rates.
Investors should note that tax rates and reliefs may change at any time in the future.
-
TheFactory is an early stage venture capital investors focusing on trending markets.
We invest in pre-seed and seed stage in fast growing Saas businesses that are disrupting traditional sectors.
TheFactory is an active investor giving businesses access to patient funding and support, and giving investors access to a largely privately held investment sector via a range of investment vehicles.
Use the tabs below to navigate to each sub-section.
The content in this section is attributable to the TheFactory Asset Management prospectus.
-
To deliver our vision our comapny structure is as follows:
TheFactory Group is the mother company for:
TheFactory Asset Management is responsible for the investments and fund management.
TheFactory Academy is responsible for accelerator programs.
TheFactory Growth provides counseling services
TheFactory Accounting provides accounting services
-
The Company’s investment objective is to generate capital growth over long term through investment in early stage SaaS businesses based predominantly in Norway and the wider Nordic.
Investment policy
In order to achieve its investment objective, the Company invests in pre-seed and seed investments in unquoted startups. The Company intends to realise value through exiting the investments over time.
The Company seeks exposure to early stage businesses which are high growth, with scalable opportunities, and have disruptive technologies in our focus markets fintech, porptech, retailtech, impact and sportstech.
Investments are expected to be mainly in the form of equity and equity-related instruments issued by portfolio companies, although investments may be made by way of convertible debt instruments. The Company intends to invest in unquoted companies and will ensure that the Company has suitable investor protection rights where appropriate. The Company may also invest in partnerships, limited liability partnerships and other legal forms of entity. The Company will not invest in publicly traded companies. However, portfolio companies may seek initial public offerings from time to time, in which case the Company may continue to hold such investments without restriction.
The Company may acquire investments directly or by way of holdings in special purpose vehicles or intermediate holding entities (such as the Partnership).
The Management Team has historically taken a board or observer position on investee companies and, where in the best interests of the Company, will do so in relation to future investee companies.
The Company’s portfolio is expected to be diversified across a number of geographical areas predominantly within the Norway and wider Nordic and the Company will at all times invest and manage the portfolio in a manner consistent with spreading investment risk.
The Management Team will actively manage the portfolio to maximise returns, including helping to scale the team, refining and driving key performance indicators, stimulating growth, and positively influencing future financing and exits.
Investment restrictions
The Company will invest and manage its assets with the object of spreading risk through the following investment restrictions:
The value of no single investment (including related investments in group entities or related parties) will represent more than 15 per cent. of Net Asset Value, save that one investment in the portfolio may represent up to 20% of NAV;
The aggregate value of pre-seed stage investments will represent no more than 25 per cent. of Net Asset Value; and
At least 80 per cent of Net Asset Value will be invested in seed.
Each of the restrictions above will be calculated at the time of investment and disregard the effect of the receipt of rights, bonuses, benefits in the nature of capital or by reason of any other action affecting every holder of that investment. The Company will not be required to dispose of any investment or to rebalance the portfolio as a result of a change in the respective valuations of its assets.
For the purposes of the investment policy, “NAV” means the consolidated assets of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries (together “the Group”) less their consolidated liabilities, determined in accordance with the accounting principles adopted by the Group from time to time.
Hedging and derivatives
Save for investments made using equity-related instruments as described above, the Company will not employ derivatives of any kind for investment purposes. Derivatives will not be used for currency hedging purposes.
Borrowing policy
The Company will not use borrowing to manage its working capital requirements nor borrowing for investment purposes.
Cash management
The Company may hold cash on deposit and may invest in cash equivalent investments, which may include short-term investments in money market type funds and tradeable debt securities. There is no restriction on the amount of cash or cash equivalent investments that the Company may hold or where it is held. The Board has agreed prudent cash management guidelines with the AIFM to ensure an appropriate risk / return profile is maintained. Cash and cash equivalents are held with approved counterparties, and in line with prudent cash management guidelines, agreed with the Board, AIFM and Portfolio Manager. It is expected that the Company will hold between 5 and 15 per cent. of its Gross Assets in cash or cash equivalent investments, for the purpose of making follow-on investments in accordance with the Company’s investment policy and to manage the working capital requirements of the Company.
Changes to the investment policy
No material change will be made to the investment policy without the approval Board of directors of TheFactory Asset Management AS. In the event of a breach of the investment policy set out above and the investment and gearing restrictions set out therein, the Management Team shall inform the AIFM and the Board upon becoming aware of the same and if the AIFM and/or the Board considers the breach to be material, notification will be made to a Regulatory Information Service.
-
In order to capitalise on the significant market opportunity, TheFactory believes its investment strategy should not be one dimensional. Therefore the Company invests in four different areas of opportunity:
Pre-seed
TheFactory has extensive scouts searching for early-stage fast-growing businesses in the sectors before valuations inflate.
Seed
This is where the Company sees the greatest opportunities to co-invest with the best and in the best cases, hence derisk portfolio.
Secondary
TheFactory’s fund structure allows it to sell in the secondary to realize returns.
TheFactory investments, typically:
Secure a significant minority stake with board participation and rights in portfolio companies;
Allow the Company to participate in later follow-on funding rounds in order to minimise any dilution where possible; and
TheFactory is an active investor and believes resolutely in adding value to its portfolio companies. The Company takes an active non-executive role in its companies and works hard to exert positive influence while still maintaining the distance necessary to keep perspective of the greater goal of value enhancement. There are number of key areas where the Company believes it can have most impact:
Helping scale the Management Team
Refining and driving the key performance indicators
Organic growth and acquisition
Business development and market entry
Managing underperformance
Investment exit review
-
TheFactory Asset Management AS will act as the Company’s alternative investment fund manager for the purposes of the AIFM Rules.
The AIFM will also be responsible for providing administrative, company secretarial and marketing services to the Company. These will include general fund administration services (including calculation of the NAV based on the data provided by the Portfolio Manager, bookkeeping and accounts preparation.
The AIFM is authorised and regulated in Norway by the Norwegian Finacial Supervisor Authority.
-
The portfolio is managed by TheFactory Asset Management AS, a specialist fund management and advisory business whose experienced and entrepreneurial management team has a strong track record in early stage venture capital. The management is based in Norway and is authorised and regulated in the Norway by the Norwegian Finacial Supervisor Authority.
The Company leverages the management’s years of experience, expertise and networks in the sectors to drive value creation in its investee companies.
In addition, the management consults with an advisory panel of expertise.
-
Audit Committee – Terms of Reference
Composition of the Committee
The Committee is determined as it is stated in the information memorandum of the particular Venture Capital fund. Usually, the committee will be comprised of three or more independent non-executive Directors appointed by the Board. Alternatively, the committee in teh fund also will be the board of directors. To the extent practicable, at least one member of the Committee should have recent and relevant financial experience ideally with a professional qualification from one of the professional accountancy bodies.
Meetings
The board of directors will meet at least twice each year, to review the drafts of the annual and half-year reports of the Company, for audit planning purposes and at such other times as may be required.
The Secretary shall minute the proceedings and resolutions of all Committee meetings, including the names of those present and in attendance. The draft minutes of each meeting of the Committee shall be circulated to all members of the Committee and, once agreed by the Committee, will be circulated to all other members of the Board.
Financial Reporting
The Committee or BOD shall:
(i) where requested, provide advice to the Board on whether the annual report and Accounts, taken as a whole, is fair, balanced and understandable and provides the information necessary for shareholders to assess the company’s position and performance, business model and strategy;
(ii) review the significant financial reporting issues and judgements made in connection with the preparation of the Company’s financial statements, announcements of results and related formal statements
(iii) consider significant accounting policies and whether the polices adopted are appropriate, any changes to them and any significant estimates and judgements;
(iv) review the adequacy and scope of the external audit, compliance with regulatory and financial reporting requirements, the clarity and completeness of disclosures in the financial statements and consider whether the disclosures made are set properly in context;
(v) satisfy itself that the annual and half-year reports and any other significant published financial information are properly and carefully prepared and give a fair representation of the Company’s affairs;
(vi) seek clarification from the Administrator of any changes in accounting policy or treatment affecting the Company’s report and accounts;
(vii) review related information presented with the financial statements, including the operating and financial review, and corporate governance statements relating to the audit and to risk management; and
(viii) where board approval is required for other statements containing financial information (for example, summary financial statements, significant financial returns to regulators and release of price sensitive information), whenever practicable the Committee or BOD shall review such statements first.
Principal Service Providers and Auditors are specified on a fund level