The Pro Climbing League has raised £3.2m from investors including Andy Murray and Alistair Brownlee's Redrice Ventures ahead of its first season next year.
Redrice Ventures, which counts Murray and Brownlee among its associate partners and was an early investor in British sportswear label Castore, is among those backing the venture. Further investors include Active Partners, which holds stakes in Rapha and Finisterre, and Accelerate Ventures, which has previously supported Seat Unique and Padel Social Club.
Proof-of-concept success
The fundraise follows a successful proof-of-concept event in Greenwich earlier this year, which drew some of the world's finest competitive climbers – among them British reigning Olympic champion Toby Roberts – and sold out within 24 hours.
"Climbing deserves a league worthy of the athletes, the audience and the culture. There are few sports with such committed and passionate fans," said PCL co-founder Danaan Markey, as reported by City AM.
"Climbing has been crying out for an easy-to-follow format with entertainment value, held in the cities where climbers actually live. London proved the appetite is there, and with our investors' backing we're excited to take PCL global and bring a new level of connection and competition to the sport."
Inaugural season and expansion plans
The Pro Climbing League is planning a three-date inaugural season running from January to March next year, with stops in Berlin, Paris and London. PCL organisers are plotting an expansion to five events by 2028, including at least one stateside, and will deploy their latest funding injection to scale up the operation.
Climbing is experiencing a significant surge in popularity. The sport made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 and boasts a thriving grassroots scene within a market valued at approximately £36bn and expanding at 15 to 20 per cent year-on-year.
"Indoor climbing has gone from a subculture to a global phenomenon, with mass participation, Olympic status and growing media recognition," said former Olympic champion triathlete Brownlee.
"I was at PCL's first London event, which sold out and brought world-class athletes together with global media distribution. Today's climbers don't just want to take part in their sport. They want to compete in it and watch it, and that's an audience with real commercial value. A league built for both the climbing community and its athletes is a hugely exciting prospect, and we're delighted to back Danaan and the team as they take it to the world stage."
