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Strattam Capital invests in data management’s SSB, targets analytics market

Austin, Texas-based private equity firm Strattam Capital has made a majority investment in data management company SSB, whose sports clients include the NFL, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference.

 

SSB, founded a decade ago, is one of the early tech companies that cultivated data analytics into a relevant business in sports and entertainment. The investment from Strattam will be used to further enhance SSB’s analytics platform and grow its base of 60 employees.

 

Mike Banville will be installed as SSB CEO, while SSB’s four senior partners will remain part of the leadership team. Banville comes to SSB from IHS Markit, a global information and analytics firm.

 

Financial terms of the deal were not released, but Strattam’s website indicated that the fund targets IT companies with annual revenue of $10 million to $30 million that need more resources to scale.

 

“We have not taken on an investment to date,” SSB senior partner Bobby Whitson said. “Most tech companies start with the investment and then they go find customers. We’ve done exactly the opposite. We’ve built a good business, and now that we realize the impact it’s having for existing clients, we can grow this thing and reach a lot more clients by taking on investment.”

 

Whitson said four priorities have been established to make the most of Strattam’s investment:

 

Improving the platform itself to make sure SSB’s technology is cutting edge and scalable.

 

Add to the account management team so that SSB maintains its customer service as it grows and adds new clients.

 

Add new clients quicker.

 

Increase capacity, not only for new clients, but also new sources of data that evolve over time.

 

SSB has made its name by aggregating data from multiple sources, like ticketing, merchandising, donations and other areas to create a well-rounded view of who the fan is. One area where SSB sees potential for growth is in campuswide data management that includes all sources of data on college campuses, not just athletics. SSB currently has a campuswide data analytics deal with Arizona State.

 

“There’s a big push for us to extend beyond the athletic side of the house,” Whitson said.

 

In addition to its league clients, SSB also works with close to 20 schools in the power five.

 

“Strattam understands us and our business,” Whitson said. “We were doing data before anyone else did, certainly before it was cool. Now, everybody wants to talk about the latest analytics solution. This isn’t new to us. We’re the old guard. Strattam is going to make what we do even better.”

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