Seatfrog secures £6m investment to fast track better experience for millions of rail passengers

by Startacus Admin
Innovative rail ticketing app Seatfrog announces news of £6m investment via a growth funding round to accelerate its expansion across Europe.
Revolutionary rail ticketing app, Seatfrog, has secured £6m in a growth funding round to accelerate expansion across Europe.
Seatfrog has become the go-to platform for rail operators and the go-to destination for more than one million customers to buy tickets, upgrade to first-class and switch trains, all in one app. As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, Seatfrog has saved passengers more than £43m.
Seatfrog’s business model continues to impress, achieving over 800% revenue growth in 2022.
Revolutionary rail ticketing app Seatfrog has secured an £6m funding round to deliver the next stage of its expansion plan after 12 months of record growth. Backed by leading investors Pembroke, Praetura and Octopus Ventures, and advised by finnCap’s Private Growth Capital team, the latest funding round will allow the travel innovator to embark on a new recruitment drive and meet the demands from operators across Europe, accelerating the next wave of its platform as it bids to become the preeminent pan-European choice for rail.
Seatfrog is on a mission to reinvent the experience of catching a train for millions of European passengers and the operators that carry them. Launched in 2018 to initially combat the 570+ million first-class seats that travel empty each year, Seatfrog has become the go-to choice for over one million passengers to get the best journey for their money.
Seatfrog has already saved consumers more than £43m across 3,400+ destinations with its smarter technology that helps operators run more profitable networks, increasing new revenue by over 300%. To date, it has secured exclusive partnerships with sixteen major train operators covering over 3bn journeys across the UK and Europe, with Italian operator Trenitalia the latest to put its faith in Seatfrog to deliver a better journey for its 500 million passengers.
Co-founder and CEO of Seatfrog, Iain Griffin commented: “Our mission is to be the platform of choice for rail, helping people fall in love with taking the train again, and enabling operators to run more profitable networks full of happier, less stressed passengers - it’s long overdue.
“Today’s investment marks the latest milestone on our journey but it’s by no means our final destination. With the launch of our Train Swap feature across the UK and our expansion into new European markets, we are unleashing a new platform that helps passengers get an unrivalled experience and operators run more efficient networks well beyond the capabilities of legacy technology.”
Seatfrog has achieved remarkable organic growth since its launch, and is currently seeing more than 70% of new customers coming from word of mouth, leading to a 40%+ monthly revenue growth rate.
Fred Ursell, Investment Director, Pembroke Investment Managers LLP added: “Over half of UK rail passengers are unhappy with value for money, largely due to the European rail sector being starved of innovation. When we met Iain and Dirk, their vision and passion to transform the customer experience for travellers whilst providing a ‘win-win’ business model for Train Operators became immediately clear. The disruptive business model, product market fit and large market combined with a world-class team, meant Seatfrog had all the hallmarks of a Pembroke deal. We are delighted to be supporting Seatfrog as it expands its product range, deepens relationships with customers and grows its geographical presence.”
David Foreman, Managing Partner of Praetura Ventures said: “Many of our team used Seatfrog long before we spoke to them about this investment. As fans ourselves, we can see that the Seatfrog proposition is clearly loved by its users as shown by their thousands of industry-leading reviews. They’ve got a fantastic team with a great product and global potential. We’re incredibly excited to be backing Iain and Dirk in their next stage of growth with our ‘more than money’ support.”
The Seatfrog app is available to download on both Apple and Android devices.
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Tobin Capital continues to expand its portfolio by investing in pop-up marketplace Sook, the startup on a mission to revolutionise the high street.

Sodexo and L Marks open call for applications from innovative startups and scaleups to join their inaugural Sodexo Healthcare and Seniors Accelerator.

The lowdown on FuturePlus, the startup that's on a mission to make sustainability accessible, achievable and affordable for all businesses.

John McLachlan, author and co-founder of Monkey Puzzle Training & Consultancy examines the differences between action-oriented and reflective leaders and which approach is best.

The fitness app that's not just about physical fitness; GoJoe helps employers to engage, motivate and connect their people across all pillars of wellbeing.

Now in its fifth year, North West England water firm United Utilities opens call for Innovation Lab, its pioneering ideas incubation programme.

Not-for-profit OneTech has spunout from Capital Enterprise to expand its offering and continue its mission of creating a more equitable, diverse and supported startup ecosystem.

London-based startup Deep Render tackles the internet’s data and bandwidth challenges via its innovative AI-powered file compression technology.

The lowdown on Dublin-based startup and NUI Maynooth spin-out Neuromod Devices and its innovative evidence-based bimodal neuromodulation treatment for chronic tinnitus.

With the clear shift towards generative AI, Richard Hayes, search director at digital marketing agency Catalyst explores what it means for SEO...
Published on: 25th April 2023
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.







- Startup Sook Receives Investment from Tobin Capital 24th May 2023 Tobin Capital continues to expand its portfolio by investing in pop-up marketplace Sook, the startup on a mission to revolutionise the high street.
- L Marks Seeking Startups and Scaleups for Sodexo Healthcare and Seniors Accelerator 23rd May 2023 Sodexo and L Marks open call for applications from innovative startups and scaleups to join their inaugural Sodexo Healthcare and Seniors Accelerator.
- United Utilities Innovation Lab launches call-out for innovative ideas for fifth programme 18th May 2023 Now in its fifth year, North West England water firm United Utilities opens call for Innovation Lab, its pioneering ideas incubation programme.
- OneTech Spins Out from Capital Enterprise to Support Underserved Communities in Tech Across the UK 18th May 2023 Not-for-profit OneTech has spunout from Capital Enterprise to expand its offering and continue its mission of creating a more equitable, diverse and supported startup ecosystem.