Specialist PC gamer Chillblast Group has secured a new £3m investor loan facility as it appoints former JD Sports chair Peter Cowgill as its own non-executive chair.
The loan brings Chillblast Group’s total investor backing to £10.5m, led by Arete Capital Partners, and follows a debut 12 months of trading in which the business delivered £37m in revenue.
Fast-growing Chillblast has offices in Warrington and Bradford and specialises in high-performance consumer gaming PCs, although their machines are equally useful to gamers, content creators, film makers and more.
Chillblast is forecasting an additional 35 per cent growth this year and is on track to exceed its sales target.
Peter Cowgill, former executive chairman of Bury-based JD Sports, as non-executive chairman of the group.
Cowgill has also made a personal investment of £2.5m in Chillblast, underlining his confidence in the business and its leadership team.
Chillblast specialises in high performance consumer gaming PCs, as well as supplying eSports teams and games developers and providing AI-enabled workstations to high technology businesses across the UK.
The company employs more than 100 people across its Warrington and Bradford locations and holds partnerships with brands including Williams F1 eSports, for whom it supplies driver simulators globally.
Cowgill, who has supported several high profile consumer businesses including The Fragrance Shop, Yours Clothing and Applied Nutrition brings significant experience in scaling fast growth brands.
He said: “Over the years, I’ve identified the characteristics needed for success in consumer businesses.
“Chillblast has demonstrated many of these traits – high quality products, a strong leadership team, and a market that’s seeing surging demand.
“The business has achieved an impressive first year, and I’m looking forward to helping guide the next stage of its journey.”
Cowgill, who has also made a personal investment of £2.5m in Chillblast, said: “Over the years, I’ve identified the characteristics needed for success in consumer businesses. Chillblast has demonstrated many of these traits – high-quality products, a strong leadership team, and a market that’s seeing surging demand.
“The business has achieved an impressive first year, and I’m looking forward to helping guide the next stage of its journey.”
Chillblast chief executive Scott Brenchley added: “We’ve built real momentum in our first year, with strong performance across both consumer and enterprise channels.
““Securing this additional funding and welcoming Peter to the board sets us up for the next phase of growth. His experience and insight into scaling consumer-facing businesses will be invaluable as we continue to innovate and expand.”
“Securing this additional funding and welcoming Peter to the board sets us up for the next phase of growth. His experience and insight into scaling consumer-facing businesses will be invaluable as we continue to innovate and expand.”
