A Northern Ireland-centric group has today announced a majority strategic
investment in Obbi Club – the complete governance platform for premium and multi-site sports
clubs worldwide.
In the context of rising insurance costs and tougher audits, private clubs are under pressure to
deliver a smarter, safer member experience. With Obbi, they are better placed to manage
immediate and emerging risks while simultaneously delivering efficiency gains and enhancing
employee satisfaction.
The investor group is led by Paul McElvaney, founder of global workplace learning provider
Learning Pool, headquartered in Derry, Northern Ireland.
“Clubs and resorts are incredibly strong communities, but many still rely on fragmented manual
systems plus an annual inspection to spot and deal with problems,” he says. “What makes Obbi
different is that we’re the only platform to automatically connect what team members are doing
every day – the checks they complete, the training they finish, the incidents they report – to the
specific compliance obligations those activities satisfy. You don’t have to pull a report when the
auditor or insurer call, it’s already there.”
This investment enables the next phase of Obbi’s growth, including accelerated development of
AI-centric platform features such as onboarding automation, a live policy governance engine,
and real-time intelligence on cross-site compliance standards and risks.
From these and the wider commitment, the expanded Obbi team will work closely with
customers and prospects to raise the bar in operational assurance, internal and external
compliance, proactive safety management and personalized training.
“Obbi was born from an unmet need in the hospitality industry,” said Founder, Gareth Macklin,
who remains actively involved in the business. “Operators needed a solution to better satisfy
regulators, auditors, insurers, staff and customers, while also improving margins and enabling
membership growth. We already work with some of the world’s most revered brands, and I look
forward to extending our reach around the globe.”
The transaction is supported by Techstart Ventures and M&A advisory firm Beltrae Partners,
with legal services from Tughans LLP and Millar McCall Wylie.
About Obbi Club
Based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Obbi Club is the complete governance platform for premium
and multi-site sports clubs worldwide, with customers including Roehampton Multi-Sports Club,
Avalon Yacht Club, Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club, and Cottesmore Country Club.
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