London's Pro Climbing League has closed a £3.2m (€3.8m) seed round led by Redrice Ventures, with Active Partners, Accelerate Ventures and The International Bouldering Alliance joining, to stage a three-city season in 2027.
The Pro Climbing League (PCL) is a media and events company built around head-to-head bouldering. Two athletes climb identical walls side by side and the first to the top goes through, a knockout format designed for live crowds and broadcast audiences.
The business was founded by chief executive Danaan Markey, a former German national team climbing coach who worked in sports marketing at Patagonia, and commentator Charlie Boscoe. Neil Wyatt, previously head of live events at BBC Radio, and startup operator Eelco Bulten are also co-founders.
Deal detail
Redrice Ventures led the seed round. The London firm counts Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee and Andy Murray as associate partners and was an early backer of sportswear brand Castore.
Active Partners, whose portfolio includes Rapha and Finisterre, and Accelerate Ventures, an investor in Seat Unique and Padel Social Club, also took part. The valuation and the size of individual stakes were not disclosed.
PCL says the round is one of the first times institutional capital has backed a climbing event or media brand rather than climbing gyms.
Proof of concept
The league's first competition, held at Magazine London in February 2026, sold out within 24 hours without marketing spend. It drew spectators from 27 countries and athletes including Olympic champions Toby Roberts of Great Britain and Janja Garnbret of Slovenia. Red Bull TV carried the broadcast.
Women accounted for 43% of ticket buyers, in line with a sport that has around 40% female participation. PCL puts the bouldering market at €44bn, growing by 15% to 20% a year.
Use of funds
The capital will fund PCL's first full season in 2027, with events in Berlin on 23 January at the Max-Schmeling-Halle, Paris on 13 February at the Adidas Arena and London on 20 March at Olympia.
The company plans five events in 2028, including at least one in the US. It will also build out commercial, content and operational teams and run gym residencies and community circuit events in each host city.
Prize money as a selling point
PCL is also pitching itself to athletes. It says first prize at major international competitions is typically around £6,000, which leaves many elite climbers relying on second jobs. The league aims to roughly double podium prize money and to cover athletes' expenses and appearances.
The 2027 season will show whether a sold-out London debut can be repeated across three cities in eight weeks. The company has not disclosed revenue or when it expects to raise again ahead of its planned move into the US.
Original source: EU-Startups — https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/11/pro-climbing-league-secures-e3-8-million-to-professionalise-climbing-ahead-of-inaugural-2027-season/
