Exclusive: Kwiff appoints new CEO and eyes B2B gains
Hammersmith-based firm ready for international expansion after ditching above-the-line marketing strategy and improving tech platform
Sports betting mobile app Kwiff has appointed a new chief executive as it looks to branch out into the B2B sector this year.
The start-up promoted former head of sportsbook Charles Lee to the top job as of January 2020, following the departure of previous CEO Philip Lofgren.
Lee also spent a decade as head of trading for heritage horseracing operator Fitzdares.
Kwiff launched in the UK back in 2017, promoting its ‘supercharged’ betting innovation with a series of attention-grabbing TV ads – two of which were banned by the Advertising Standards Authority.
The business is now eyeing international expansion, potentially in a B2B sports betting pivot, although CFO Mike Goode reaffirmed that Kwiff is still “very focused on its B2C operation”.
“We have gone through a restructure,” Goode told EGR. “We had a lot more TV presence back in 2017 and 2018 but with regulation moving against TV, we’ve shifted to a more digital route.
“Even though we had plenty of coverage on BT Sport and Sky Sports, we didn’t really have a sufficient voice in the marketplace,” he added.
Kwiff CFO Mike Goode
Kwiff is keen to tap into the US market, in which American punters placed a total of £10bn in legal sports wagers during 2019, according to new figures from the American Gaming Association.
The firm is also looking at South America and Europe.
“We have fantastic proprietary technology and given what is going on with online sports betting and gaming in the US, we felt it was time to put our heads above the parapet,” said Goode.
“We are still only in the UK market and we’d like to branch out, whether that be on a B2B basis or how that looks is still to fully be determined.”
Kwiff currently employs 30 people across three locations in London, Malta and Romania. The start-up’s tech team in Hammersmith and Romania developed a sturdier platform throughout 2019, allowing for less downtime and improved UX, according to Goode.
“Our supercharge element is still completely unique,” said Goode. “We are trying to create a different way of sports betting with greater focus on entertainment
“Last year was about developing a solid platform that is user-friendly and won’t crash. It is different, it’s simple and that will work in numerous different territories.
“Being a more entertaining product we attract the casual player, who also enjoys casino, and we’re looking to build on that side of the product as well” he added.
Source: iStock/portishead1