Irish golfer Shane Lowry. Image: Wayflyer
Lowry was one of the investors in Wayflyer’s recent Series B funding round, which saw it soar to become Ireland’s sixth tech unicorn.
Dublin-based Wayflyer has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with Irish golfer and Ryder Cup winner Shane Lowry.
This new partnership will see Lowry become a global ambassador for Wayflyer, beginning at the Masters tournament taking place this week in the US.
The Irish golfer will wear the company’s logo on the chest of all his professional golf clothing as part of the deal. He will also host a variety of corporate golf and promotional events for the company’s growing client and partner base across the US, Europe and Asia.
A revenue-based financing and growth platform for e-commerce companies, Wayflyer saw significant growth last year. The company’s headcount has risen from 40 at the start of 2021 to more than 300, while its monthly capital deployments have increased by more than 900pc to hit $100m.
“This partnership with Wayflyer is particularly exciting for me, as it is another truly astonishing Irish success story, featuring a young, talented and committed workforce achieving extraordinary things on the world stage,” Lowry said.
“The company’s meteoric rise, coupled with its commitment to being the best in its field globally, aligns with my own ambition of competing for more major championships, winning tournaments and trying to become the best player I can be in the coming years.”
Lowry was one of the investors of Wayflyer’s recent $150m Series B funding round, which gave the start-up a valuation of $1.6bn.
This made Wayflyer Ireland’s sixth tech unicorn, joining Intercom, Fenergo, Workhuman, LetsGetChecked and Flipdish, which hit unicorn status at the start of this year.
Wayflyer had already raised $76m in a Series A funding round last May and expanded into new markets including Spain and the Netherlands. The start-up recently opened an office in Atlanta and signed partnerships with companies such as Adobe, Sezzle and eBay UK.
“Shane’s commitment to his sport, his hard-working attitude and occasional Irish cheekiness mirrors what we stand for at Wayflyer – he’s the ideal partner for us,” Wayflyer co-founder Jack Pierse said.
“Our clients and colleagues can look forward to many exciting events with Shane in the future and we wish him the very best of luck at this week’s iconic Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia, where he will wear the Wayflyer logo for the first time,” Pierse said.
Founded in 2019 by Aidan Corbett and Pierse, Wayflyer provides e-commerce merchants with a range of financing and marketing analytics tools to help them access working capital, improve cash flow and drive sales.
E-commerce is a rapidly growing sector globally and, according to Statista, e-commerce sales are predicted to reach $5.4trn by the end of 2022.
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