Sporta gets £5m injection as it seeks UK banking license

Sporta has received a £5 million investment from the London-based private equity firm Lazaroo-Hood Group as it seeks a banking license in the UK to become the first authorized sports bank. Lazaroo-Hood Group, also based in Jersey, will become Sporta's largest shareholder alongside the company's founders. This is a follow-on investment after previous funding from Lazaroo-Hood Group.

Earlier this year, Sporta partnered with League One football club Stevenage. CEO Andrew Smith stated that the investment demonstrates confidence in Sporta's mission and the seriousness of their business-building approach. He emphasized that the right people, technology, governance, and operating foundations are in place from the beginning, as building a bank requires proper groundwork.

Lazaroo-Hood Group has been an early lead investor and long-term partner, and their continued support will help Sporta establish itself as the financial home for sport. The private equity firm led a seed round in 2025 due to their belief in the team's experience and ambition to create something genuinely new for sport. Last year, Lazaroo-Hood Group invested in 17 early-stage companies, and this year, they are expanding ventures with a total of around £15 million across 2025 and 2026, including investments in food, beverage, consumer goods, B2B software, fintechs, and media services.

Smith added that sport has its own economy, pressures, and way of bringing people together, but it has not always had financial infrastructure designed around these realities.