By Business & Finance 
Patrick J Kirby and James Kirby, founders, Tixserve.
In our Ones to Watch section, we highlight some of the top movers and shakers. This week we feature Tixserve.
What is it?
Tixserve is an Irish company, launched in 2017, that provides a business-to-business platform service to existing ticket sellers to create a branded, interactive and content-rich digital ticket that is delivered instantly, securely and directly to consumers’ mobile phones. Tixserve’s technology offering was developed to function with existing ticket infrastructure and scanning technology, the aim being to deliver a track-and-trace ticket delivery system that simultaneously offers a major marketing tool for ticket sellers to generate further revenues from merchandise sales and other services. At the same time the system allows rights owners to decide themselves whether tickets can be exchanged or resold within the secure Tixserve ecosystem.
Who’s behind it?
Tixserve was founded by Patrick J. Kirby, who is originally from Cork and his son James. Recently London-based Tim Chambers, formerly of Live Nation Entertainment and Ticketmaster was appointed as chairman of the company.
How is it funded?
The company secured €250,000 in funding from Enterprise Ireland as part of its High Potential Start-Up Programme, while one of the private investors in Tixserve is Dr Michael Smurfit. Last month Tixserve struck a deal with Ireland’s leading independent ticketing company, Tickets.ie, specialising in selling tickets for large stadiums such as Croke Park and Páirc Uí Chaoimh, along with theatres, music and arts events, processing close to three million tickets annually.
Future plans?
Having proved the value of its offering at major music and sporting events in the UK, Tixserve is working with Tickets.ie to serve the needs of the GAA and other event organisers. However, it does not see its future limited to Ireland as its system can be used to digitise ticket delivery anywhere in the world.
