English national team captain Leah Williamson is now an equity stakeholder in Toca Football, a tech-supported soccer training company with operations across North America that is starting to branch into sports entertainment complexes. The deal marks Williamson’s first equity investment in a business venture.
The Arsenal star will partner specifically with Toca Social, the division that houses the company’s dining and gamified sports venues. The concept is similar to Topgolf, complete with food, drinks and interactive simulators for gameplay—but for soccer. The first Toca Social location opened last year in London, where the division is headquartered, and the company has announced a second location will open in Birmingham, England, with more UK locations to come. The brand’s first franchise in Mexico will open this year in Monterrey.
Financial details were not disclosed, nor was the stake Williamson now holds in the company. Williamson joins England soccer captain Harry Kane as an investor in the company.
“I am really excited to have done a deal with a company that I truly believe in and feel I can add value to and help grow,” Williamson said. “I have been told by many that it’s important to have investments for the future for when I eventually retire, but I wouldn’t want to partner with companies that I don’t feel are the right fit for me.”
The soccer division of Toca Football, which is an official training partner of MLS, has indoor training centers for players of all ages throughout the U.S. and Canada. Toca’s footprint in the UK is currently limited to Toca Social, and the company hopes to grow to 20 social venues in the country in the next 10 years.
Toca Social says Williamson will work closely with the company to increase women’s participation in soccer and to help facilitate a great Toca Social experience among women.
“Leah’s commitment to football and her dedication to empowering young women make her an ideal partner for Toca,” Alex Harman, president of Toca Social, said.
Founded in 2016 by former MLS and Premier League midfielder Eddie Lewis, Toca Football’s board includes former U.S. women’s national team star Abby Wambach, NWSL CMO Julie Haddon, Lululemon president Celeste Burgoyne and Erik Anderson, former chairman and CEO of Topgolf.
