New York, USA
The transaction unites Clubmate’s vertical SaaS and embedded payments platform with FishPal and Elveguiden, creating the definitive software and payments infrastructure for the UK and European angling sector.
FE International, Inc., the global market leader in technology mergers and acquisitions (M&A), served as the exclusive sell-side advisor to Clubmate, the UK’s leading vertical SaaS and embedded payments platform for angling clubs and fisheries, on its acquisition by FishPal, part of the SpeedyBooker group.
Founded in 2017 by Owen Chapman, Clubmate was built to digitize an entire vertical that still ran on paper forms, posted cheques and manual administration. What began as a solution to a single broken process has scaled into the category-defining operating system for the sector, now serving hundreds of clubs, fisheries and governing bodies across the UK.
The platform sits at the center of how the sector transacts, where members purchase memberships and day tickets, book sessions and pay online, while clubs manage permits, communications, compliance and bankside checks from a single system. Critically, Clubmate monetizes not only through recurring software subscriptions but through embedded payments, capturing transaction economics across every membership renewal, day ticket and booking processed on the platform.
That dual SaaS-and-payments model has positioned Clubmate squarely in the most sought-after corner of vertical software, where deeply embedded workflow tools convert into high-margin, recurring payment flows. Demand for that infrastructure is rising alongside the sport itself. As participation grows, the clubs and fisheries that host it are migrating away from paper and spreadsheets toward integrated platforms that unify memberships, bookings and payments, exactly the infrastructure Clubmate has spent years building and defending.
FE International ran a focused, competitive process and brought the transaction to completion within 35 days of the signed letter of intent. “Clubmate is a rare asset, a category-defining vertical software and payments platform with genuine moat, deep customer loyalty and recurring revenue economics that the very best acquirers look for,” said Max Alderman, Partner at FE International. “We knew this would attract serious strategic interest, and the speed and certainty of the outcome reflect both the quality of the business Owen built and the strength of the fit with FishPal.”
For FishPal, the acquisition adds Clubmate’s club and fishery management depth, bookings, embedded payments capability, and 380 vendors to a business that already handles 15 million website visits, more than 80,000 rod bookings and over 100,000 registered customers each year. FishPal, which has provided online booking and information for rod fishing since 2003, also owns Elveguiden, the market leader across Scandinavia.
The three businesses will be unified under the FishPal brand. “The Clubmate team has built an exceptional product, a powerful payments engine and a genuinely loyal community, and we are delighted to welcome them to FishPal,” said Patrick Gimmestad-Emblem, Head of FishPal. “Together we can offer clubs, fisheries and anglers more in one place than ever before.”
“Clubmate started with a simple goal, give people their time back so they can spend more of it fishing,” said Owen Chapman, Founder of Clubmate. “Joining FishPal is the right next step. We share the same purpose, and with their backing we can do far more for clubs, fisheries and anglers across the UK and beyond.”
About FE International
Founded in 2010, FE International is an award-winning strategic advisor for technology businesses. FE’s team has completed over 1,500 transactions with a combined value of over $50 billion. FE International was named one of The Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies from 2020 to 2024 by the Financial Times and is also a seven-time Inc. 5000 company.
For more information, visit www.feinternational.com.
About Clubmate
Founded in 2017, Clubmate is the UK’s leading vertical SaaS and embedded payments platform built exclusively for angling clubs and fisheries. It helps clubs, fisheries and governing bodies manage memberships, day tickets, match bookings, payments and communications through one easy-to-use platform. For more information, visit www.clubmate.fish.
About FishPal
FishPal has been the trusted online booking and information service for rod fishing since 2003, covering salmon, trout and grayling fishing across the UK, Ireland and Norway. Part of the SpeedyBooker group, FishPal also owns Elveguiden, the market leader in Scandinavia. For more information, visit www.fishpal.com.
Media Contact:
Gaj Tanwar
Marketing Manager, FE International