Toca Football Inc. has raised another $100 million to accelerate the company’s expansion of its Topgolf-inspired soccer concept.
Funds from the Series F round will help fuel the indoor soccer center operator’s plans to bring its first Toca Social location to the U.S., building on the success of its two existing locations in England.
“It’s both a privilege and proof that we have a really great concept and execution in our business,” Chief Executive Yoshi Maruyama told the Business Journal.
Toca in July announced that it was partnering with Major League Soccer to expand the soccer entertainment concept into the U.S., starting with Dallas, ahead of when the city hosts the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
The funding round welcomed new investors Jim Kavanaugh, founder and CEO of St. Louis-based software company World Wide Technology, as well as William “Bill” Anderson, former chairman and CEO of Anderson Holdings in Los Angeles.
Kavanaugh and Anderson join Toca’s growing roster of star investors, including Qualtrics co-founder and part-time OC resident Jared Smith and chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen.
MLS and England national team striker and captain Harry Kane are also returning investors. Kane renewed his collaboration agreement to serve as a brand ambassador for TOCA.
Data to Analyze Players
Maruyama said Toca will also use the funding to invest in new technologies with WWT as its new tech partner.
Toca currently has two technologies called the Toca Touch Trainer and “smart targets” at each of its 39 training centers.
The Toca Touch Trainer launches balls at different speeds and trajectories that can be controlled from an in-house app.
“We’re able to do a lot of data collection and analysis to measure the performance of the players in our centers,” Maruyama said.
“The data is very attractive when we have partners like MLS that are developing the next generation of star players here in North America.”
The addition of WWT as an investor “will be an incredible resource for Toca” as it continues to expand its technology portfolio, Maruyama said.
WWT, founded in 1990, has a local office in Costa Mesa.
The company reportedly counts 10,000 global employees and generates $20 billion in annual revenue, according to its website.
Kavanaugh was a former soccer player himself and is the co-owner of professional soccer team St. Louis FC.
“Toca’s unique approach—combining personalized, data-driven training with engaging, soccer-themed entertainment—has captivated a global audience, from elite athletes to young players discovering the game for the first time,” Kavanaugh said in a statement.
“With a presence in key markets, Toca is poised to redefine the future of soccer on a global scale.”
Bill Anderson, another new major shareholder, brings varied experience from leading a private, family-owned holding company with subsidiaries in beverages, real estate, automobile dealerships and more.
He’s the son of John Anderson, namesake of the Anderson School of Management at the University of California Los Angeles, following a $15 million gift that he donated in 1987.
“They’re a really well-established family here in Southern California and very much committed to investing in youth development, particularly around sports,” Maruyama said.
Maruyama said Anderson’s expertise in real estate will help Toca as it looks to open new centers and Toca Social locations.
“Our hope is that we will learn from and benefit from all of the experiences that Bill brings to the world of real estate,” Maruyama said.
Expansion Plans Moving Forward
Everything is moving forward as planned regarding the upcoming Toca Social location in Dallas, according to Maruyama.
The company is in the process of designing and obtaining permits for the 27,000-square-foot venue, which is slated to open next year at the Grandscape shopping and dining center in The Colony, a city located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
“We’ve gotten extremely warm reception from the local community as well as the municipality,” Maruyama said.
Toca’s goal is to have multiple U.S. Toca Social locations open between the World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympic games in Los Angeles.
Toca officials are hopeful that North America will also host the FIFA Women’s World Cup at some point in the future.
“As these massive tentpole sporting events are hosted here, we think there are significant opportunities to grow Toca Social into multiple locations,” Maruyama said.
Earlier this year, Toca announced a partnership with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and its first franchise deal with Mexico Ventura Entertainment. These venues are scheduled to open in London, Paris and Monterrey in 2025, according to officials.