Drake Star Acts as Exclusive Financial Advisor to PlayHQ on its Sale to Alpine Software Group (ASG)

London | December 19, 2025 – ASG, a portfolio company of Alpine Investors that buys and builds vertical SaaS companies, has announced its plans to acquire PlayHQ, a world-leading provider of software for registration, administration and game-day experiences for the entire sports pyramid, including sporting governing bodies, clubs, leagues, volunteers, parents and participants. The parties have entered into a binding, definitive agreement to proceed with the acquisition, which is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

Drake Star acted as the exclusive financial advisor to PlayHQ on this transaction.

Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, PlayHQ has become the digital backbone of community sport in Australia, serving nine sports, including four of the top five national governing bodies for team sports, including the AFL, Basketball Australia, Cricket Australia and Netball Australia, as well as national governing bodies in New Zealand, UK and Canada. PlayHQ has processed more than 11 million registrations and fixtured over 3.1 million games.

The transaction further reinforces Drake Star’s position as a leading global advisor to Sports Tech and vertical software companies. It marks the firm’s second successful advisory mandate for a leading Australian technology business since 2024, following its advice on the sale of Envato to Shutterstock, and represents Drake Star’s 14^th completed transaction in the Sports Tech sector. The deal highlights Drake Star’s sustained momentum in the sector and its strategic commitment to building the pre-eminent global M&A advisory franchise for Sports Tech companies, with a particular focus on founder-led and high-growth platforms across Australia and international markets.

ASG’s engagement will help PlayHQ enhance its experience for current customers while continuing to expand into new countries and sports.

In a press release announcing the transaction ASG said:

“PlayHQ is exactly the kind of company we get excited about: modern, well-built software with the architecture to scale, led by a team with deep expertise and a clear vision around how automation can reduce volunteer burden, engage participants and grow participation,” said Steve Reardon, CEO of ASG. “The partners and customers who have supported PlayHQ from the beginning speak volumes about its strength and potential. We work with businesses we believe we can help grow, and PlayHQ is ready to broaden its impact into new sports, new geographies, and new levels of scale while delivering the exceptional service Australia’s sporting community knows them for.”

The company will continue to be led by CEO Tim MacKinnon and the current leadership team.

“ASG will help PlayHQ to achieve its mission to unleash the life-changing impact of community sport by growing participation and engagement across the world,” said MacKinnon. “Working with ASG gives us the support and expertise to scale our impact globally, while staying true to what has made PlayHQ special from the beginning. It’s never just been about software. We’re transforming how millions of people experience community sport, making it easier, faster, safer, and more accessible and affordable for everyone, particularly our community clubs and the thousands of local volunteers who want a simple and consistent process that reduces their administration time.”

Chairman James Sutherland added, “PlayHQ’s first chapter was focused on building a product that served the needs of Australian administrators, volunteers and participants. Now, as an established market leader, this next chapter with ASG gives the team the opportunity to continue scaling globally, innovating, and delivering a digital experience community sport will rely on for the next decade and beyond.”

Eric Ward, Managing Partner at Drake Star commented: “First and foremost, we congratulate the shareholders and management team, who were faultless throughout the process and a genuine pleasure to work with. We are proud to have advised PlayHQ on this landmark transaction and to support one of the world’s leading Youth & Amateur Sports software platforms, which has become the digital backbone of community sport.

This outcome reflects PlayHQ’s market-leading product, exceptional leadership, and the strength of its long-term partnerships across the global sports ecosystem. The transaction followed a highly competitive, international process completed in just three months, underscoring Drake Star’s execution capabilities, deep Sports Tech expertise, and continued focus on the dynamic Australian technology market. ASG is an outstanding long-term steward for PlayHQ, and we are excited to see the platform accelerate its international expansion, product innovation, and impact on participation and engagement across community sport worldwide.”

Drake Star Team: Eric Ward, Gregory Bedrosian, Vasil Garvanov, Peter Cox

Inquiries

For further inquiries, please contact:

Eric Ward

Managing Partner | Drake Star

eric.ward@drakestar.com | +44 7740 052 486

About PlayHQ

PlayHQ is a sports technology company transforming the way community sport is managed and experienced. The cloud-based platform simplifies registration, payments, competition management, live scoring, results, websites, apps and participant engagement for millions of players, parents, coaches, volunteers, and administrators.

For more information, visit get.playhq.com

About ASG

ASG, backed by Alpine Investors, is a unique and fast-growing software business that buys and builds market-leading vertical SaaS companies. ASG believes deeply in the power of people and data to grow great organizations, and that sharing knowledge, expertise, and resources across its community of businesses drives exponential growth. Founders of leading SaaS companies continue to trust ASG to grow their businesses and build even stronger legacies for the future.

For more information, visit www.alpinesg.com.

About Alpine Investors

Alpine Investors is a people-driven private equity firm that is committed to building enduring companies by working with, learning from, and developing exceptional people.

For more information, visit www.alpineinvestors.com.

About Drake Star

Drake Star is an award-winning global tech investment bank that has completed over 500 transactions since 2003. The Drake Star global team of experienced professionals and senior advisors across offices in New York, Munich, London, Paris, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berlin, and Dubai* focuses on mergers & acquisitions and corporate finance services worldwide in Software/SaaS, HR Tech, Digital Services, FinTech, Digital Media, Industrial Tech, Consumer & Retail Tech and Mobility & Sustainability.

Drake Star is the marketing name for the global investment bank Drake Star Partners Limited and its subsidiaries and affiliates. In the USA, all securities are transacted through Drake Star Securities LLC. In the USA, Drake Star Securities LLC is regulated by FINRA and is a member of SIPC. Drake Star UK Limited (FRN 942020) is an appointed representative of Razlin Ltd (FRN 730805), which is authorized and regulated by the FCA. © 2025 Drake Star Partners Limited.

For more information, visit www.drakestar.com.

*Partner Office