PC gaming brand, Chillblast Group, has secured a new £3m investor loan facility to support working capital and accelerate its next phase of growth.

This takes the Warrington-based company’s total investor backing to £10.5m, led by Arete Capital Partners, and follows a standout first year of trading, during which the business delivered £37m in revenue.

With a current revenue run rate of £50m, Chillblast is forecasting an additional 35% growth this year and is on track to exceed its ambitious sales target.

This growth trajectory highlights the company’s strong market presence and its ability to attract new customers while retaining existing ones, it said.

The milestone comes alongside the appointment of industry heavyweight Peter Cowgill, former executive chairman of Bury-based JD Sports, as non-executive chairman of the group.

Cowgill has also made a personal investment of £2.5m in Chillblast, underlining his confidence in the business and its leadership team.

Chillblast specialises in high performance consumer gaming PCs, as well as supplying eSports teams and games developers and providing AI-enabled workstations to high technology businesses across the UK.

The company employs more than 100 people across its Warrington and Bradford locations and holds partnerships with brands including Williams F1 eSports, for which it supplies driver simulators globally.

Cowgill, who has supported the development of a number of high profile consumer businesses – including The Fragrance Shop, Yours Clothing and Applied Nutrition, which was the UK’s second-largest IPO last year – brings significant experience in scaling fast growth brands.

Peter Cowgill said:

“Over the years, I’ve identified the characteristics needed for success in consumer businesses.

“Chillblast has demonstrated many of these traits – high quality products, a strong leadership team, and a market that’s seeing surging demand.

“The business has achieved an impressive first year, and I’m looking forward to helping guide the next stage of its journey.”

Scott Brenchley, CEO of Chillblast, said:

“We’ve built real momentum in our first year, with strong performance across both consumer and enterprise channels.

“Securing this additional funding and welcoming Peter to the board sets us up for the next phase of growth. His experience and insight into scaling consumer-facing businesses will be invaluable as we continue to innovate and expand.”

Chillblast is planning a range of new product launches later this year, capitalising on the recent Nvidia 50 series graphics cards launches and growing consumer appetite for custom-built high performance machines.