Swimming poolAn effort by the founders of Topgolf to build entertainment clubs around the swimming pool game, has collected $ 34 million.
Like Steve and Dave Jolliff revolutionized golf course with Topgolf, they plan to do the same by revolting the swimming pool. Not only do they plan to create sophisticated clubs with quality restoration food, but they also plan to incorporate augmented reality technology to expand the appeal of the pool game experience, said Andrew O’Brien, CEO of Poolhouse, in an interview with Gamesbeat.
The seed tour was led by Sharp Alpha, a venture capital investor focused on American leisure, and DMG Ventures, which is the venture capital of DMGT consumers. The other participants include Emerging Fund (Investors in F1 Arcade, Flight Club and Batbox), David Blitzer (owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils), Simon Sports (co -owner of Ipswich Town FC) and active partners, an early investor in Soho House.
In addition to this, Hospitality Group signature, one of the largest operators of the Australian hospital brand, took a participation in shares and signed a franchise agreement with Poolhouse.
Visionary concept
Poolhouse is the result of four years of development by the Jolliffe Brothers, the founders of Topgolf, which was merged with Callaway with an assessment of $ 2.1 billion in 2021.
They will use the new capital to accelerate the company’s ambitious plan to revolutionize the pool game. It seems ambitious, but they have already done so for golf.
Poolhouse combines its patented technology with a vibrant atmosphere and inspired by Las Vegas,
Offer customers of all levels of competence an engaging experience with a diversified library of interactive pool games. The supply of drinks is organized with the Venning brothers of Three Sheets, a must in the world list of the 50 best bars, which have helped to define the culture of cocktails in London and beyond for the last decade.
The technology owner of Poolhouse alongside its food supply and world -class drinks will meet the growing demand for consumers of high quality unique experiences. So far, they do not yet reveal photos or their technology, because they are still eight months before the fist opening and want to keep their competitive advantage a secret, said O’Brien.
“We are not only building places, we build technologies that we can place in any place where there is a billiard table,” said O’Brien.
And just as Topgolf bought the golf tour of the online online online golf game, there could be a digital game via the Poolhouse application, he said. This includes a means of automatically handicap players around the world.
Global expansion plans
Poolhouse will deploy its own sites, starting with a site of 21,500 square feet with London Gare Liverpool Street, the most popular railway station in the United Kingdom. The company will also concede to the technology of hotel operators around the world, with discussions progressing in the Middle East, North America, Southeast Asia and Europe.
Steve Jolliffe, co-founder of Poolhouse, said in a statement: “Poolhouse is the most ambitious and evolving concept that my brother and I have created, representing the peak.”
The tables will both have open locations as well as semi-private stands, because people prefer to play pool in different ways. Some prefer to be seen, others not. Food will be tapas style, where people can share everything with each other. He won’t only make a hamburger, but something more like a Wagyu hamburger. There will not be many other entertainment, because the accent will be put on the pool.
“Everything will be designed to be delicious and shareable, and it will cover the kitchens of the world,” said O’Brien. “We are really looking for an incredible F&B experience.”
The company now has around 20 people and it will probably extend beyond 100 as it opens its first place.
Much of the work is to find the right property. He noted that the locations in California are extremely expensive compared to other places. But there are many other places across the country with good costs, demographic data, tourism and the presence of a business.
He added: “The Jolliffs are the best on this subject. They have developed something here which is so attractive for each projection of life, including companies and families and couples and and we are trying to find locations that are good balance. It’s different from Topgolf, where you talk about a giant place of 40 million dollars outside the limits of the city.”
O’Brien said that there will be 19 billiard tables on the site. And I hear that there will also be a 20th secret table for high rolls, via invites only.
He noted that Pool is global, with millions of players playing every week in places like China, the United Kingdom and the United States as for technology, he does not say what he was, but said that it is “smart technology” combined with traditional billiard tables.
O’Brien said that the objective was to open London’s first place in January 2026. And it expects the company to also invest in American places. The company will probably have its own internal sites and will also sell franchises.
Direction
The Jolliffs brought together a heavy goods vehicle team, led by Irish CEO Andrew O’Brien, member of the Board of Directors of F1 Arcade and formerly of Credit Suisse, and the chief of operation Matt Fleming, who held higher positions to Wines and one.
The rest of the senior team brings an experience of industry leaders such as Puttshack, Bounth, Flight Club and Swingers. The management of the culinary vision is a former executive chief of the Gordon Ramsay group.
O’Brien met the Jolliffs in January 2023, and he admired the domination of Topgolf, which has a market share of 85% in its category. He finally learned that they were working on something new.
“In terms of the transformation of sport, they definitely did this. And what they have done in golf ranges with Topgolf is what they are going to do to pool houses.
“I hope we will bring together a sufficient experience to offer something really special here, and we have managed to close a decent funding tour,” said O’Brien. “It’s really exciting what we do. And the design of the place will be spectacular. It is a vegas ventage. It will be the theme. It’s like American diving bars. There will be ultra premium sensations, like going back in time. ”
Insistence to stakeholders
Sharp Alpha has a penchant to invest in smart teams.
“We are very optimistic about the growth in the demand for third -place experiences,” said Lloyd Danzig, director of Sharp Alpha, in an interview with Gamesbeat. “We note that demand is due to fundamental changes in consumer preferences. People drink less. They are more solid. They want to return to real life, connect with people who have similar interests, submit their phone, deactivate notifications. ”
He added: “And even if they want to have a drink or two, they do not necessarily want the consumption of heavy alcohol to be the centerpiece of socialization and entertainment. This is why you see the growth of many new concepts of experiential and community entertainment which seize a large part of the market.”
Danzig also said that this is why his business likes to invest in the game.
“We believe that competitive entertainment, or forms of entertainment that cause adrenaline to flow, is the best to attract people’s attention and to offer a connection to those around them. The gamification layer, then generally associate it with a food concept and drink or hospitality to create a third place for leisure. »»
These are all concepts that alpha net is optimistic.
“Then we met Poolhouse, who plays in many thesis ideas in this category. They are a concept conducive to the expenses of high food and drinks,” said Danzig. “They are conducive to business events spending, which is essential to provide margin.
He said that the Jolliffe brothers are “legendary engineers and entrepreneurs” of the United Kingdom who founded Topgolf and were the inventors of his technology.
“They did the same for Putt Shack, which is a mini golf in technology, and Poolhouse is what they have been working in stealth mode for four years. And then we brought a team of seven leaders of F1 Arcade, Putt Shack and Topgolf for the staff and direct the operation of a day,” he said. “Thus, this combination of an incredible team and playing in the thesis on which we are optimistic is what interested us in this opportunity, and we are delighted to be joined with such an astonishing group of strategic co-investors who will help make it an incredible reality.”
Danzig refused to talk exactly about what was attractive on the “gamification” layer in Poolhouse, but he said that Topgolf certainly used the augmented reality of technology to show where your ball was likely to land in various golf courses. And this allows games like “closest to the spindle” or which can bring down virtual targets which do not exist in physical reality. There are also secondary quests for competition and more.
He said Smart Alpha had spent much of the last 18 months to assess almost all the concepts of this competitive socialization space, as well as in the third larger space.
O’Brien said: “Poolhouse’s experience announces the most important transformation in the history of a sport of almost 700 years.
Taos Edmondson, partner of DMG Ventures – “Poolhouse technology is incredibly good and customers will be stunned when it opens its doors to the public. The demand for experiences is booming, especially among the young generations. The Addressable Market will be vast, both in the own places of Poolhouse and License. ”
For requests, please contact the following e-mail address, poolhouse@fsc.uk.com.
