Steve and Dave Jolliffe, the entrepreneurs behind Topgolf and Puttshack, have secured $55 million from investors to reinvent cue sports through a new venture called Poolhouse.
The growth equity round was led by a private equity firm focused on sports, media, and entertainment. It represents the tenth investment from the firm’s inaugural $350 million fund.
Poolhouse targets one of the world’s oldest social games. Cue sports draw more than 200 million weekly players globally and hold an estimated total addressable market of roughly $35 billion, yet the category has seen minimal technological disruption.
Central to the business is BillyQ, a gameplay system developed over six years with the team behind leading computer vision technology used in professional sport. The system overlays a responsive digital layer onto the pool table, enabling interactive games, automated scoring, and real-time player analytics.
A dynamic handicapping model adjusts to player ability, allowing mixed-skill groups to compete on equal terms. This design choice reflects a customer base centered on social nights out rather than competitive leagues.
Poolhouse’s London flagship at Liverpool Street has opened to strong customer and critical reception. The company has drawn landlord interest in the United States, including New York City and Nashville, alongside a franchise agreement with a major Australian hospitality operator.
The venues serve as a showcase for the underlying technology. The new capital will primarily fund the rollout of BillyQ beyond Poolhouse sites into hotels, pool halls, casinos, and bars, with eventual expansion into homes.
This strategy aims to build recurring revenue across tens of millions of installed tables. For British pubs and clubs with underused tables, the technology may arrive as a licensing option rather than a competitor.
“We set out to build Poolhouse because we saw the same opportunity in pool that we once saw in golf: a beloved, mass-participation game that could be transformed through technology, design, and a better player experience,” said Steve Jolliffe, co-founder of Poolhouse.
The investment reflects broader shifts in leisure spending. Experience-led venues have gained popularity as group socializing moves toward activity-based formats, and private equity appetite for hospitality has recovered.
Poolhouse’s leadership includes executives from major hospitality and sports technology brands. The team features former operators from Topgolf, Gaucho, and the founder of Hawk-Eye.
The venture underscores a repeated pattern: take a familiar game, reduce barriers to entry, add a technology layer, and capital follows.
