Poolhouse has raised $55 million in growth equity financing led by Bluestone Equity Partners to accelerate the global expansion of its technology-enabled cue sports platform and premium entertainment venues.
Poolhouse was founded by Steve and Dave Jolliffe, the creators of Topgolf and Puttshack, along with CEO Andrew O’Brien. The company combines hospitality-focused locations with proprietary technology designed to transform traditional pool into a more interactive, competitive, and data-driven experience.
The new capital will primarily support the expansion of BillyQ, Poolhouse’s proprietary vision-processing platform. Poolhouse developed the technology over six years in collaboration with the team behind Hawk-Eye, which is known for its computer vision systems used for ball tracking, officiating, and broadcast replays across major sports.
BillyQ uses precision tracking and advanced projection technology to place a responsive digital layer over a traditional pool table. The platform provides interactive games, automated scoring, real-time player analytics, and skill-based competition without changing the fundamental mechanics of cue sports.
The technology also features a dynamic handicapping system that adjusts to each participant’s ability. This enables players with different skill levels to compete more evenly while preserving the integrity of the underlying game.
Poolhouse believes cue sports represent a large global opportunity that has not yet benefited from the same level of technology adoption seen in other participatory sports. More than 200 million people are estimated to play cue sports each week, while the broader market has an estimated total addressable value of approximately $35 billion.
The company plans to establish BillyQ as a scalable technology and data layer that can support cue sports across commercial venues and residential settings. Beyond Poolhouse’s branded locations, the platform is intended for deployment in hotels, casinos, traditional pool halls, bars, and other hospitality businesses.
Over time, Poolhouse also plans to launch a consumer version of BillyQ for home use. The residential product would give players access to gameplay features, performance tracking, handicapping, and training tools across the tens of millions of pool tables installed in homes worldwide.
Expanding into licensed commercial and residential environments would enable Poolhouse to build a recurring revenue platform that extends beyond the economics of operating physical venues. The company’s broader business model is expected to include branded locations, technology licensing, franchising, and direct-to-consumer products.
Poolhouse’s flagship venue at Liverpool Street in London is currently open. The company said it has received strong interest from landlords in the United States, including potential locations in New York City and Nashville.
Poolhouse has also entered into a franchise agreement with Signature Hospitality Group, an Australian hospitality operator. The agreement is expected to support the company’s expansion in Australia as it builds an international presence.
The Poolhouse leadership team includes executives with experience in competitive social entertainment, premium hospitality, and global sports technology distribution.
Steve and Dave Jolliffe previously helped create Topgolf and Puttshack, two concepts that combined traditional sports with technology, hospitality, and social entertainment. O’Brien serves as Poolhouse’s co-founder and CEO.
Ross Butler serves as chief operating officer and previously held CEO and COO roles at restaurant group Gaucho. Steve Lane is head of distribution and formerly served as managing director of Topgolf’s international business, where he helped expand the Toptracer technology platform globally.
Paul Hawkins, the founder of Hawk-Eye, has led the vision-processing development behind BillyQ. The company’s existing investors include DMG Ventures, Bolt Ventures, Active Partners, Sharp Alpha, and Emerging Fund.
The transaction represents the tenth investment from Bluestone Equity Partners’ inaugural $350 million fund. Bluestone specializes in investments across sports, media, and entertainment businesses.
As part of the financing, Bluestone Partner Walker Brumskine will join Poolhouse’s board of directors. Bluestone Principal Jake Harris will become a board observer.
Poolhouse intends to use Bluestone’s industry relationships, investment experience, and global network to support the company’s venue rollout and expand the distribution of BillyQ.
By combining modern gameplay, automated scoring, player data, and hospitality, Poolhouse is seeking to apply the technology-enabled social entertainment model previously used in golf to the global cue sports market.
KEY QUOTES:
“Cue sports have extraordinary global reach and are inherently social, with a centuries-old foundation and millions of tables in use worldwide, yet the category has never had a scaled technology and data layer. Poolhouse is building that infrastructure with a team that has already helped define modern competitive social entertainment. For Bluestone, this is a compelling opportunity to back exceptional operators in one of the largest global participatory sports categories, representing a multi-billion-dollar market, and to help build a category leader across venues, licensing, and the home.”
Bobby Sharma, Founder and Managing Partner of Bluestone Equity Partners
“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. Bluestone is the ideal partner for this next phase. Their portfolio of complementary sports, media, and entertainment businesses, combined with their global network and institutional approach, will accelerate our ambition to build a worldwide platform powering pool anywhere it’s played.”
Steve Jolliffe, Co-Founder of Poolhouse
“Poolhouse is building a platform that can scale far beyond our branded venues, combining best-in-class hospitality with a proprietary technology layer designed to unlock new ways to play, compete, and engage with cue sports. With Bluestone’s partnership, we are well-positioned to accelerate our global expansion and establish BillyQ as the underlying infrastructure for cue sports worldwide.”
Andrew O’Brien, Co-Founder and CEO of Poolhouse
