The entrepreneurs behind the golf simulator company Topgolf are applying their business model to billiards with a new venture called Poolhouse. The two-year-old startup opened a two-story, 21,000-square-foot bar in London two months ago and has secured $55 million in new funding to support its growth.
The financing round was led by Bluestone Equity Partners and values the company at over $100 million, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Poolhouse aims to make its underlying technology available beyond its own venues. The platform, known as BillyQ, utilizes artificial intelligence, tracking cameras, and projectors to transform traditional pool tables into interactive arcade-style games. The system was developed in collaboration with the team behind Hawk-Eye, a computer vision technology used in professional baseball, tennis, and soccer.
At the London location, situated in the city’s historic financial district, the bar features a Las Vegas-themed sports environment. Players can engage in standard games or compete in structured competitions where BillyQ projects graphics onto the tables. These visuals include targets for balls to hit and performance bonuses. The technology also assigns players handicaps, referred to as Q ratings, to balance skill levels among participants.
The concept originated from the pandemic-era collapse of a local pool hall owned by the Jolliffe brothers, Steve and Dave. The twins, who previously created Topgolf and the miniature golf chain PuttShack, sought to make cue sports more accessible to non-professionals. They hired Andrew O’Brien, a former Credit Suisse banker, to lead operations.
O’Brien has worked to refine the tracking system by consulting with a statistics professor.
