Harbottle & Lewis has advised Poolhouse on its $55 million growth equity investment led by Bluestone Equity Partners, a global private equity firm focused on the sports, media and entertainment industry.
This Series A round represents the next significant step in Poolhouse’s trajectory and the round will be used to fund the continued global rollout of Poolhouse’s venues, as well as to expand BillyQ, Poolhouse’s proprietary vision-processing platform.
Co-founded by long-standing Harbottle & Lewis clients Steven and Dave Jolliffe (the founders of Topgolf and co-founders of Puttshack) alongside CEO Andrew O’Brien, Poolhouse brings a new dimension to social entertainment. By fusing the timeless game of pool with cutting-edge technology and world class hospitality, Poolhouse has quickly established itself as a standout name in the leisure and entertainment space.
Harbottle & Lewis has advised Poolhouse since the company’s inception, including on its $34 million seed funding round in 2025. The seed funding round was led by Sharp Alpha (a US leisure-focused venture capital investor) and DMG Ventures (DMGT’s consumer venture capital fund) and paved the way for the opening of the company’s highly anticipated flagship London venue at Liverpool Street.
The Harbottle & Lewis team was led by partner Tom Macleod and managing associate Rosie Marston, with support from associates Elizabeth Compton and Suzie Hamilton, and trainee solicitor Hugo Carter.
On working with Harbottle & Lewis, Poolhouse CEO Andrew O’Brien commented:
“Harbottle & Lewis has been a trusted adviser to Poolhouse since the company’s inception and has supported us through each important stage of our development. Tom, Rosie and the wider team went above and beyond throughout this transaction, combining excellent legal judgment with a genuine understanding of what matters to us as a business. Their commitment was exceptional, and we are extremely grateful for their continued support as we enter the next phase of Poolhouse’s growth.”
Commenting on the transaction, Tom Macleod said:
“We are delighted to have supported the Poolhouse team once again on this significant milestone. Having advised the business from its very earliest days and through its seed round last year, it is incredibly rewarding to see the company’s continued growth and momentum. We are excited to see what comes next.”
