Golf Fang operator secures seven-figure funding to fuel further UK expansion

ThinCats, a growth lender to mid-sized SMEs, has provided £5.5m in growth capital to experiential leisure operator, Big Fang Collective (BFC), supporting the business’ plans for further expansion across the UK. 

Founded in 2016 by Kip Piper and Dan Bolger, the business has grown from its original Ghetto Golf experience in Cains Brewery, Liverpool to become a multi-venue business with six indoor sites across the UK, currently employing more than 260 people.  

Each of its venues in Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle, Sheffield, Glasgow and Cardiff, offers a combination of crazy golf, bespoke art, DJs and signature cocktails inside a cathedral of graffiti. 

The group has expanded its proposition and now brings together multiple concepts under one roof; including in-house pizzeria Nothing Cheezy and Big Fang Karaoke, an immersive karaoke destination, both of which launched within the  Liverpool venue in 2023. 

Following the additional £5.5m funding from ThinCats, BFC has sights set on targeting cities across the UK, with several new venue launches already in planning.

Big Fang Collective commented: “Following a successful year in 2023, including the launch of our all-new Big Fang Karaoke concept and first in-house food brand, Nothing Cheezy, we are excited to further accelerate our venue growth plans with the support of ThinCats and our investors, IMBIBA.

“We now have Heads of Terms signed across three major cities and a strong pipeline for the coming year. With the right people, property and funding now in place, we are set to make 2024 our best year yet.” 

Mike Dinnell, Director Business Development, ThinCats, added: “It is fantastic to be involved with a business like Big Fang who clearly have a strategy to grow their brand across the UK. 

“The management team has an ambitious vision and are really pushing the boundaries of the crazy golf experience. I am excited to see their continued growth and to be on this journey with them.”