Owner of Sheffield crazy golf venue Golf Fang secures £5.5m for further UK expansion

The funding from ThinCats, the growth lender to mid-sized SMEs, will aid the company’s plans for further expansion across the UK.

Founded in 2016 by Kip Piper and Dan Bolger, Big Fang Collective has grown from its original Ghetto Golf experience in Liverpool to become a multi-venue business, employing more than 260 people.

The group, which is backed by leisure, lifestyle and entertainment specialist, IMBIBA, has expanded its proposition to include in-house pizzeria Nothing Cheezy and Big Fang Karaoke, an immersive karaoke destination, both of which launched within the Liverpool venue in 2023.

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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 said in a statement: “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, business development director at 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.”

Golf Fang Sheffield is located on John Street, near Bramall Lane football stadium in Highfield,