Big Fish Darts lands British Business Bank loan to scale its pub platform
What's the deal? Big Fish DartsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a Barrow-based startup running interactive darts leagues for pubs, has secured debt funding through the British Business Bank's Start Up Loans programme, delivered by GC Business FinanceDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. Founder Greg Taylor launched the platform last year.
What does it do? The platform helps pubs run grassroots darts leagues. It is free for venues to join, with players paying a small participation fee — a model Taylor built after noticing most competitions target professionals and charge venues heavy fees.
What's the money for? The loan let Taylor hire developers, invest in marketing, and add new features. "The funding from the Start Up Loans programme allowed me to develop the app quickly and bring it to market with confidence," he said.
Why it matters: Backing from the British Business Bank, the UK government's economic development bank, gives an early-stage venture in Cumbria institutional credibility that most first-year startups lack.
Traction so far: Since launching in January 2026, more than 250 UK pubs have signed up. An eight-week league generated between £1,000 and £1,800 in additional revenue per participating pub on average, and the app is now in use in South Africa, Mexico, and Belgium.
What's next? Taylor is building two further platforms: Big Fish Darts Academy, which uses an AI system he trained to analyse a player's throw and match it to a professional, and Big Fish School of Darts, aimed at schools with hardware meeting Sport England and Ofsted guidelines. He is also exploring uses in the charity sector.
The signal: State-backed lending programmes remain a route for community-focused startups outside major hubs to reach market — here, aimed at reviving a hospitality sector Taylor calls a source of "atmosphere, energy and life" for UK pubs.
Read more: Business Crack
Image credit: louisepython
