Topgolf founders raise $34m to turn pool hi-tech as activity bars boom

The venue will use pool tables, balls and cues from the traditional game but adds tracking technology and video projections in an attempt to appeal to larger groups. Photograph: Gencho Petkov/Alamy

Pool sharks could soon be playing a digitally enhanced version of the bar-room sport, after the British founders of the competitive leisure venues Topgolf and Puttshack raised $34m (£25m) to turn the game hi-tech.

The venture is the latest attempt to offer a technological twist on traditional competitive pastimes alongside food and drink to attract younger audiences who want more than a pint in the pub.