The Lost Estate, known for creating top-tier immersive live arts experiences that combine music, theatre, and hospitality, has announced the successful completion of its first private investment round.
Based on the size of the equity stake and the invested capital, the round values The Lost Estate at nearly £10 million. Although the exact terms are confidential, this deal highlights the company’s strong performance and investor trust in its long-term growth and financial health.
The valuation recognises The Lost Estate’s successful immersive culture model, as well as its growing project pipeline and the strength of its creative and operational leadership. This signifies a major milestone in the company’s evolution.
This performance has made The Lost Estate an increasingly attractive proposition for investors, and its first funding round comes at a pivotal and exciting moment in the company’s growth.
The company has grown over 500% in the past three years and is on course to hit £20m in revenue in the current financial year, supported by a 30-person head office team and a freelance and part-time workforce of more than 200 across its two sites in West Kensington and Peckham.
An expert team
Mark “Fish” Fisher, a co-founder of Merlin Entertainments and non-executive director of The Lost Estate since January 2025, is leading the private investment.
Over his 25-year tenure at Merlin, Fisher was instrumental in transforming the company from a UK-based operator into a global leader in location-based entertainment, managing major brands such as Legoland and Madame Tussauds.
In his previous role as Merlin’s chief development officer, he directed international growth, creative development, and site strategy across multiple continents—experience that directly supports The Lost Estate’s aim to expand its unique immersive cultural model.
Mark Fisher and Nick Mackenzie
A group of private investors joins him, including Nick Mackenzie, CEO of Greene King and former managing director of Merlin’s Midway Attractions. At Merlin, Mackenzie managed over 100 attractions globally, including the London Eye and Madame Tussauds, before becoming Greene King’s CEO in 2019.
Since then, he has led one of the UK’s most well-known hospitality groups through a period of change, applying his extensive expertise in large-scale consumer operations, brand-focused guest experiences, and hospitality innovation.
Together, they offer extensive and complementary expertise in global entertainment, hospitality, and brand development, aligning with The Lost Estate’s vision to transform the future of live cultural experiences in the experiential hospitality sector.
The milestone marks another significant step in The Lost Estate’s growth as a highly ambitious, rapidly expanding company. Committing to large-scale expansion, the funds will help The Lost Estate realise its long-term growth strategies by supporting growth across the UK and into the US over the next five years.
Additionally, the company will invest in creating a new brand platform, set to launch in 2026, and in enhancing its internal marketing technology stack to improve audience insight and operational efficiency.
Current TLE experiences include: the New York Jazz Age experience, 58th Street at its Peckham location, and the seasonal A Christmas Carol experience, The Great Christmas Feast, now in its 8th year at West Kensington.
The Great Christmas Feast, Lost Estate
Plans for 2026 include launching a new Parisian Cabaret experience, Chat Noir! in Q1, a new late-night experience at 58th Street, and a Manchester location opening in Q4.
A bright future
Eddy Hackett, co-founder and executive producer of The Lost Estate, says:
“From the moment I met Fish, it was clear that his exceptional experience, insight, and extensive professional network would be invaluable to The Lost Estate.
"Our partnership deepened when he joined as a Non-Executive Director, and I’m thrilled that our relationship has now evolved further with Fish becoming an investor in TLE, alongside his long-time friend and former Merlin Entertainments MD, Nick Mackenzie.
"Nick and Fish are an extraordinary fit for The Lost Estate: inspiring leaders at the forefront of the entertainment and hospitality industries, and passionate champions of our mission to unite immersive arts and commerce in defining the experiential hospitality category.
"I’m delighted to welcome them both as investors and to thank them for their commitment as we continue building unforgettable worlds - reaching more people, more often, in more places.”
Chat Noir!, Lost Estate
Fisher adds:
“The Lost Estate represents the very best of British creative entrepreneurship - a company that has built something genuinely new in live culture.
"Eddy, Rowan, Will and the team have created a model that fuses art and entertainment in a way audiences love. It’s a particular pleasure to be co-investing with my good friend Nick. I’m excited to see what we can achieve together as a team. I couldn't be prouder to support TLE as it scales its vision.”
Mackenzie says:
“What The Lost Estate is doing sits right at the intersection of culture, hospitality, and experience – it’s fresh, it’s exciting, and it’s got huge potential. I’m delighted to be joining the journey at this stage, as they build one of the most distinctive entertainment brands in the UK.”
See also: Time travel, music, and glamour with The Lost Estate
