SWEET AXE THROWING

What SWEET AXE THROWING does

Sweet Axe Throwing Co. is a New Zealand-owned experiential entertainment operator founded in 2018 by Lloyd Bombell and Sarah Hilyard, operating as New Zealand's first urban axe throwing venue. The company runs three physical locations — Wellington (Te Aro, opened September 2018), Auckland (Newton, opened July 2019), and Upper Hutt (Brewtown complex) — with combined capacity for roughly 280 guests across axe throwing lanes and The Smash Room rage rooms. Its core product is guided axe throwing sessions for individuals, small groups, and corporate teams, with tiered pricing from $65 per person (1-hour solo/small group) to $2,000-$2,500 flat-fee exclusive venue hire for 40+ guests, plus a parallel The Smash Room experience from $30 per person.

The business is monetized through a mix of per-session unit pricing, group minimum-charge bookings, gift certificates, league memberships, and on-site food and beverage. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via a self-serve website booking flow, phone bookings, walk-ins, and bottom-funnel gift voucher purchases, supplemented by partnerships with Axes & Ales Tours, Loemis (Skål Viking Experience), and tourism ecosystem partners. The company has taught more than 160,000 Kiwis to throw axes and entertains thousands of corporate clients, while maintaining accessibility-focused equipment (axes from 30g to 1.25kg), WATL competitive league affiliation, and Silver Qualmark, Hāpai Access, and Pride Pledge certifications. The business remains founder-owned, bootstrapped, and New Zealand-only, with a lean 9-employee headcount and no disclosed institutional funding.

Name

SWEET AXE THROWING

Legal name

Sweet Axe Throwing Co.

Website

https://sweetaxethrow.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sweet Axe Throwing is a New Zealand-based experiential entertainment operator founded in 2018 that runs axe throwing and rage room experiences across three venues in Auckland, Wellington, and Upper Hutt, serving individuals, corporate groups, celebrations, and competitive league members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Axe Throwing Entertainment Venues

NAICS

Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131), Amusement Arcades (713120)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Coin-Operated Entertainment (Pinball, Crane/Claw, Jukebox, Darts/Billiards) (MPAEAJAF)

Keywords

• Axe throwing entertainment
• Indoor activity venues
• Rage room experiences
• Corporate team building
• Competitive axe league

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Session-based axe throwing: Per-person pricing for axe throwing sessions with various durations and group sizes, including private lane hire options
2. Gift certificates: Customizable gift certificates sold online with recommended $55 per person amount
3. League membership and programs: Seasonal league memberships, league tasters, and Axes 101 training programs with recurring participation
4. Smash Room / Rage Room: Rage room sessions with smashables starting at $30 per person
5. Food and beverage: On-site sales of light refreshments, alcohol at licensed venues, and catering options

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sweet Axe Throwing Co. operates three physical indoor axe throwing entertainment venues in New Zealand (Wellington, Auckland, and Upper Hutt/Brewtown) where individuals, groups, and corporate clients book coached sessions to throw axes at targets. The company also runs The Smash Room rage room experience at multiple locations, a WATL-affiliated seasonal competitive league, themed special events, and tailored event packages for birthdays, stag/hen parties, and team building.

Product overview

SWEET AXE is New Zealand's leading axe throwing venue operator offering indoor axe throwing experiences across three locations (Auckland, Wellington, and Brewtown Upper Hutt). The core product is axe throwing sessions with professional coaching, complemented by The Smash Room rage room experience. The company operates a seasonal competitive league program (Axe Throwing League) with training modules (Axes 101, League Taster, Sunday Sessions), and offers various event packages including corporate team building, birthday parties, bachelor/bachelorette parties, and themed special events. Gift certificates and partnerships with Axes & Ales Tours and Loemis extend the offering. The business has no digital product or software platform; all offerings are physical venue-based experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Smash Room: Rage room/smash room experience where customers can safely smash items in a controlled environment. Available at Wellington and Auckland locations, with items sourced from charity shops and recycled electronics.

Products and services

• Axe Throwing Sessions Indoor coached axe throwing sessions for individuals and groups (1–120 guests) with safety training, structured throwing protocols, and tournament-style competition across 1-hour to 2-hour formats and exclusive-use hire options.
• The Smash Room (Rage Room) Rage room experience where guests safely smash glassware, electronics, and other items in a controlled environment as a stress-relief activity. Available at Wellington and Brewtown (Upper Hutt) locations, with smashables sourced from charity shops and recycled electronics.
• Axe Throwing League
• League Taster Entry-level sessions introducing axe throwing disciplines (hatchet, big axe, duals) for those considering joining the full league, serving as a pathway to league membership.
• Axes 101 Comprehensive training session for new throwers including coaching, technique development, and a 2-hour session, with Axe Addict membership included upon completion.
• Sunday Sessions Open practice sessions for Axe Addict members allowing 2 hours of axe throwing practice at a discounted member rate.
• Corporate Events & Team Building Customized group booking packages for corporate team building, networking events, staff functions, and client entertainment, supporting 7–120+ guests with dedicated axe-perts and venue-exclusive options.
• Birthday Parties Party packages for birthday celebrations including axe throwing sessions, coaching, and tournament competition, with kids-throw-free promotions during school holidays.
• Bachelorette Parties (Hens) Hen party packages featuring axe throwing instruction, safety training, and friendly tournament competition to crown the group's axe champion.
• Bachelor Parties (Stag) Stag do packages with axe throwing activities, coaching, and competitive tournament format for bachelor parties.
• Gift Certificates Online gift certificates available in customizable dollar amounts for axe throwing experiences, with a recommended price of $55 per person for open sessions.
• Competitive Tournaments
• Special Events
• Skål Viking Experience
• Axes & Ales Tours

Quantifiable outcome

• 160,000+ Kiwis taught to throw axes
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• World Axe Throwing League (WATL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSweet Axe is a WATL affiliate member, participating in official league competitions and following WATL game rules and competitive protocols. NZ throwers represent the country in World Axe Throwing Championships.
• Pride PledgeminorOthersStaff training through Pride Pledge program and provision of pronoun name badges for staff to support LGBTQIA+ inclusivity
• Hāpai Access CardminorOthersParticipating business in the Hāpai Access Card scheme for accessibility for disabled visitors
• Trees That CountminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental partnership where Sweet Axe offers customers the option to donate during booking, matched by Sweet Axe. Trees That Count works to plant millions of native trees in NZ.
• EarthlinkminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRecycling plant partnership for e-waste from Smash Room. Earthlink diverts items from landfill, fixes, cleans and rebuilds electronics and more.
• Trash PalaceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWaste management partnership for Smash Room e-waste recycling and general waste diversion from landfills
• City Mission (Wellington)minorOthersCharity partnership where City Mission provides damaged/unusable donations for Smash Room smashables, helping clear unwanted donations destined for landfill
• Axes & Ales Tours (Brewbus/Craft Beer Tours NZ)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTour partnership offering combined axe throwing and brewery experiences in Auckland and Wellington

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Urban Axes: US-based axe throwing venue chain with multiple locations across major cities. Operates a near-identical model of coached axe throwing sessions, league play, group bookings, and corporate events.
• Stumpy's Hatchet House: US-based competitive axe throwing franchise with locations across multiple states. Operates the same WATL-aligned league model and targets the same demographic of recreational and competitive throwers.
• Bad Axe Throwing: Largest axe throwing chain in North America with 18+ locations, founded 2014. Closest direct competitor operating the same axe-throwing-entertainment model with comparable session-based pricing, WATL-style league structures, and corporate team-building focus.
• Heber Hatchets: Australian axe throwing chain with venues in multiple Australian cities. Same core model and could become a trans-Tasman competitor to Sweet Axe given its closer geographic proximity.
• Bury The Hatchet: US axe throwing franchise with multiple locations. Comparable session-based pricing, league programs, and corporate team-building focus; offers similar add-on experiences like rage rooms.

Others

• World Axe Throwing League (WATL): Governing body for competitive axe throwing and the league Sweet Axe is affiliated with. Provides league structure, tournament rules, and competitive pathway; ecosystem enabler for Sweet Axe's league business rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• Axes and Ales (Brewbus): NZ-based craft brewery tour operator that has partnered with Sweet Axe to offer combined axe throwing and brewery tours in Auckland and Wellington. Adjacent experiential entertainment in the same NZ market.

Broad incumbents

• iFly Indoor Skydiving: Global indoor skydiving franchise chain offering unique adrenaline experiences. Operates in the same experiential entertainment category as Sweet Axe, serving families, corporate events, and group bookings with a larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sweetaxenz
• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLzn3iHhom8iLhx49ObkQClGBX9qdE1y-4
• Instagraminstagram.com/sweetaxenz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sweet-axe-throwing

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SWEET AXE THROWING