Swimming for life · Chicago · Opening 2027

Swimmers outgrow pools.
Not swimming.

Propeller builds the pool for everything after swim school: junior swim team, competitive swim team, water polo, masters and fitness. From the founders of Big Blue Swim School.

Get investor updates View the deck See the opportunity
Kids a week at just seven swim school brands
~1M
Competitive swimmers, flat since 2011
287K
Big Blue franchises sold by our founders
239

The gap

Swim schools grew. Swimming didn't.

Kids a week in swim schools against competitive swimmers, 2011 to 2025 Swim school kids at the seven largest brands grew from about 64,000 to about 935,000. USA Swimming year-round athletes went from 291,000 to 287,000. 20112025
~935Kswim school kids a week
287Kcompetitive swimmers

In 2011, competitive swimming was 4.5× bigger.

Today, swim schools are 3.3× bigger.

Same kids. Same water. One side grew from ~60 locations to 850+. The other went nowhere.

Swim schools: year-end locations of the seven largest brands from their Franchise Disclosure Documents × kids per location. Competitive: USA Swimming year-round athletes, 2025 Membership Demographics Report.

The problem

Kids outgrow the pool. No one builds the next one.

Ages 3–6

Swim school

Small, warm lesson pools.

Thousands built
Ages 6–9

Junior team

The same warm pool with longer lanes. Too hot for older kids.

We built them at Big Blue
Ages 6–99

After swim school

Competitive swim team, water polo, masters, fitness and lap swim need a bigger, cooler, deeper pool.

No one is building them

Nearly every club in America rents its water. Renting isn't an option. It's the problem we're solving.

The club

Build the pool. Run it right.

A pool built for the programs

Our own water, with the lanes, depth and temperature every age after swim school needs. No rented lanes, no bumped practices.

Run by people who've done it

Front desk to pool deck: one playbook, amazing coaches and a delightful experience, from the team that ran Big Blue.

One day in the poolPropellerA rented club
Hours of water17¼3
Programs61
After school, 3–8pmJunior and competitive swim teamNot theirs until 6pm
Junior swim teamCompetitive swim teamWater poloMastersBoutique fitnessLap swim

Who we are

We built Big Blue Swim School.

239
Franchises sold
62
Big Blue locations open today
PE exit
To L5 Capital

John Lonergan

Co-founder & former CEO, Big Blue

Co-founded Big Blue and was its CEO for 10 years. D1 swimmer, University of Iowa.

Mike Lonergan

Former COO, Big Blue

Was Big Blue's COO for 10 years and ran its operations. D1 swimmer, University of Evansville.

Investor updates

Want the full story?

Leave your details and the founders will be in touch with the model and the plan. Invited investors can view the deck.

Book a call with the founders

Already have access? Sign in to the investor portal →