Panoramic Growth Equity (Panoramic), an equity investor in fast growing, entrepreneurial UK companies, has invested GBP2.5 million of growth capital into alcohol-free brewing company Big Drop Brewing.
Big Drop was launched in 2016 by entrepreneurs Rob Fink and James Kindred, two friends who wanted to create alcohol-free craft beer that didn’t compromise on taste. Big Drop’s beers have won top prizes in beer awards across the globe – including ‘World’s Best’ at the World Beer Awards – beating full-strength rivals in blind-tastings. Big Drop currently brews in Australia, Canada, USA and the UK, and is available in more than 20 countries.
The investment is part of a GBP3.5m round, with Panoramic investing alongside Rubix Ventures, Flexitalian, and existing investors including Mark Hunter, who was chief executive of Molson Coors, and Stefan Orlowski, former head of Europe at Heineken. The investment marks Panoramic’s 14th investment of Fund 2, with David Atkinson joining Big Drop’s board.
Panoramic’s investment will support Big Drop’s expansion in the UK, US, and Australia. Big Drop has big plans for the rest of the year including a unique London venue and numerous events and activations. This summer, it will reach over 250,000 consumers at festivals like Urban Food Festival, Goodwood Festival of Speed and Bigfoot Festival.
Rob Fink, co-founder and director says: “Big Drop has seen fantastic growth over the last few years, due in no small part to the hard work, commitment and belief of our brilliant team. This investment will give us the turbo-charge needed to build on our mission to brew great tasting beer that just so happens to be alcohol-free and to pursue our vision of being the world’s best-loved alcohol-free beer.
“And, frankly, we couldn’t be happier to be joined on our quest by Panoramic. We’ve had a great deal of interest from private equity recently and these guys, for want of a better cliché, really do get it. It’s a good partnership that gives us a solid platform to take advantage of the massive opportunity that’s opening up in the alcohol-free space right now.”
David Atkinson, Senior Investment Manager, at Panoramic, adds: “Rob, James and the team at Big Drop have created exceptional alcohol-free beers and a premium brand with universal appeal. As consumer tastes develop, the alcohol-free drinks market is experiencing high growth and Big Drop is at its forefront. We share the team’s vision to grow the brand in the UK and overseas and are pleased to provide investment to support this objective.”
