Alcohol-free beer brand Brulo has raised over £1m to accelerate its growth in grocery and across the on-trade.
Investors to have backed the brand to the tune of £850k include Zoopla, Cazoo and LoveFilm founder Alex Chesterman, alongside former fmcg heavyweights including Beavertown founder Logan Plant, Funkin Cocktails founder Alex Carlton and Wild founder Freddy Ward.
The brand has so far raised a further £150k via an active Crowdcube raise due to close next week.
Funds would be used to accelerate growth across the on and off-trade, Brulo said, adding it was focused on “unlocking on-trade and grocery listings in key markets where the brand already has strong traction”.
Founded by Beer52 founder James Brown in 2019, Brulo produces a range of alcohol-free beers including its Lust For Life IPA, Highway to Helles lager and Cascadian Tides stout.
Last year, it added CBD IPA – a 0.5% abv brew with 35mg of CBD per can – to its lineup.
Brulo operates an asset-light brewing model, meaning it does not own a physical brewery. Instead, its beers are produced at De Proefbrouwerij brewery in Lochristi, Belgium and imported to markets including the UK, the Netherlands and Japan.
Net sales last year stood at £3.6m, up by a compound annual growth rate of 70% over the past three years, Brulo said.
As part of the round, Brulo has strengthened its leadership team by appointing Carlton and former Funkin and AG Barr executive Andrew King as co-chairs and non-executive directors.
The pair would “support strategy, distribution, and commercial partnerships across UK on-trade, off-trade channels and international territories”, said Brulo.
“This round brings together founders and operators who have built some of the most recognisable consumer brands in the UK,” said Brown. “Their support is a huge vote of confidence in what we’re building.
“Alcohol-free beer is entering a defining phase, and we believe Brulo is uniquely positioned to build a standout global brand in the category.”
Carlton added: “In this industry, you rarely see a founder nail the ‘holy trinity’ right out of the gate, but James has done exactly that with Brulo: an exceptional liquid that genuinely over-delivers on taste, a beautiful, modern brand, and a highly efficient business model.
“Having spent my career building Funkin and Strykk, I knew immediately that I had to be part of this journey.”
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