Future Château has secured investment to support growth at the premium mid-strength wine startup as demand for lower-abv offerings continues to rise.
The £700k in pre-seed funding will back the launch of its second vintage this spring, alongside further product innovation and a brand refresh.
Tom Benn, former head of growth at Naked Wines, launched Future Château in 2025, producing wine from premium grapes using traditional techniques, but with two-thirds less alcohol.
The funding round was backed by a high-profile syndicate of investors across alcohol, low & no and branding, including Shilen Patel, co-founder of Distill Ventures and chairman at Lucky Saint and Moth; Benet Slay, former UK CEO at Carlsberg and GB MD at Diageo; VC firm Anotherway Ventures; Wild co-founder Charlie Bowes-Lyon; and Rugby World Cup winner Will Greenwood.
“The level of excitement we’ve seen from genuine legends of both the drinks industry and the low & no space has been incredibly validating,” Benn said.
“It shows that the people closest to society’s changing relationship with alcohol don’t believe the answer lies at the extremes – but in something a bit lower in alcohol, while genuinely delicious enough to appeal to all wine drinkers.
“Future Château isn’t about moderation. It’s about the luxury of enjoying the things you want without the consequences you’ve come to expect.”
Future Château’s second vintage is currently in production and includes a “significantly improved” Reserve Blanc and Reserve Rouge, an “enhanced” sparkling, and a new rosé.
The range will launch under a refreshed brand identity, developed with Otherway Studio, the design studio behind Lucky Saint and Moth.
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