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Distill Ventures hires investment director

Diageo-backed accelerator programme Distill Ventures has added Nicolas Proszenuck to its North American team as investment director.

Nicolas Proszenuck has joined Distill Ventures’ North American team

Based in New York, Proszenuck will lead new investments across the continent and work with Distill Ventures’ existing portfolio companies to “complement and accelerate” the growth of the range in the spirits and non-alcoholic drinks categories.

“We are thrilled to welcome Nicolas to the growing Distill Ventures team here in the US,” said Gonzalo De La Pezuela, founder and managing director, Distill Ventures North America.

“As we continue to bring new entrepreneurs into the DV (Distill Ventures) portfolio and nurture existing brands, Nicolas will play a vital role in ensuring we create the best possible partnerships and outcomes for our brands.”

Proszenuck has worked with leading food and drinks companies across the US and Europe, and has financial and strategic advisory experience across mergers and acquisitions, portfolio reviews and new ventures.

He joins Distill Ventures from US investment banking company Centerview Partners in New York, having joined the firm’s London office in 2012.

Proszenuck added: “At the crossroads between corporate and venture capital, Distill Ventures is ideally positioned to capture new opportunities in a rapidly evolving industry by supporting founders and enabling brands to scale and realise their full potential.

“I look forward to working closely with a team who has an impressive record of identifying new brands and partnering with founders through its unique investment and accelerator model to deliver the next phase of growth across the North American and global portfolio.”

To date, Distill Ventures has invested more than US$75 million in 15-plus drinks brands including: Seedlip, the “world’s first” non-alcohol ‘spirit’; Danish whisky distillery Stauning; Australian whisky producer Starward; German apéritif Belsazar, and American single malt whiskey Westward in September 2018. 

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