Beesou secures £500,000 funding
UK-based apéritif brand Beesou has raised £500,000 (US$677,000) to increase production and support its expansion into new markets.
Launched in 2022 by Mark Wakefield, B Corp-certified Beesou is made from British honey and bottled at 11% ABV.
The company secured the funds from a UK-based private equity firm, which has also committed £1 million (US$1.35m) over the next three years.
The investment will also support Beesou’s marketing efforts. The company is currently in talks to launch in the US, specifically California.
Beesou has also set its sights on expanding into Italy, France and Germany.
The funding round coincides with the addition of three new members to its team in recent months.
Kieran Gandhi, former managing director of Lanique Spirit of Rose, became part of the Beesou team seven months ago as managing director. Gandhi helped Lanique secure more than 1,500 on-trade listings and expand its international presence.
At the helm of Beesou, Gandhi will work on new partnerships and ensure it has a ‘bold positioning’ while focusing on both trade and consumers.
Alessandro Geraci joined Beesou from Italspirits last month, the marketing and advocacy agency behind aperitivo brands Italicus and Savoia. At Italspirits, he played a key role in the UK success of Italicus during its integration into the Pernod Ricard portfolio.
In his new position of brand advocacy manager, Geraci will work with distributors and venues to boost Beesou in the UK and beyond.
Completing the trio of new hires is Chris Rigby, the former head of strategy at Diageo-owned Don Papa Rum. Rigby is a non-executive director on Beesou’s board.
“We’ve created something genuinely different with Beesou – a liquid that’s as delicious as it is sustainable,” said Wakefield.
“With Kieran, Alessandro and Chris onboard, we now have the talent and experience to take Beesou from cult favourite to global icon. This is just the beginning.”
Beesou donates 10% of its profits to support bee conservation through a partnership with Bees for Development.
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