Drinks brand Nix & Kix has smashed a £500,000 crowdfunding target at the same time as landing a distribution deal with Coca-Cola backed Iris Nova to break into the US.
The London-based business’ five strong-range of canned drinks will be distributed across the US on Iris Nova’s DTC platform, which takes orders by text message from a base of more than 200,000 customers and also sells its own Dirty Lemon lemonade brand.
The distribution deal comes as Nix & Kix hit a £500,000 funding target in just one day on the Seedrs platform. Investors clamoured to buy into the brand on Sunday while the campaign remained private ahead of a public launch on Monday.
It has now raised £610,000 from almost 160 investors and will continue overfunding, with the money to be used to ramp up marketing, boost e-commerce sales and expand further into the convenience channel.
“Crowdfunding is an exciting step for us as we continue on our mission to be the leading premium soft drink brand” said co-founder Kerstin Robinson.
“We’ve built a strong platform for growth and I am excited to give our customers the chance to become shareholders.”
Fellow co-founder Julia Kessler: “The partnership with Iris Nova couldn’t have come at a better time. We just finished a rebrand, which was well received by the trade, and based on initial feedback we expect the US to be a great opportunity.”
Nix & Kix launched its offering of grown-up soft drinks with a pinch of cayenne in 2017 and has since sold more than five-million units across the UK, Europe and the Middle East.
Its mango ginger, cucumber mint, blood orange turmeric, raspberry rhubarb and watermelon hibiscus flavours are available in 250ml cans and 750ml bottles in the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose, Booths, Holland & Barrett and Ocado, as well as foodservice in Nando’s and Loungers.
The business has also expanded into the convenience channel in BP forecourts and a trial in Nisa stores.
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