Functional soda brand Living Things has announced BrewDog founder and former CEO James Watt has invested in the brand as part of a £500,000 pre-seed round.
The round – which closed with backing from Watt and other investors understood to include high-net-worth individuals, experienced angel investors and family and friends – would support the brand’s rollout in the UK and Europe, Living Things said.
Launched in October 2023 by Ben Vear and Jonathan Relph, Living Things makes lightly sparkling drinks low in sugar and high in fibre and prebiotics.
Its drinks are currently sold in 300 retailers including Whole Foods Market and Amazon, and are set to make their grocery bow this autumn.
As a lead investor, Watt would apply his “market expertise” to help scale the business and open export opportunities, Living Things said.
Funds from the round would be used to expand distribution as well as to develop new products, it added.
“The soda category is ripe for disruption and I believe sodas that are significantly better for you than the incumbents are going to lead that charge,” Watt said. “The Living Things brand and product are both incredible, and the business is led by two fantastic entrepreneurs in Ben and Jonathan.
“I can’t wait to use my experience in drinks to help them scale this rapidly growing business whilst having a positive impact on people’s health and wellbeing,” he added.
Support from Watt was “a real validation” of the Living Things “team, product and brand”, said Vear.
He added: “Our fundraise will support us growing a best-in-class team and accelerate a stand-out product which improves gut health, helps consumers reduce sugar intake, and actually tastes good, too.”
Watt has stepped back from the day-to-day running of BrewDog in order to spend more time pursuing other business interests.
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