Former Campari CEO Bob Kunze-Concewitz has co-founded a start-up studio to support emerging low-and-no-alcohol businesses.
The Liquid Ventures firm was described in a statement as “the first European venture builder” for the low-and-no category.
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Engine Gin and Strucchi vermouth founder Paolo Dalla Mora and Luca Gargano, the owner of the Italian wine and spirits importer Velier, have set up the group alongside Kunze-Concewitz.
Liquid Ventures plans to be a “platform” to create, develop and invest in new drinks brands in spaces like energy, functional non-alcoholic drinks that contain nootropics and adaptogens, and “proxy wines”.
It will also focus on beverages “with a strong focus on emerging trends
among Millennials and Gen Z generations that are redefining the way they drink through a mix of taste, design, and conscious conviviality”, the statement read.
Dalla Mora, who has been named CEO and president of the group, said: “Liquid Ventures was born at a time of epochal change in the new generations’ relationship with alcohol and in the midst of the technological revolution driven by artificial intelligence, with a two-year setup to reach this launch.
“Our goal is to build a company capable of developing sophisticated and
contemporary products and to overcome the idea that ‘alcohol-free’ means ‘inexperienced.’ We are not a traditional idea incubator but a venture builder. We want to create global brands starting from our startups, as happened with Engine, and we are ready to evaluate early-stage projects on the international market.”
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By GlobalDataOver the next five years, Liquid Ventures’ goals include launching “proprietary” low-and-no-alcohol brands and achieving “progressive expansion” in global markets.
It also plans to create what it has called a Liquid Insight Lab, which will be “an observatory dedicated to new beverage trends”, the statement said.
“The structural growth of the low- and no-alcohol market represents a unique opportunity to build a scalable and innovative business,” Kunze-Concewitz added.
“Thanks to the founders’ experience and their ability to anticipate trends, Liquid Ventures has the ambition to become a global player in the sector in the coming years, which could include a stock market listing or a global distribution partnership.”
Kunze-Concewitz announced his retirement from Campari in 2023 after 16 years leading the Aperol brand owner.
At the time, he said he had decided to step down from the group to “pursue personal passions”.
