One of the founders of drinks brand incubator Distill Ventures has set up another accelerator business in a move that appears to thumb the nose at Diageo.
Dan Gasper, who previously worked for the likes of Beam Suntory and Cuervo, was part of the three-strong team to set up London-based Distill Ventures nine years ago, with Diageo as its exclusive partner. The relationship saw the drinks giant welcome non-alcoholic spirit Seedlip, which Distill Ventures initially invested in, to its portfolio three years ago.
Gasper’s new venture, The Ardent Co, officially starts business this week, with the founder, who left Distill Ventures in 2018, highlighting the company’s “independent” status.
“Our goal … is to offer a better way for founders to scale while remaining in control of their business, allowing them to remain independent for longer and realise the full value of the brands they’re building,” Gasper said.
Ardent, which said it is “particularly excited by what is coming out of Mexico and LatAm next after Tequila and mezcal”, has the ability to make investments in start-ups to the value of US$20m, according to Gasper.
The company is headquartered in California.
