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The new world for venture capital

Mar 31, 2026

Many investors have abandoned the world of early-stage alcohol startups, leaving a gaping hole in the market. There is less money available to fuel startup growth, and potential buyers are demanding both scale and profitability, extending the time to achieve an exit and reshaping the optimal strategy for building a brand. Over the last five years, Jason Sherman (Top Shelf) and Nick Papanicolaou (No Sleep Beverage) each helped found venture capital firms specializing in alcohol. In this episode we explore where they see opportunity, what they consider when making an investment, and what buyers of the future will ultimately be looking for.

In this episode we discuss:

  • The metrics that startups and investors should prioritize when measuring success.
  • The current capital environment for early-stage startups and how to build a brand with way less money than before.
  • Where the corporate VC model succeeded and why it ultimately failed to survive.
  • Where innovation for large firms will come from in the future.

Notable time stamps:

2:23 – Jason and Nick share their background and the investment thesis behind their firms.

17:11 – How to measure velocity: The key metric for potential investors.

20:30 – The impact of the general environment on investor sentiment and capital availability for independent brands.

41:00 - A corporate VC post‑mortem and the future of innovation at large alcohol suppliers.

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