This latest round includes investment from BrewDog co-founder James Watt and Eberechi Eze, Premier League footballer and England international. The close of this funding round brings total investment into the company to £5m.
Watt will take on the role of strategic advisor, guiding Virtue founder Rahi Daneshmand on how best to scale the business globally, while Eze will be actively involved in Virtue’s marketing strategy, amplifying the brand’s presence following the deal.
Commenting on the investment, James Watt said: “It is seldom that I see a drinks brand that genuinely excites me. In Virtue I found an amazing product led by a brilliant entrepreneur. I found Virtue first and foremost as a consumer and I am delighted to now be helping them on their growth journey.”
Marketing strategy
Virtue will use the funding to strengthen its marketing strategy in a bid to drive brand awareness in the UK, Europe and ‘beyond’. The investment will also help support the growth of Virtue’s team and significantly increase global distribution.
Virtue founder and chief executive Rahi Daneshmand added: “We are really excited to partner with Eberechi Eze and James Watt to build the leading clean energy drink brand globally. Their belief in our vision and commitment to our growth emphasises the positive impact we plan to achieve together.
“As the first all-natural energy drink with zero sugar and zero calories, Virtue is well positioned to lead the way for clean energy. These partnerships mark the start of an exciting next chapter for Virtue, and we can’t wait for even more people to enjoy our clean energy drinks.”
Natural energy
Founded in 2016 by entrepreneur Rahi Daneshmand, Virtue energy drinks are billed as a clean-label alternative to existing sugary and ‘artificial’ energy drinks or coffee. The brand is powered by yerba mate, a green leaf with 24 essential vitamins & minerals, 15 amino acids, and more antioxidants than green tea.
The brand is certified carbon neutral and vegan and sold in 20 countries globally, including leading UK and international stockists such as Waitrose, Whole Foods Market, Ocado, Morrisons, Motor Fuel Group, Casino, Carrefour, and Spinneys.
Meanwhile, supermarket chain Lidl is on track to exceed its five-year investment commitment by £6bn, new figures show.
The retailer had committed to investing £15bn in the British food industry over a five-year period that is set to end with the conclusion of FY24.