The beverage accelerator that gives founders an unfair advantage
InvestBev Accelerator* is an invite-only accelerator for the most promising beverage brands. Get actionable advice, connections, and capital to build and scale your brand faster.
Increase your chance of success
95% of beverage startups fail. We exist for one reason: to help more independent beverage brands succeed. InvestBev Accelerator brings the industry’s best marketers, manufacturers, distributors, legal experts, and investors directly to independent beverage brand founders.
The commitment
InvestBev Accelerator hosts two 3-month programs each year — one in the spring and one in the fall.
Founders meet as a group for two days a month for intensive sessions. Two sessions are held in-person in Chicago, and one is virtual. Founders also attend weekly 1:1 virtual office hours with a Sprout senior partner for personalized coaching on the topics that are most relevant to them.
The curriculum
We help stack the odds in the favor of the independent brand and equip founders with the confidence to make the right decisions for the business. The program’s curriculum is focused on four key pillars, and sessions are taught by leaders in the adult beverage industry.
Product Development
- Customer discovery
- MVP and beta testing
- Product/market fit
- Prioritization and roadmaps
- Launch milestones and scaling
Marketing & Growth
- Persona development
- Competitive analysis and positioning
- Market sizing
- Go-to-market planning and acceleration
- Building a marketing funnel
Business Fundamentals
- Business model
- Compliance
- Funding options
- Marketing analytics
- Operational scalability
- Exit strategies
Leadership Development
- Setting and selling your vision
- Hiring a founding team
- Building your board
- Influence
- Delegation
Pitch day
At the end of the program, founders participate in a pitch competition in front of leading CPG and beverage investors for the chance to receive a $100,000* investment of capital and services from the InvestBev portfolio of brands.
Additional benefits
The support doesn’t stop at the end of the program. Each alum also receives:
- Quarterly office hours with InvestBev senior partners to help them navigate their current business needs
- Invites to InvestBev portfolio events and industry meetups
- Special pricing on sales and distribution services
Don’t just take it from us.
Here’s what past graduates had to say.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our fall cohort kicks off on September 18 in Chicago.
InvestBev Accelerator serves the founders of promising, any-stage brands in the adult beverage space. Those in the alcoholic, non-alcoholic, and cannabis categories may apply. We select brands based on several criteria. In general, brands must:
- Have a proven concept: We require brands to demonstrate initial market validation with sales.
- Be disruptive: Expand a current beverage segment or create a new one.
- Have financial viability.
Each cohort accepts a maximum of 15 brands. Though exceptions can be made, we generally allow one brand per category and subsegment: spirits, beer, wine, non-alcoholic, cannabis, ready-to-drink.
The process is simple:
- Fill out the application form.
- Finalists will be invited to interview with the InvestBev Accelerator team.
- Selected brands will receive a formal invitation.
InvestBev Accelerator offers several payment options that vary from a flat fee to a combination of equity and fee. The program director will discuss cost during your interview process, and you will be able to select a payment that is most aligned with your personal preferences and company stage.
Included in the cost of admission are: all program materials and courses, office hours, and meals and social events during in-person sessions.
InvestBev Accelerator is the brand incubation and accelerator arm of InvestBev. InvestBev is the only organization that supports independent beverage brands at all stages of their lifecycle – from start to store to scale.
We strongly recommend that participants be in Chicago for our sessions.
We believe that in-person interaction enhances the program and outcome for everyone. However, we recognize that travel isn’t always possible and will allow virtual participation if necessary.
Our program is designed for founders who have developed a product and have demonstrated early traction through sales; however, ideas that are disrupting the adult beverage category will be considered.