…cleverly and innovatively carving himself a niche for a healthier product in a packed market, by using innovative sources of finance. Former bartender Alex Kammerling started Kamm & Sons (formerly Kammerling) two years ago, after six years spent developing a distilled herbal drink with ingredients drawn from traditional medicine. Kammerling had decided that there was “a gap in the market for a healthier drink that wasn’t a gin or vodka”. As great as this idea was, its inventor had to face the challenge of breaking into the packed, competitive drinks market. Kamm & Sons went for it. Money would be hard to get, and conventional bank debt was unaffordable for the small business. Instead, the team used equity crowdfunding platform Crowdcube, and this month raised finance from 64 small investors in return for a combined 30pc stake. This is the second time Kamm & Sons has used Crowdcube to raise finance, following a £180,000 backing in 2011. Their drink, a ginseng-based spirit blended with grapefruit and botanical ingredients, is distilled and bottled in London. Presented in a medicinal style bottle, it is described as, “sits between gin, bitters and liqueurs, and uses 45 different botanicals including four types of ginseng, fresh grapefruit peels, juniper berries, manuka honey, goji berries and echinacea. It can be served neat over ice, with different mixers or used to make a range of cocktails.” You can already find it in various bars, restaurants, hotels, and high-end retailers. With the latest funding, the company is hoping to secure listings in supermarkets and grow their export base to Europe and parts of the US. Kudos to Alex Kammerling for taking the risk of launching a healthier product in the packed drinks market, and using alternative finance to make it work. Every month we recognise and entrepreneur who has grabbed our interest with an innovative idea, a great story, or a valuable project. Do you know who the next Entrepreneur of the Month should be?
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