Endless West: Molecular Spirits Startup Raises US$21M To Expand Low Carbon Footprint Products Across U.S.

Spirits and technology startup Endless West has raised US$21M in a series B funding to expand the distribution of its environmentally friendly spirits inspired by whiskey, wine, and sake, across the U.S., and the funding, will help scale the R&D and its B2B platform.

U.S.-based molecular company, Endless West’s recent funding round includes backing from Horizons Ventures, Litani Ventures, North East Family Office and SOSV. The new funding bring’s the firm total raised to date to US$33.7 million.

Scientists Alec Lee and Mardonn Chua founded the firm in 2015, when they made use of a technology-driven process to develop homemade spirits after studying the molecular composition of wines and spirits and finding new sustainable sources to extract from like plants, fruits and yeasts.

The process enabled Endless West to create plant-friendly drinks much faster than conventional spirit production and with huge environmental savings: compared to the traditional alternatives, their products require 94% less water and 92% less agricultural land.

In addition to this, the firm utilizes an asset-light strategy by which operations in urban centers are set up, taking out the stage of the spirits being shipped over long distances limiting its carbon footprint.

In a press release seen by Green Queen, Lee said that they want to conserve natural resources and still manage to create new flavours: “At Endless West, we’ve created a brand new category of spirits to directly address and eliminate some of the biggest pain points in the industry. We protect the natural resources used to make spirits, pronounce those unique flavours that define the spirits’ characteristics and innovate flavour through our technology-driven platform.”

We protect the natural resources used to make spirits, pronounce those unique flavors that define the spirits’ characteristics and innovate flavor through our technology-driven platform

Alec Lee, co-founder of Endless West

Its product portfolio includes Glyph, a whiskey-inspired molecular spirit; Gemello, inspired by Moscato d’Asti wine; and sake-inspired Kazoku.

Money raised from the funding will even support the firm’s B2B platform, Blank Collective, which offers the brand’s high-quality spirits at an accessible rate for commercial purposes.

Founder and Managing Partner of Social Impact Capital, Sarah Cone, said: “Endless West is one of the first companies to address climate change and true product innovation in the spirits world. For too long, we’ve been operating under the guise that the finest beverages must be produced using large swaths of land, exploiting precious resources. Endless West’s use of technology presents a precise, flavourful experience without significant amounts of resources such as wood, water, land and energy that is usually needed to produce wine and spirits.“

Going ahead, the company is set to unveil its fourth brand soon. The products are currently available in major bars and restaurants across the U.S. and on its website.

Elsewhere, Next Gen Foods’s plant-based chicken brand Tindle has partnered with F&B company EcoSpirits and Brass Lion Distillery to offer diners a month-long dining event. EcoSpirits is a leading name in the Asian spirits industry that features a closed-loop distribution system in an effort to reduce the use of plastic in the premium spirits supply chain.

Lead image – molecular spirit Glyph, courtesy of Endless West.