Bespoken Spirits Raises $2.6M to Pioneer AI-Driven Whiskey Aging
Bespoken Spirits, a Silicon Valley-based innovator in spirit production, has secured $2.6 million in seed funding to advance its groundbreaking machine learning approach to accelerated whiskey aging. The round attracted notable investors including Clos de la Tech owner T.J. Rodgers and baseball legend Derek Jeter.
The Founders Behind the Innovation
The company was co-founded by:
- Stu Aaron: Former executive at Bloom Energy, BlueJeans, and Mixpanel
- Martin Janousek: Bloom Energy alumnus and holder of multiple Bloom Energy patents
Disrupting Traditional Aging with ACTivation Technology
While accelerated aging isn’t new to the spirits industry, Bespoken claims to be the first to combine it with machine learning through their proprietary ACTivation technology:
- Aroma
- Color
- Taste
“Our technology actively controls chemical reactions to produce premium, tailored spirits in days rather than decades,” explained Aaron. “We’re eliminating the passive waiting game of traditional barrel aging.”
Industry Recognition and Competitive Advantages
Despite skepticism in the traditionally artisanal spirits world, Bespoken has already won multiple competition awards. The company highlights key benefits of their approach:
- Reduces the 20% product loss from evaporation in traditional aging
- Provides consistent, replicable results
- Offers financial flexibility for craft distilleries
- Enables rapid innovation cycles
Three-Pronged Business Model
Bespoken operates across three market segments:
- Own Brand Spirits: Currently available in California, Wisconsin, and New York
- Maturation-as-a-Service: Helping craft distilleries accelerate time-to-market
- Private Label Production: Creating custom spirits for retailers and hospitality businesses
Pandemic-Driven Opportunities
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unexpected opportunities:
- Breweries with excess beer can upcycle it into premium whiskey
- Retail chains seeking distinctive house brand spirits
- Distillers needing faster inventory turnover during financial strain
Data-Driven Spirit Creation
Bespoken’s process involves:
- Extensive data collection throughout production
- Expert tasting panel evaluations
- Machine learning to replicate or modify successful profiles
“We’re collecting data we don’t even know how we’ll use yet,” noted Janousek, highlighting their forward-looking approach.
Investor Perspective
“Bespoken’s ability to deliver both quality and variety is unprecedented,” said investor T.J. Rodgers. “They’ve already produced an impressive range of top-tier spirits validated in blind tastings and competitions.”
Funding Utilization
The seed round will accelerate:
- Market expansion
- Technology development
- Product line growth
Editor’s Note: The author sampled Bespoken’s products but makes no claims to whiskey expertise.
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