To fund their 5 year growth strategy, Akasha Brewing Co partner with Equitise to successfully raise $1.75m!
Overview
In June 2022, craft brewery Akasha successfully raised over $1.73m from a total of 543 investors. This raise continued Equitise’s success with craft brewery Equity Crowdfunds, having raised $1.5m for Batch Brewery and $2m for Spinifex in 2021.
Who are Akasha
Founded in 2015 in Sydney’s Five Dock, Akasha has helped spearhead Australia’s blossoming love affair with high-quality, hop-forward beer, rapidly becoming one of the most celebrated and successful independent breweries in the country.
With a nationally recognisable brand, a stellar core range of highly awarded, eminently sessionable beers, and an expanding roster of limited release seasonal projects that pushes the art and science of brewing to new heights of invention, Akasha is now poised to expand.
Akasha’s current range spans two key segments - its core range and seasonal range, known as Akasha project. Its core range being a hallmark of consistency and quality, it can be found at over 800 independent bottle shops, bars, pubs and clubs across Australia. The Akasha project range represents an exciting expansion into new and diverse tastes, with each beer having its own unique flavour profile.
One of Australia’s Top 30 independent craft producers by volume with revenue growth far exceeding the market as a whole, Akasha is currently making inroads into the Southeast Asia market with no plans of taking its foot off the accelerator.
Why we liked the opportunity
1. Consistent growth, year on year on year
Since its inception, Akasha has achieved consistent double-digit revenue growth each year, growing by more than 35% in FY20/21. E-commerce sales continue to soar, forecasted to drive even stronger future growth with an estimated 20% of total sales predicted in this channel alone in the next few years.
2. Accelerating demand – here and overseas
To keep up with the growing thirst the market has for both kegs and canned beer, Akasha is currently expanding its production capacity to 1.5M litres. Not only will this ensure more Australians can access Akasha’s high quality, highly awarded beers, it will support further growth in the rapidly developing Southeast Asian market.
3. One of Australia’s most beloved – and most awarded – craft breweries
In the world of craft beer, quality – independently assessed by the people who are most passionate about it – is everything. Every year since its founding, Akasha has held one or more places on the undisputed leaderboard of craft beer, the GABS Hottest 100.
It has won Gold, Silver and Bronze at the Australian International Beer Awards, and has been consistently recognised by craft lovers as amongst Crafty Pint’s ‘Best New NSW Beers’ from 2015-2021. Recently, its Canada Bay XPA has been awarded Best XPA in Australia by Vintage Cellars, in one of the country’s biggest blind tasting competitions.
And that’s just a paddleboard sampler of the accolades earned to date…
4. Taking the love of local to new heights – wherever you are
Akasha’s core range of beers is found in over 800 independent bottle shops, bars, pubs, and clubs around Australia, and currently distributed to every state in the country – with limited seasonal releases gaining strong footholds as well.
5. A community of superfans, that’s growing every day
One of Akasha’s proudest achievements is the loyal community that it has built, brought together by a shared love of great beer.
This community comes together not only at Akasha’s Taproom and Beer Garden in Five Dock, but across the country through a regular calendar of tap takeovers, product launches, collaborations and events, plus social media channels followed by over 20k people and growing.
Recent collaborations with Barrel & Batch, Western Sydney Magpies, West Harbour FC Pirates, Brooklyn Boy Bagels and more reveal Akasha’s commitment to creating unique beers that bring together people from all walks of life in shared celebration of the craft.
6. Giving back in the things that matter
Akasha is not simply about its beer. It’s about trying to make the world better in whatever way it can, wherever it’s able.
That’s why Akasha is a grassroots sponsor of local sporting teams like West Harbour Pirates, Drummoyne Rugby Club and Drummoyne Water Polo Club. It’s why it directs proceeds from its annual International Women’s Day special release beers to organisations that need them most, and why it started Akasha Gives in support of our community partners, raising awareness and finance for causes that are important to the brewery and to its collaborators.
And its why Akasha is actively pursuing ways to minimise its ecological footprint, through LED lighting, 100% recycled pak-techs, water re-use initiatives, solar panels, carbon offset credits and more, with the aim of making it one of the cleanest, greenest breweries in the country.
7. An experienced founder, backed by a first-rate team of international taste
As co-founder and head brewer of Riverside Brewing Company back in 2011, Dave Padden had already made a name for himself in the Australian brewing community before launching Akasha in 2015. With over a decade in the industry, Dave has a breadth of knowledge about all things brewing, and has assembled a team of experts drawn from the four corners of the globe – each of whom are given the opportunity to express themselves creatively on the brewery floor, expanding and enhancing Akasha’s offering like few other breweries today
Key Takeaway
Clearly articulated growth strategy
In recent times there has been an explosion of Australian craft breweries leading to an increasingly competitive market. As consumer consumption increasingly shifts towards premium, craft offerings, major players such as Asahi and Lion have made several acquisitions providing exits for founders and shareholders. The Akasha team has a clearly articulated 5 year growth strategy, with key milestones and targets that they believe will continue to separate them from competitors. Whilst some craft breweries have entered Equity Crowdfunding raises with the intent to remain independent indefinitely, Akasha are committed to maximising shareholder value and seeking returns and exits in whatever form they present.