setting the scene
- many new entrants in the liquor and spirits space rely on celebrities to build a brand ⭐️
- most of these brands lack product differentiation and rely on celebrity marketing to gain a competitive edge 🕶
- this week’s company doesn’t need a celebrity to take on big alcohol brands, instead differentiating through product and mission 🆕
in a sentence
Xoma is a pulcatta, a sustainably produced agave spirit made from distilled pulque
bulleted version: Xoma is neither tequila nor mezcal, but a new agave spirit that’s so smooth you’re bound to say “xo-my-goodness” 🤤
the basics
- industry: liquor, cpg, spirits
- headquarters: produced in Zacatlán, Mexico; distributed from Miami, Florida 🇲🇽🇺🇸
- year founded: 2020
- company size: 203 (the small team of 3 considers the 200 farmers across the supply chain an integral part of the operation)
- investors: Wharton Business School, Lauder Institute, Contrary Capital
- amount raised: $50k
- business model: dtc- online sales
sponsored by
- founders know that building an app is no easy task, but Techstars-backed startup, Apsy, is innovating how apps are built through their AI platform
- Apsy has quickly acquired their first 40 customers, generated $0.5M in revenue in their first year, and will be rolling out a new platform that walks users through building an app via verbal conversation
- Apsy is raising their $2M seed round (with more than half already complete) and running a crowdfunding campaign as well; this is a company worth paying attention to
due diligence
what we like
- 🧠 rethinking the supply chain: the alcohol production process results in excess waste, groundwater pollution, and carbon emissions from shipping
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🌾 transparent purpose: Xoma respects the farmers in their supply chain by paying them 25% sales and preserving ancient farming practices
- these efforts help enhance taste and increase sales
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👏 differentiated product: in a crowded market, entrants must differentiate and cater to their customer
- this new agave spirit has a “dangerously smooth” taste sure to appeal to mezcal and tequila lovers
- this new agave spirit has a “dangerously smooth” taste sure to appeal to mezcal and tequila lovers
potential risks
- 👔 side hustle: all three team members have separate day jobs
- 📈 business model: after paying producers, distributors, and retailers, Xoma is left with 25% sales, which may slow efforts to scale
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🍾 lots of liquor: anyone who has stepped into a liquor store knows how overwhelming it is to make a decision
- with loyal consumer trends and hundreds of options, customer acquisition will be no easy task



founder profiles
- Anthony Morano (senior product manager @ Jobandtalent; prev. @ Culinary Heritage Corp, Huli)
- Iacopo Santini (co-founder @ Naya Homes; prev. @ Bain Capital Credit)
- Alex De Simone (also director of business development @ StarTalk Media; prev. @ VaynerTalent)
comps
why Xoma: Xoma is focused on transparency, preserving a tradition, and disrupting the spirits industry with their unique pulcatta; this is certainly what we call a top shelf startup 🍹
what do you think about this startup?we want to hear from you!
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