$1.4 Million Raised in Funding for New App That Facilitates Investments in Wine, Whiskey and More

Koia, a new investment app for collector products including whiskey and wine, raised $1.4 million in its pre-seed round of funding. (Photo: Koia)

Koia, a new European investment platform for “alternative assets,” including fine whiskeys and wines, announced Thursday that it raised $1.4 million in its pre-seed round.

The funding round was led by Seedcamp, one of Europe’s top seed funds. Investors in the round include RTP Global, Portfolio Ventures and unnamed angel investors. The new investors join Koia’s earlier backers, which include co-founders of Monzo and Freetrade.

Koia’s mission is to make alternative assets accessible to anyone via fractional ownership.

“Koia aims to break down barriers of entry and let anyone own a piece of an iconic asset previously only accessible to the wealthiest 1%,” according to a news release. “The startup is launching with collectibles like watches, fine wine and Pokémon Cards with a vision to ultimately be able to fractionalize any kind of physical or digital asset.”

The news release noted that interest in collectibles is at an all-time high, with 2021 seeing record-breaking sales across a wide range of categories from sneakers to trading cards to whiskey.

“We want to enable a fractional economy and open up access to opportunities previously only accessible to the ultra-wealthy,” said co-founder Iris ten Teije. “We want to make buying and selling a fraction of a Rolex, as fast and frictionless as buying a fractional share in your favorite company.”

As part of Koia’s platform, it makes alternative assets more accessible by providing storage, insurance and authentication.

“We’re thrilled to partner with the Koia team on their journey to create the leading fractional marketplace,” said Tom Wilson, partner at Seedcamp. :We’re seeing a new wave of collectors who are increasingly investing in what they’re passionate about – be that NFTs, basketball collectibles or luxury watches – with a booming alternative asset market as a result. Koia is perfectly placed to further democratise this market by better serving users looking to get access to unique collectibles and we’re excited to see how they will change the alternative asset landscape.”

One asset listed on Koia’s website is a £70,000 bottle of Macallan 78 Year Old The Red Collection.

In September, whiskey broker Mark Littler released a free 82-page “Whisky Bottle Investment Guide.”

Here at Whiskey Raiders, we do more than write about current events in whiskey. We are the only media property reviewing whiskeys and aggregating the scores and reviews of other significant voices in the whiskey world in one place. If you’re interested in getting a shot of whiskey in your morning email, sign up for our Daily Dram Gram!