BrewDog turns to drinkers to help fund growth

Scotland’s largest independent brewery, BrewDog is attempting to raise £4 million by selling shares directly to beer drinkers through a crowd-funding scheme.

The brewer is extending its previous “Equity for Punks” scheme and is now making 42,000, £95 shares available to anyone who wants to invest in the company.

BrewDog co-founder, James Watt said: “With the help of almost 7,000 punk investors, BrewDog has become the fastest growing food and drink company in the UK. As we need funds for more growth plans, we never considered a bank or an investment group – it’s another opportunity for our customers to benefit from our growth directly.

“This is the world’s biggest independent crowd-funding initiative. It proves that there is a viable alternative to the financial establishment, and as the self-interested banks continue to stunt economic growth, people are looking for better places to put their money.”

Watt added. “With Equity for Punks, beer fans are able to become part of a revolution – not just redefining beer in the UK, but shifting the balance of power away from the banks and back into the hands of the people.”

“We want people to be as passionate about beer as we are – that is the foundation on which Equity for Punks is built.”

In 2011 BrewDog raised £2.2m through its first Equity for Punks, but now the brewer hopes to raise almost double that figure to fund an expansion of its brewery, its bar division and a new series of bottle shops across the UK.

The FSA accredited scheme enables anyone to buy shares in the brewer and shareholders are also given a “lifetime discount at BrewDog’s growing portfolio of craft beer bars, and at BrewDog.com.” BrewDog has opened 12 bars since 2010 and this growth has been largely funded by the Equity for Punks scheme.