Future Château raises £0.7m to expand lower alcohol wine range
Premium mid-strength wine brand Future Château has secured £0.7m in pre-seed funding to support product innovation, a brand refresh and the launch of its second vintage in Spring 2026.
Future Château has raised £0.7 million in pre-seed funding as demand for lower-ABV wine continues to grow.
The investment will support product development, a refreshed brand identity and the launch of the brand’s second vintage, scheduled for Spring 2026.
Founded in 2025 by Tom Benn, former Head of Growth at Naked Wines and brand-builder at Pip & Nut, Freja and Milliways, Future Château produces mid-strength wines made from premium grapes using traditional winemaking techniques.
According to the company, the wines deliver the aroma, mouthfeel and structure of a classic bottle while containing two-thirds less alcohol.
Investor backing
The funding round was supported by a syndicate of investors from across alcohol, no and low, branding and culture.
Backers include Shilen Patel, founder of Diageo Ventures, ex-chairman of Seedlip and current chairman of Lucky Saint and MOTH; Benet Slay, ex-CEO of Carlsberg, ex-MD of Diageo and ex-Director at Seedlip; and Richard Singh, founder of Wax Clothing and early significant investor in Lucky Saint, Pentire and MOTH.
Other investors include Anotherway Ventures, the sister fund to brand studio Otherway, which created brands including Lucky Saint and MOTH; Charlie Bowes-Lyon, co-founder of Wild Deodorant; Rugby World Cup winner and TV personality Will Greenwood; and Jamie Morton, writer, producer and star of My Dad Wrote a Porno.
Partner Content
Future Château was advised by London law firm Joelson.
Second vintage planned
The investment will fund the brand’s second vintage, currently in production. The new release will include a significantly improved Reserve Blanc and Reserve Rouge, an enhanced Sparkling and a new Rosé.
The wines will launch alongside a refreshed brand identity developed with Otherway Studio, the agency behind Lucky Saint and MOTH.
Founder Tom Benn said: “The level of excitement we’ve seen from genuine legends of both the drinks industry and the low-and-no space has been incredibly validating. It shows that the people closest to society’s changing relationship with alcohol don’t believe the answer lies at the extremes – but in something a bit lower in alcohol, while genuinely delicious enough to appeal to all wine drinkers.”
He added: “Future Château isn’t about moderation. It’s about the luxury of enjoying the things you want without the consequences you’ve come to expect – that have-your-cake-and-eat-it feeling we associate with the super rich, made accessible to everyone.”
Future Château said its second vintage represents the next stage of growth for the brand as demand for premium lower alcohol wine increases across both the on- and off-trade.
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