The new world for venture capital

Many investors have abandoned the world of early-stage alcohol startups, leaving a gaping hole in the market. There is less money available to fuel startup growth, and potential buyers are demanding both scale and profitability, extending the time to achieve an exit and reshaping the optimal strategy for building a brand. Over the last five years, Jason Sherman (Top Shelf) and Nick Papanicolaou (No Sleep Beverage) each helped found venture capital firms specializing in alcohol. In this episode we explore where they see opportunity, what they consider when making an investment, and what buyers of the future will ultimately be looking for. In this episode we discuss: The metrics that startups and investors should prioritize when measuring success. The current capital environment for early-stage startups and how to build a brand with way less money than before. Where the corporate VC model succeeded and why it ultimately failed to survive. Where innovation for large firms will come from in the future. Notable time stamps: 2:23 – Jason and Nick share their background and the investment thesis behind their firms. 17:11 – How to measure velocity: The key metric for potential investors. 20:30 – The impact of the general environment on investor sentiment and capital availability for independent brands. 41:00 - A corporate VC post‑mortem and the future of innovation at large alcohol suppliers. Have a question, qualm or story to tell, reach out via email: Bourcard.Nesin@Rabobank.com Sign up to access our written research: RaboResearch sign-up Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services. Disclaimer: Please refer to our global RaboResearch disclaimer at for information about the scope and limitations of the material published on the podcast.

You can listen to The new world for venture capital online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The new world for venture capital is an episode from Liquid Assets: A Beverage Industry Podcast by Julio Pijnappel.

This episode is 01:04:54 long.

This episode was published on Mar 31, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Liquid Assets: A Beverage Industry Podcast when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.