AUDIO – BY BEING FAMOUS? –
Jan. 20, 2026 – After approaching nearly $10 million in sales during its first year on shelves, Bero, the non-alcoholic beer brand co-founded by actor Tom Holland, will cap off its second Dry January with new investor backing. The startup secured a strategic investment from BetterCo Holdings, a portfolio company of the New York City-based private equity firm Paine Schwartz Partners, which launched it last November to back high-growth companies in the healthy food and beverage space. As part of the round, existing investor Imaginary Ventures also doubled down on its investment. Bero did not disclose the size of the funding.
Bero co-founder and CEO John Herman tells Inc. that this influx of capital will allow the booze-free brand to accelerate its growth and “go on the offensive” during what he called “a very difficult time in history for beer.”
The New York City-based company plans to use the funding to more than double its sales team across the United States and the United Kingdom in an effort to increase distribution, particularly in restaurants and bars, which Herman wants to account for 15 to 20 percent of sales in the long-term. The co-founder says the on-premise channel, which accounts for 55 percent of total beer sales, has the potential to be an even bigger revenue driver as the non-alcoholic category continues to scale.
