Tipple, a Dublin-based startup founded by gin distiller turned tech entrepreneur Eoin Bara, has raised €4 million in seed funding to modernise one of the world’s most traditional sectors. The funding round was led by Quadri Ventures, with support from Form Ventures and 7percent Ventures, early backers of logistics giant Flexport.
The concept behind Tipple was born when Bara sought to distribute his award-winning Mór Irish Gin internationally and uncovered a surprising reality: despite being worth $1.6 trillion, the alcohol industry still relies heavily on emails, phone calls, and spreadsheets to manage global operations.
Recognising the inefficiencies, Bara — a former AWS engineer turned distiller — set out to address the problem. His company, Tipple, has successfully raised seed funding to create a scalable, technology-driven platform designed to transform how alcohol products are distributed, tracked, and sold worldwide.
“I watched bars struggle to understand their margins, suppliers drown in admin for months, and brands operate completely blind to where their products were actually selling.” said Bara. “Despite being one of the world’s largest industries, alcohol distribution is stuck in the dark ages.”
The scale of the issue is vast. The alcohol market covers production, distribution, and retail across more than 190 countries, yet it continues to operate using manual systems, disjointed processes, and limited data visibility. These outdated approaches contribute to significant challenges, including inefficient supply chains, a lack of real-time insights, and cumbersome payment processes impacting suppliers, distributors, and retailers alike.
Tipple aims to transform this ecosystem with a robust, tech-first platform that delivers greater transparency, efficiency, and trust to all stakeholders. By digitising and streamlining operations, the company sees a significant opportunity to unlock billions in value across a global industry that has remained largely overlooked by technological innovation.
From Gin to Tech
Tipple emerged from Bara’s personal experience navigating the complex world of cross-border alcohol distribution.
That insight has driven a bold mission: to power one in five transactions in the vast and fragmented alcohol industry.
“When you’ve actually lived the problem, you understand it differently,” Bara explained.
“Tipple isn’t just building a feature, we’re building the foundational rails for an industry that’s ripe for transformation.”
The challenges run deep. Manual processes, delayed payments, and lack of data visibility create distrust and inefficiency at every step. “Bars are blind to margin, suppliers chase invoices, and brands lack sell-through data.” said Bara.
“Tipple is here to change that. We’re unifying the ecosystem, from DTC and B2B to backend infrastructure, so everyone from global suppliers, national distributors, and local bars can operate smarter and faster”, Bara added.
With millions of transactions daily mired in inefficiency, Tipple’s platform offers what Bara calls “a once-in-a-generation chance to redefine how alcohol moves from producer to consumer.”
The approach is working. Tipple is now the choice for over 500 brands, including three of the world’s top 10 alcohol companies, including Diageo and Brown-Forman, alongside disruptive brands like AU Vodka.
Powering the Future
The seed funding will support Tipple’s international expansion and deepen its technical integrations as the company continues to modernize the alcohol industry. The funding will accelerate Tipple’s mission to streamline operations for an industry struggling with inefficiencies that cost businesses millions annually in lost time, errors, and missed opportunities.
“Tipple is tackling one of the largest problems in one of the world’s largest, yet most antiquated industries,” said Andrew Drylie, Principal at Quadri Ventures.
“Success can only be achieved through a deep level of domain expertise. The Tipple team possesses a blend of technical and market knowledge that is hard to come by. We are confident that Tipple has the potential to become the infrastructure standard for the global alcohol supply chain,” Drylie added.
For an industry that touches every corner of the globe, from multinational conglomerates to local pubs. Tipple represents more than just efficiency gains. It’s about bringing trust and transparency to a system where everyone currently operates in the dark.