WineFi, a London-based fintech, has raised £1.5m in seed funding led by Coterie Holdings, a British fine wine group, with participation from SFC Capital, Founders Capital and several angel investors. The funding will be used to enhance WineFi's data-driven platform for fine wine investment, aiming to open up the asset class to a wider range of investors.
Founded by Oliver Thorpe and Callum Woodcock, both formerly in asset management roles at Fidelity International and J.P. Morgan, WineFi offers high-net-worth individuals, family offices and funds access to detailed data and insights for building wine portfolios. Historically, fine wine investing has been managed through merchants, often lacking transparency and structured information. WineFi seeks to change this by delivering a standardised, transparent investment platform.
The platform enables co-investment into diversified wine portfolios, with minimum investments starting at £3,000, appealing to investors looking for alternative assets during periods of market uncertainty.
WineFi has partnered with Lympid, a digital asset platform, to introduce fractionalised fine wine investments using blockchain technology. This collaboration aims to improve transparency and liquidity within the fine wine market and attract a broader base of modern investors.
Coterie Holdings has also taken a strategic equity stake in WineFi. As part of the partnership, Michael Saunders, CEO of Coterie Holdings, has joined WineFi’s board of directors, bringing more than 40 years of experience in the fine wine industry.
