The fine wine investment space has traditionally been divided between wine merchants focused on both drinking and collecting, and bespoke investment businesses that operate similarly to merchants but with additional management fees. WineFi, the wine investment fintech that provides investors with a data-driven approach to fine wine investing, was established to cater to investors who primarily view wine through an investment lens.
“We provide investors with diversified, cost-efficient exposure to a fascinating asset class that has historically been limited to specialists. The company bridges the gap between these two approaches,” said Callum Woodcock, CEO at WineFi, in a conversation with TFN.
Today, WineFi closed its £1.5m seed round, led by Coterie Holdings, one of the industry’s largest and most prestigious wine groups — a significant milestone for this historically fragmented sector. The raise included a crowdfunding component and attracted several high-profile angel investors, while existing VC investors SFC Capital and Founders Capital increased their shareholdings. Total funding now stands at £2m, with the valuation undisclosed to TFN.
“This round will fuel growth and expand WineFi’s rapidly growing team as we set our sights on becoming the go-to solution for investors seeking to access fine wine as an asset class. As part of this drive, WineFi aims to develop industry fiduciary standards further — soliciting third-party audits for client asset segregation, valuation accuracy reviews, portfolio management practices, and ‘conflicts of interest’ policies, said Woodcock.
McKinsey predicts that 30% of all global capital will be invested in alternative assets over the next five years — a $2-3 trillion shift. As the first mover in this space, WineFi is well-positioned to capitalise on the growing demand for returns less correlated with equity, bond, and commodity markets.
How WineFi bridges the investment and wine expertise gap
Founded by Oliver Thorpe and Callum Woodcock, who began his career at investment managers Fidelity International and J.P. Morgan Asset Management, WineFi’s raise comes as investors seek diversification away from mainstream assets amid global economic uncertainty.
“We created WineFi to serve investors who view wine primarily through an investment lens, offering them diversified, cost-efficient exposure to a fascinating asset class that has historically remained exclusive to specialists. While many of our investors are also wine enthusiasts, WineFi seeks to bridge the gap between the two.”
WineFi is a fintech specialising in fine wine investments that addresses a market gap left by traditional wine merchants and investment businesses focused on drinking and collecting. It provides deep insights and data about expertly curated fine wine portfolios to individuals and institutions seeking wine investments. The company makes fine wine investment accessible and cost-effective through its market-leading data science and the multi-decade expertise of its veteran investment committee.
This raise marks a major milestone for a fragmented industry previously dominated by standalone advisory firms operating without comprehensive data models or portfolio management ecosystems. WineFi’s approach combines detailed quantitative analysis with in-depth domain expertise from seasoned industry professionals to guide high-net-worth investors and family offices in building fine wine portfolios.
Through its syndicate structure, WineFi enables individuals to co-invest in diversified, expertly curated wine portfolios with minimum investments of just £3,000. The platform is rapidly bringing professional-grade investment education to an asset class that has historically lacked the data-driven analysis investors expect from traditional asset managers.
“Most of our clients are either high-net-worth individuals or high earners looking to allocate 2–10% of their portfolio to racier alternatives, whether it’s collectables like fine wine or illiquid alts like early-stage startups,” Woodcock explained. “And given the unpredictable nature of traditional investment havens like the S&P 500 and even supposedly safe havens like US Treasuries, we’re increasingly seeing customers turn to wine for diversified returns.”
In the past year, WineFi has emerged as one of the UK’s notable startup success stories, earning recognition as Wine Investment Company of the Year from the International Elite 100 Awards and Early Stage Standout at The Great British Entrepreneur Awards. Coterie Holdings’ backing carries significant weight, given the wine group’s esteemed industry reputation.
How WineFi’s expert analysis powers portfolio management
WineFi enables investors to build bespoke portfolios or co-invest in diversified, expertly curated portfolios. By combining quantitative data analysis with decades of wine expertise, WineFi helps investors access a historically high-performing, tax-efficient asset class with low correlation to traditional investments.
High-net-worth investors and family offices increasingly seek to diversify their portfolios with fine wines. This trend aligns with growing interest in other collectables such as whisky, fine art, and classic cars. All wines are stored in Coterie Vaults, a state-of-the-art, UK government-bonded warehouse, where environmental conditions are carefully controlled to maintain investment-grade quality.
WineFi’s business model features transparent pricing with a 2.5% annual fee that covers storage, insurance, and, uniquely, brokerage at the time of sale. This structure eliminates the typical 10% merchant commission on wine sales, offering investors better value. The company provides both syndicated investments for individual investors and bespoke portfolio services for family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals who prefer direct ownership of wine assets.
“The fine wine investment space has historically been split between wine merchants focused on drinking and collecting rather than investing, and bespoke investment businesses that operate like merchants with added management fees,” said Callum Woodcock, Founder and CEO of WineFi, formerly of J.P. Morgan.
Regarding competition, Woodcock noted: “The fine wine investment space has historically been fragmented between wine merchants focused on drinking and collecting rather than investing, and bespoke investment businesses that operate like merchants with added management fees. The wine investment model hasn’t evolved significantly in decades, which is where WineFi brings a fresh approach combining deep wine expertise with modern financial tools.”
Speaking on behalf of Coterie Holdings, CEO Michael Saunders, who has been a member of the board since February 2024 and brings 40 years of industry experience to WineFi, said: “The wine investment model hasn’t changed significantly in decades. WineFi’s fresh approach combines deep wine expertise with modern financial tools to make this historically compelling asset class more accessible to sophisticated investors. Callum’s razor focus on transparency and the company’s use of data and technology is going to give them an outlier competitive advantage in this growing market.”
