ALTR
Nanotechnology preserving flavor in low-alcohol beverages.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | investor | €0.0 | round |
| investor | €0.0 | round | |
* | $5.0m | Seed | |
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Related Content
ALTR is a beverage technology company that has developed a nanotechnology platform to remove alcohol from drinks without compromising taste or sensory experience. Founded in 2020 by Richard Schatzberger and Daron Hollowell, the Phoenix-based firm aims to address the growing market for low and no-alcohol beverages. Schatzberger, the CEO, has a background in technology development, including work at Motorola on early color and camera phones and with startups that developed the Siri and Bixby virtual assistants. His personal decision to stop drinking alcohol highlighted the poor quality of existing dealcoholization methods, inspiring the creation of ALTR. Co-founder Daron Hollowell contributes over 30 years of experience in entertainment, sales, and marketing.
The company operates on a business-to-business model, partnering with beverage producers, with an initial focus on the wine industry. ALTR's core technology, Velvet Blade™, is a membrane-based system that removes ethanol at a molecular level. This "Flavor-First" process is designed to be non-destructive, avoiding the use of heat or high pressure that can harm a beverage's complex flavor, aroma, and structure. The technology enables precise control over the final alcohol by volume (ABV), a concept the company calls "Spectrum Drinking," allowing consumers to choose their preferred alcohol level. This approach also addresses challenges in the wine industry, such as rising alcohol levels due to climate change and shifting consumer preferences towards lower-alcohol options.
ALTR has secured a multi-million dollar pre-seed round and a subsequent $5 million seed round in July 2025. The funding was led by French investment fund Demeter with participation from investors such as Suntory Global Spirits, FTW Ventures, Bluestein Ventures, and Rockstart. This capital is being used to commercialize the technology, accelerate product development, and expand partnerships with global wineries.
Keywords: beverage technology, alcohol removal, nanotechnology, dealcoholization, flavor preservation, low-alcohol, no-alcohol, wine industry, food tech, B2B, Velvet Blade, Spectrum Drinking, ethanol removal, membrane technology, mindful drinking, beverage innovation, craft beverage, sustainable beverage, Richard Schatzberger, Daron Hollowell