Tiny bubbles. In the wine. Makes me happy. And piques investor interest, apparently. Paris-based startup Aveine, which makes a connected wine aerator, announced this week that it has raised a €1 million ($1.13M USD) from the Newfund innovation fund to expand internationally.
Aveine is a device that fits on the top of a wine bottle and shoots tiny air bubbles into the wine as you pour it. This may sound like next-level wine snobbery and silliness, but aerating wine is an important step in getting the full flavor experience out of a bottle.
However, not all wines should be aerated the same, which is where the Aveine comes in handy. Users scan the wine label with the accompanying mobile app, which talks to the bottle top device. Using on the company’s database of 10,000 wines, Aveine algorithmically adjusts how much air is injected into the wine based on its varietal and vintage. According to the company, these bubbles create more surface air-rea for the wine to interact, delivering a “rounder” wine with more taste than one would get drinking it straight from the bottle.
When we covered Aveine last year, its device was available to pre-order for $100 on Indiegogo, where the company raised more than $150,000 from backers. Those backers got a great deal back then as the retail price for the Aveine has jumped to €399 in France and $449 internationally. That is a lot of le pain to shoot air in du vin.
With its new funding, Aveine says it plans to expand further internationally into the United States and Asian markets. In the funding press announcement, Aveine said that it also has ambitions beyond bubbles, as it wants to become more of a platform that connects products and services around wine, offering features like augmented reality and personalized recommendations.
There are plenty of companies hawking solutions to improve your wine drinking experience. As Aveine is funded to fuel international expansion, we’ll have to see if its tiny bubbles make customers feel warm all over.
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