Ferovinum Breaks the Mold with $550M Securitisation for the Drinks Industry

Courtesy: Ferovinum

In a financial first for the global drinks industry, UK-based fintech Ferovinum has announced a $550 million asset-backed securitisation program, unlocking fresh capital for the sector’s most pressing and persistent bottleneck: liquidity.

The deal brings together Pollen Street Capital—one of Europe’s leading investors in asset-backed credit—with a global investment bank whose identity remains undisclosed. It enables Ferovinum to significantly expand its footprint in the United States, the European Union, and Australia, bringing its capital-efficient funding model and digital supply chain platform to new markets long constrained by working capital inefficiencies and regulatory complexity.

It’s a move that blends traditional finance with modern infrastructure, opening a new chapter not just for Ferovinum, but for how the drinks trade—an industry steeped in heritage—can access growth in today’s volatile global economy.

Uncorking Capital in a Cash-Hungry Industry

Ferovinum’s model is based on a simple but powerful insight: drinks businesses, whether artisanal winemakers or global spirits brands, often have millions tied up in slow-moving inventory—maturing casks, bonded wine, or goods awaiting export. Traditional lending rarely understands or values these assets properly, leaving businesses reliant on inefficient debt or equity routes.

By offering asset-backed lending directly tied to inventory value, and coupling it with a technology platform that handles the messy back-end of logistics, compliance and movement, Ferovinum helps brands and distributors unlock working capital without giving up ownership or flexibility.

“The drinks industry is currently navigating some of the most volatile trading conditions it has faced in the last 30 years,” said Mitch Fowler, Ferovinum’s Co-founder and CEO. “To thrive and take advantage of the opportunities this opens up, businesses need flexible, capital-efficient funding and a truly global supply chain. That’s what this securitisation helps us deliver at scale.”

Ferovinum has already proven this model in the UK, where in 2023 it secured a syndicated asset-backed lending deal with NatWest, Barclays and Shawbrook. That was followed by an equity round led by Notion Capital, which backs B2B SaaS and fintech companies with category-defining potential.

But the $550 million securitisation goes further. It’s the first time a wholesale capital markets structure of this size and nature has been deployed specifically for the drinks sector. It doesn’t just help Ferovinum scale—it potentially rewrites the rules of how finance and supply chain innovation can interact in legacy industries.

A Global Play, with Strategic Storage at Its Core

The new facility enables Ferovinum to ramp up operations in the US, where its services will be underpinned by key storage and logistics hubs in California, Florida, New Jersey and Texas. These sites will support both domestic brands seeking liquidity and international producers entering the American market.

Australia and the EU are also on the company’s near-term roadmap, marking a strategic shift from a UK-centric business to a global platform serving SMEs, mid-market players and larger corporates across the drinks value chain.

“Our aim is to enable a capital-efficient supply chain that helps drinks businesses redeploy resources toward core activities like brand building, sales and innovation,” said Fowler. “Margins in the sector are under enormous pressure. Liquidity and logistics shouldn’t be the limiting factor.”

Ferovinum’s Co-founder and CFO, Dan Gibney, framed the securitisation as a structural turning point. “By introducing the first securitisation of its kind for the drinks industry, we’re creating a pathway for wholesale capital markets to support an underserved segment of food and beverage,” he said. “This deal proves that the drinks sector is bankable at scale—and that new infrastructure can unlock a more sustainable model for growth.”

Backing from a Sector-Savvy Investment Partner

Pollen Street Capital’s involvement signals a strong institutional belief in the Ferovinum platform—and in the broader opportunity to modernise financial flows within food and beverage.

“We’re delighted to partner with Ferovinum as they enter an exciting new chapter of growth,” said Connor Marshall-Mckie, Investment Director at Pollen Street. “The Ferovinum team impressed us with their deep knowledge of the drinks industry and a clear understanding of customer needs. Their product is a great example of innovation in asset-backed finance—and a perfect fit for our credit strategy.”

The deal was advised by PwC’s Lead Advisory and Debt Capital Markets teams, with legal counsel provided by Linklaters LLP.

Beyond Funding: A New Infrastructure Layer for Global Trade

At its core, Ferovinum is building more than a lender. It is constructing an infrastructure layer for drinks businesses to scale globally without drowning in paperwork or cash-flow constraints. The company’s digital platform not only facilitates funding but also tracks inventory, ensures compliance, and manages the flow of goods across regulatory boundaries.

This back-end support is critical in a sector where international expansion often grinds to a halt amid customs, ageing requirements, or bonded warehouse bureaucracy. Ferovinum’s proposition—capital + compliance + control—is designed to remove friction from the entire operating model.

And while its initial focus has been wine and spirits, its core approach may well be extensible to adjacent verticals—craft beer, no-and-low alcohol products, premium non-alcoholic beverages, or even broader categories in agrifood.

The Bigger Picture: Fintech Meets Physical Trade

What makes this story particularly notable is the convergence of fintech with the physical economy. Where many platforms chase purely digital or asset-light opportunities, Ferovinum is going in the opposite direction—digitising and financing one of the most physical and analog supply chains in global trade.

It’s a bet that the future of fintech lies not just in software, but in the intelligent structuring of real-world assets—helping underfinanced industries access capital with the speed and efficiency of modern markets.

For the drinks industry, it could be the beginning of a new era—one where growth is not constrained by the cellar, cask, or customs forms.