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SINGAPORE 10 May 2023 ecoSPIRITS has raised USD 10 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding round, led by New York-based circular economy investment firm, Closed Loop Partners. Four leading Asian and global institutional investors have also joined the funding round, including food sector private equity investor, Proterra Asia; Pavilion Capital; Convivialité Ventures, the venture arm of global wine and spirits leader, Pernod Ricard; and ecoSPIRITS’ existing venture capital investor, Wavemaker Partners. The Series A proceeds will be used to strengthen ecoSPIRITS’ leadership position in closed loop packaging technologies for spirits and wine and accelerate its research and development program.

Proterra Asia is a private equity fund manager focused on investing in the Asian food sector. Over the past decade Proterra Asia has invested more than USD 1 billion in more than 30 companies that are contributing to the continued development of the food and agri industries across Asia. This investment was made via the Proterra Asia Food Strategy, which seeks to capitalise on the accelerating consumer demand that comes with growing urban populations and the emergence of a new generation of consumers looking for safe, high quality food products with a focus on health, nutrition, convenience, social impact and sustainability.

Singapore-based Pavilion Capital is an active private equity investor across various sectors in Asia and embraces sustainability and ESG principles in its investment activities. Convivialité Ventures is the venture capital arm of the world’s second largest drinks company and leading ecoSPIRITS customer, Pernod Ricard. Through Convivialité Ventures, Pernod Ricard is partnering with and investing in start-ups that are embracing the future of hospitality, in areas such as technology, hospitality and entertainment. The investment comes as Pernod Ricard is in the process of expanding its existing technology partnership with ecoSPIRITS to markets outside of Asia.

Convivialité Ventures’ investment in ecoSPIRITS also marks the launch of a special equity investment program that will provide an opportunity for ecoSPIRITS’ most important global partners to support closed loop packaging innovation. Over time, the equity program will be open to key partners who are committing to the circular economy transition as part of their own supply chain innovation and sustainability programs. Customer partners participating in the equity program will be subject to confidentiality and other restrictions that guarantee universal access and equal treatment for all users of ecoSPIRITS’ global technology platform.

Existing ecoSPIRITS investor, Wavemaker Partners, will also be participating in the Series A fundraise, building on a seed investment in the company that was completed in late 2020. A leading Southeast Asia venture capital fund, Wavemaker Partners is dedicated to investing in solutions in enterprise, deep tech, sustainability and climate tech

To strengthen its governance, ecoSPIRITS will expand its board of directors with the appointment of Cohen from Closed Loop Partners. In his role at Closed Loop Partners, Cohen co-leads the growth equity investment practice focused on advancing circular solutions in various sectors. Cohen’s appointment to the ecoSPIRITS board follows the appointment of Eric Tan as independent director in November 2022.

More details regarding ecoSPIRITS’ expanded research and development program and the evolution of its Intelligent Circular roadmap will be released in the coming months. For more information about the Series A fundraise, please contact ecoSPIRITS’ Senior PR Manager, Sonya Hook, via email at Sonya.Hook@ecospirits.global.

About Closed Loop Partners

Closed Loop Partners is at the forefront of building the circular economy. The company is comprised of three key business segments: an investment firm, innovation center and operating group. The investment firm invests in venture, growth equity, buyout and catalytic private credit strategies on behalf of global institutions, corporations and family offices. The innovation center, the Center for the Circular Economy, unites competitors and partners to tackle complex material challenges and implement systemic change to advance circularity. The operating group, Circular Services, has twelve recycling facilities in operation today, and provides holistic, circular materials management to close the loop on valuable materials for municipalities and businesses throughout the United States. Employing innovative technology within reuse, recycling, re-manufacturing and re-commerce solutions, Circular Services improves regional economic and environmental outcomes by building resilient systems to keep food & organics, textiles, electronics, packaging and more in circulation and out of landfills or the natural environment. Closed Loop Partners is based in New York City and is a registered B Corp.

For more information please visit www.closedlooppartners.com.

About Proterra Asia

Proterra Asia is a private equity fund manager focused on investing in the Asia food sector. Over the past decade Proterra Asia has invested more than USD 1 billion in more than 30 companies that are contributing to the continued development of the food and agri industries across Asia. This investment was made via the Proterra Asia Food Strategy, which seeks to capitalise on the accelerating consumer demand that comes with growing urban populations and the emergence of a new generation of consumers looking for safe, high quality food products with a focus on health, nutrition, convenience, social impact and sustainability.

For more information please visit: www.proterraasia.com.

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the No.2 worldwide producer of wines and spirit with consolidated sales amounting to €10,701 million in fiscal year FY22. The Group, which owns 17 of the Top 100 Spirits Brands, holds one of the most prestigious and comprehensive portfolios in the industry with over 240 premium brands distributed across more than 160 markets. Pernod Ricard’s portfolio includes Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur and Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes. The Group’s mission is to unlock the magic of human connections by bringing “Good Times from a Good Place”, in line with its Sustainability and Responsibility roadmap. Pernod Ricard’s decentralized organization empowers its 19,480 employees to be on-the-ground ambassadors of its purposeful and inclusive culture of conviviality, bringing people together in meaningful, sustainable and responsible ways to create value over the long term. Executing its strategic plan, Transform & Accelerate, Pernod Ricard now relies on its “Conviviality Platform”, a new growth model based on data and artificial intelligence to meet the ever-changing demand of consumers. Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN Code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 and Eurostoxx 50 indices.

For more information, please reach out to Emmanuel Vouin, Head of External Engagement: +33 (0) 1 70 93 16 34.

About Convivialité Ventures

Convivialité Ventures is the venture arm of Pernod Ricard. Convivialité Ventures invests in innovative and inspiring companies beyond Pernod Ricard’s traditional wine and spirits offerings in meaningful, sustainable and responsible ways. Our mission is to cultivate radically different products and services that will enhance and change the way people come together, socialize and entertain in the future. Convivialité Ventures operates globally with investments and teams in the US, Europe, Latam, China and India. The portfolio of more than 45 companies includes companies like Fever, Fetch, Avantstay, Summer Farm, Dunzo, Liquid Death, and Outdoorsy.

For more information, please visit www.convivialite-ventures.com or email anne.charpignon@pernod-ricard.com.

About Wavemaker Partners

Wavemaker Partners is Southeast Asia’s leading VC firm investing in early-stage enterprise, deep tech, and sustainability start-ups. Since 2012, it has backed 190+ companies with over US 300 million in AUM across four funds and 25 exits valued at over US 1.8 billion. These exits include TradeGecko’s acquisition by Intuit, and Moka’s and Coins.ph’s acquisitions by Gojek. Today, 85% of Wavemaker’s active portfolio start-ups in Southeast Asia are aligned with at least one UNDP Sustainable Development Goal.

For more information about Wavemaker Partners, visit https://wavemaker.vc/ or email orbit@wavemaker.vc.

About ecoSPIRITS

ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides both a powerful cost advantage and a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 15 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. More than 1,500 leading bars, restaurants and hotels have adopted the technology, including Michelin-starred restaurants, World’s 50 Best and Asia’s 50 Best bars and iconic hotels. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow to 25 countries worldwide by early 2023. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers and venues, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating thousands of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.

For information, please visit www.ecospirits.global.

PAMPLEMOUSSES 21 March 2023 ecoSPIRITS has announced plans to launch closed loop service in Mauritius under a Licensed Operator Agreement with Grays Inc, a local spirits and wine producer and importer. Like other ecoSPIRITS island markets around the world, ecoSPIRITS Mauritius will release a fleet of Ocean Conservation edition ecoTOTEs™ and will join the ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program to fund the removal of waste from marine environments. From this month, Grays’ flagship Mauritian rum – Lazy Dodo Rum – will be one of the first spirits available in ecoTOTE format in Mauritius, alongside Seven Seas cane spirit. These will be joined soon after by other spirits participating in the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program.

Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean with a population of more than 1.3 million people. As one of the most developed economies in the African region, Mauritius boasts many contemporary bars, restaurants, and nightclubs as well as a plethora of stylish hotels and hotel bars. Sugar has been the island’s staple product and economic backbone for many centuries, with rum production only allowed to resume in the early 2000s. Using sugarcane juice to make alcohol was banned in Mauritius until 2000, although producers were allowed to use molasses to make rum. The country has now gained a good reputation for both its traditional rum, made from molasses, and Agricole-style rum, where the sugarcane juice is extracted for fermentation and distillation.

Grays is a leading producer, importer, and distributor of wines and spirits in Mauritius. The company set up the island’s first distillery in 1931 and is considered one of the pioneers of the distillation industry in Mauritius. It produces rum from the fermentation of molasses and pure sugarcane juice, and it also manages ageing cellars for its spirits. It distributes rums and other spirits through its local network, and it exports its own products to Europe, USA, Asia, and South Africa. Grays also imports wines from all over the world, including well-known brands such as Möet & Chandon, Veuve Cliquot, Glenfiddich and Jack Daniels, among others.

Closed loop distribution in ecoTOTE format will initially start with Grays’ rum brand: Lazy Dodo Rum, named as a tribute to the now extinct bird, which was indigenous to Mauritius. The other brand which will go into ecoTOTE as part of this first phase is the Mauritian brand Seven Seas cane spirit. For the second phase, later in 2023, these brands will be joined by additional spirits from Grays’ portfolio, including New Grove Rum in two SKUS: Bourbon Cask Aged Rum and Plantation Rum, George Cambridge Blended Scotch Whisky, Kiprinski Vodka, Rover Gin, and Dukes Refined Cane Liquor.

As part of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Mauritius is working on protecting its marine ecosystems in the face of climate change. Like Bermuda, Cayman Islands, and the Seychelles, ecoSPIRITS Mauritius will join the ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program to fund the removal of waste from marine environments. As part of this, Lazy Dodo Rum will be deployed in the Blue Ocean Conservation ecoTOTE, which is used for Island nations. Grays will also host and operate ecoPLANT No. 033, acting as an expert operational partner for closed loop spirits processing for the region.

For more information about ecoSPIRITS Mauritius please contact Iain McPherson, Sales Director for Europe, on Iain.McPherson@ecospirits.global. Brands, bars, restaurants, and hotels interested in joining the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program in Mauritius may contact Mauritius@ecospirits.global. For media enquiries about ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Senior PR Manager, Sonya Hook on Sonya.Hook@ecospirits.global.

About Grays

Since 1931, Grays has forged itself the reputation of being a reliable producer and marketer of the best wines, spirits, and liqueurs in Mauritius. Our wines are imported from the best cellars in the world including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and other varieties, offering a great selection of wines from around the world; France, Chile, Italy, South Africa, Argentina, Spain, New Zealand and more. Additionally, we are proud to market rums through our local distribution network, giving our customers the taste of the local know-how, and export our products to Asia, Europe and USA.

For more information on Grays, please visit www.grays.mu

About ecoSPIRITS

ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides both a powerful cost advantage and a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 15 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Americas. More than 1,500 leading bars, restaurants, hotels, and retailers have adopted the technology. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow to 25 countries by early 2023. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.

For information, please visit www.ecospirits.global

About the ecoSPIRITS Ocean Program

The ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program complements the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program for island nations that are most at risk from rising sea levels due to climate change. Highlighted by the striking blue Ocean Conservation Edition ecoTOTE, each order of an ecoTOTE by venue partners in participating island nations funds the removal of one kilogram of single use plastic, glass and other man-made wastes from endangered, coral reefs and waters. Using Green Steps Group’s proprietary “proof of impact” technology platform, cleanup operations are verified, monitored and reported through an industry-leading digital record. Ocean waste recovery benefits the venue partners but is jointly funded by ecoSPIRITS and our Climate Partner brands and distributors.

For more information on Green Steps Group, please visit www.greenstepsgroup.com

SINGAPORE 16 March 2023 ecoSPIRITS has launched a second–generation portfolio of its SmartPour™ technology, offering enhanced capabilities, intelligent features and new design elements. The revamped SmartPour lineup now comprises the SmartPour 1.1S and the SmartPour 2.0S, for the company’s spirits brand partners; and, for the first time, a SmartPour dedicated to wine preservation and dispensing, the SmartPour 2.0W. With this latest release, SmartPours are now available to pair with both the 4.5L and 1.75L versions of the ecoTOTE™. Each of the second generation SmartPours is powered by CircularONE™, ecoSPIRITS’ cloud-based software platform that is central to its ambitious Intelligent Circular™ roadmap.

The SmartPour is ecoSPIRITS’ proprietary electronic dispense unit, designed for the safe and hygienic transfer of spirits or wine from ecoTOTE to reusable glass bottles or directly to serving glassware. The first generation SmartPour was first released in November 2020 to give hospitality outlets the option to dispense a variety of accurate spirits measures, which can be pre-programmed to suit the needs of the venue and the local market. The latest generation of patent-pending SmartPour hardware has been enhanced by the CircularONE software platform, with a range of security, data and IoT features, allowing ecoSPIRITS to collect and send performance and supply chain data to and from each partner company. This includes accurate depletion data, as well as cloud-based location tracking for the global ecoTOTE fleet, whereby each individual ecoTOTE is tracked through its entire lifecycle of closed loop operations, including in the venue, when it is linked to a SmartPour for dispense. This all forms part of the ecoSPIRITS Intelligent Circular vision, which is powered by CircularONE, and will eventually offer the comprehensive integration of hardware and software to make circular much more robust, scalable and cost-effective.

The new generation of SmartPours are available as standard Forest Green or Oceans Blue options or they can be developed with partner spirits and wine brands as a fully co-branded design. These can be showcased by venues, giving both the technology and branding high visibility to consumers. Co-branded SmartPours have already been deployed by several of ecoSPIRITS’ global customers, including Diageo, which now has co-branded Smirnoff Vodka SmartPour 2.0S’ in venues in Indonesia; and Pernod Ricard, which has co-branded Beefeater Gin, Havana Club and Absolut Vodka SmartPour 2.0S’ available for the Singapore market. Both companies are looking at expanding their footprints to cover additional regions. Meanwhile, in the UK, Remy Cointreau now has co-branded hardware for its Cointreau and Mount Gay rum brands. ecoSPIRITS adapted the SmartPour 2.0S Cointreau Edition to ensure the perfect dispense of Cointreau, because liqueurs behave differently to higher proof spirits. In addition, the True Believers brand, Los Arcos Destilado de Agave, saw its UK debut this month, sporting co-branded SmartPour 2.0S units. ecoSPIRITS is also preparing to launch co-branded versions of the SmartPour 2.0W in Australia with industry leader Accolade Wines, featuring one or more of their eco wine brands.

ecoSPIRITS has submitted patent applications for its latest SmartPour technologies and its Verified Sustainable Refill feature. These join existing patent applications in its system of closed loop technologies, including the ecoSPIRITS’ third–generation ecoTOTE 3.0, and the SmartKiosk™, which was launched in September last year. The latest generation of SmartPour hardware uses dual-frequency IoT module so it is capable of connecting to two different wireless frequencies: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. They also have programmable dispense volume buttons, enabling venues to set their own range of push pour options for the easy transfer of accurate measures of spirits or wine from the ecoTOTE. Additional smart features will be developed for the SmartPour portfolio over time. For media enquiries or general information about ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Senior PR Manager, at Sonya.Hook@ecospirits.global.

About ecoSPIRITS

ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides both a powerful cost advantage and a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 15 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. More than 1,500 leading bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers have adopted the technology, including Michelin-starred restaurants, World’s 50 Best and Asia’s 50 Best bars and iconic hotels. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow to 25 countries worldwide by mid 2023. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers, venues and retailers, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.

For information, please visit www.ecospirits.global

COPENHAGEN 1 March 2023 ecoSPIRITS is to launch in Denmark, appointing one of the country’s leading independent spirits distributors, Local Spirits, as its Licensed Operator for the country. ecoSPIRITS Denmark will bring closed loop spirits to the Danish market, with venues in Copenhagen among the first in the country to receive closed loop spirits service. A range of Local Spirits’ spirit brands will be available in low waste ecoTOTE™ format by this summer, to be joined later in the year by other spirits producers participating in the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program. This partnership paves the way for the expansion of closed loop service across Scandinavia, alongside its recently launched neighbour, ecoSPIRITS Norway, and it builds on Denmark’s position as the greenest country in the world in 2022, according to the Environmental Performance Index (EPI).

Local Spirits is a Danish drinks company, which distributes predominantly local and organic spirits to the on and off-trade sectors. The company was founded in 2016 by the entrepreneurs behind some of the country’s most popular craft spirits, including Skotlander Rum, Herbie Gin and Den Klodsede Bjorn Vodka. Local Spirits now sells and distributes more than 300 products from 25 different Danish producers, as well as a few international craft brands. Local Spirits is focused on sustainable products and practices, and partnering with ecoSPIRITS represents the latest stage of its sustainability journey. The company makes an effort to work with producers who are respectful of the environment, particularly those which use local or organic ingredients. Currently around 40% of its portfolio is certified as organic.

The Danish government aims to make Denmark a green front-runner in global climate action to inspire and encourage the rest of the world. Its government has introduced a binding Climate Act with a national target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70% below 1990 levels by 2030, and climate neutrality by 2050. This – and other efforts – helped Denmark rank first in the Environmental Performance Index 2022. Companies from all around the world are looking to Denmark for inspiration, with respect to its environmental achievements. Denmark has the world’s leading Deposit and Return System, which ensures the recycling of disposable beverage packaging made of plastic, aluminium and glass. Currently, more than 2.2 billion bottles and cans are handled by the system annually, and with a population of 5.8 million, this equates to every Dane depositing a bottle or can daily. The system does not include bottles and packaging for spirits and the ecoSPIRITS technology is therefore a perfect fit with the Danish market.

Under this latest ecoSPIRITS Licensed Operator partnership, ecoPLANT No. 037 will be commissioned in Copenhagen, starting this month, and ecoSPIRITS closed loop service is set to commence in May, starting with bars, restaurants, and hotels in Copenhagen. Denmark will also participate in the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program, planting one tree for every ecoTOTE delivered to hospitality venues.

Bars, hotels, restaurants, distributors and brands that are interested in joining the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program in Denmark can contact Iain McPherson, Sales Director for Europe at ecoSPIRITS on Iain.McPherson@ecospirits.global or denmark@ecospirits.global. For more information about ecoSPIRITS you may contact Sonya Hook, ecoSPIRITS Senior PR Manager, on Sonya.Hook@ecospirits.global.

About Local Spirits

Local Spirits was founded in 2016 under the name Nordic Spirits. The company was founded by a number of the first small independent spirits producers in Denmark such as Skotlander Rum, Herbie Gin and Den Klodsede Bjørn Vodka with the aim of creating a distribution platform for the Danish micro-producers. Local Spirits currently sells over 300 products from 25 different Danish producers. In addition to specialist shops, our customers include restaurants, bars, festivals and hotels, including many of Denmark’s most high-profile brands such as the Roskilde Festival, the Guldsmeden hotels and Villa Copenhagen. Ever since our foundation, we have had an ambition to help promote ecology to our growing number of eco-focused customers. Through our close collaboration with Roskilde Festival and the 100% organic hotel chain Guldsmeden Hotels, we have sought to make local organic products part of the core of our business.

For information, please visit www.localspirits.dk

About ecoSPIRITS

ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides both a powerful cost advantage and a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 15 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. More than 1,500 leading bars, restaurants and hotels have adopted the technology, including Michelin-starred restaurants, World’s 50 Best and Asia’s 50 Best bars and iconic hotels. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow to 25 countries worldwide by early 2023. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers and venues, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating thousands of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.

For information, please visit www.ecospirits.global

GENOA 17 February 2023 ecoSPIRITS has expanded into the Italian market, appointing one of the country’s leading independent spirits distributors and producers, Velier SpA, as its Licensed Operator. Together, the partners have set up a new joint venture, eS Operator Italy SpA, to bring closed loop spirits to the Italian market starting this month. A range of spirits will be available in low waste ecoTOTE™ format immediately, including Portofino Dry Gin, Hampden Estate Jamaican Rum, Clairin Communal Rum from Haiti, Yaguara Cachaça and Los Arcos Destilado de Agave. With this latest market launch, ecoSPIRITS’ European network now covers the region’s four largest economies: Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy.

As the fourth largest economy in Europe and the fourth largest hospitality sector in the world, Italy is a natural extension of ecoSPIRITS’ global closed loop network. The country attracts 94 million foreign tourists each year and it has a reputation for some of the world’s finest food and drink, along with a vibrant hospitality scene. Having made aggressive commitments for tackling climate change, including a plan to cut carbon emissions by 60% by 2030, Italy is also the first country in the world to make sustainability and the climate crisis compulsory subjects at school.

Led by industry icon Luca Gargano since 1983, and with a history stretching back more than 70 years, Velier SpA is one of the world’s most respected independent spirits and wine distributors, serving nearly 12,000 hospitality and retail customers across Italy. In addition to a wide-ranging portfolio of more than 200 leading artisanal wines and spirits, Velier is the exclusive Italian importer for William Grant & Sons, Edrington and SPI Group. It is also the sole importer for a selection of brands from Brown Forman and the Sazerac Company. Velier has a history of pioneering innovation in Italy. In 1991, it brought Latin American white spirits – cachaça, pisco, and mezcal – to the Italian market for the first time. Under Gargano’s leadership, the group became renowned worldwide for its own bottlings of fine rum, including the legendary Caroni releases.

Closed loop service will first be made available in northern Italy and key cities across the country, supported by ecoPLANT No. 021 in Genoa. Over the course of 2023, ecoTOTE distribution will be expanded to additional regions in Italy. The host company for ecoPLANT No. 021 is AZ Servizi & Logistica, a third-party logistics and warehouse business for packaged and bulk goods, which is located in northern Italy. As the ecoPLANT host company, AZ Servici & Logistica provides licensed premises for the ecoPLANT site, as well as experienced production staffing and quality control systems.

For more information about ecoSPIRITS Italy, please contact ecoSPIRITS’ Sales Director for Europe, Iain McPherson on Iain.McPherson@ecospirits.global. Bars, restaurants, hotels, distributors, and brands that are interested in joining the ecoSPIRITS’ Climate Partner program in Italy may contact Fabrizio Galliano via email at italy@ecospirits.global. For more information about ecoSPIRITS, please contact Sonya Hook, Senior PR Manager, ecoSPIRITS, on Sonya.Hook@ecospirits.global.

About Velier

Velier is a historic family business from Genoa, Italy, that is active in the import and distribution of spirits, liqueurs and wines. Founded in 1947, it has developed a reputation for the quality, passion, and conviviality behind each of its products and its people. A world leader in the rum sector thanks to the tireless discovery work of President Luca Gargano, Velier has also been a forerunner in launching the natural wine movement. As early as 2003, the ‘Triple A’ protocol saw the light of day: producers who are ‘Farmers, Artisans, Artists’, in absolute harmony with Velier’s values: quality and authenticity. Among the more than 200 imported brands are Caroni, Bally, Clairin, Neisson, Hampden rums; Macallan, Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Nikka, Buffalo Trace whiskies; Hendrick’s Gin, Stolichnaya Vodka, Rooster Rojo, Fortaleza and Alipus agaves, Billecart champagne, Chartreuse liqueur, and Fever Tree soft drinks.

For information, please visit https://www.velier.it/it/

About ecoSPIRITS

ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides both a powerful cost advantage and a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 15 countries across Asia Pacific,Europe and the Americas. More than 1,500 leading bars, restaurants and hotels have adopted the technology, including Michelin-starred restaurants, World’s 50 Best and Asia’s 50 Best bars and iconic hotels. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow to 25 countries worldwide by early 2023. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers and venues, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating thousands of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.

For information, please visit www.ecospirits.global

SANTO DOMINGO 23 December 2022 ecoSPIRITS has announced plans to launch closed loop service in Dominican Republic under a Licensed Operator Agreement with KOI DOMINICANA SRL, the producer of Candela Mamajuana, a premium spiced rum based on a recipe which is native to the region. Like other ecoSPIRITS island markets around the world, ecoSPIRITS Dominican Republic will operate an ecoPLANT 1.0S Lite, deploy a fleet of Ocean Conservation edition ecoTOTEs™ and will join the ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program to fund removal of waste from marine environments. Starting in early 2023, Candela will be the first spirit available in ecoTOTE format in the Dominican Republic, to be joined soon by other spirits producers participating in the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program. Resorts in Punta Cana and Santo Domingo will be among the first venues to receive closed loop spirits service.

Mamajuana, a traditional native drink of the Dominican Republic, is a blend of Dominican rum, natural spices, and honey. Candela, meaning “on fire” in Spanish slang, was created in 2016 by Alejandro Russo and his mother Lillian Arinoviche, who wanted to create the finest expression of this local drink to share with the rest of the world. Candela is the leading brand of mamajuana and it is designed to be enjoyed neat or mixed in speciality cocktails. It is known for its smooth sweet taste, rich rosewood and honey aromas and long finish with warming spices. The spiced rum is handcrafted in the Dominican Republic with all-natural ingredients. It is distilled from fresh-pressed sugarcane juice, and then aged in American oak barrels. Candela is proud of its quality production methods and its focus on sourcing local ingredients. The company has a big focus on sustainable practices and its production processes are powered by renewable energy.

Spirits consumption in the Dominican Republic is dominated by rum, and mamajuana is one of the most popular drinks, featured on menus in most bars and clubs across the island nation. Some of the nation’s most well known cocktails are rum based such as Piña Colada, the Coco Loco and the Passionfruit Mojito, and are often sought out by tourists on their arrival at the beach. For rum production in the Dominican Republic, producers must harvest the sugar cane, ferment, distill, and age the spirit in oak barrels for a minimum of one year, and it all has to happen within the country’s borders.

Closed loop distribution in ecoTOTE format will initially start with the popular tourist area of Punta Cana. This glamorous seaside resort town, in the easternmost region of the country, boasts a plethora of hotels and hotel bars including several luxury venues. Closed loop service will next be made available to the nation’s capital, Santo Domingo, which is well known for its energetic nightlife, Latin music, and rum-based drinks. Santo Domingo is the largest city of the Dominican Republic and the biggest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. It is the nation’s cultural, financial, political, commercial, and industrial centre and it also serves as the chief seaport of the country, with the port handling heavy passenger and freight traffic. Other destinations on the list include La Romana, Puerto Plata, Cabarete, and the Samaná Peninsula.

The Dominican Republic, one of the world’s top tourist destinations, is the tenth largest economy in Latin America and the largest in the Caribbean region open for commercial trade. In 2019, the Dominican Republic set out plans to invest in new sustainability initiatives specifically focused on its tourism industry, with the aim of boosting the nation’s ‘ecotourism’ image. As part of this, the government pledged to reduce marine and land-based pollution, cut the consumption of materials, and diminish waste arising from tourism with targets such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030. Following in the footsteps of the Bermuda, the Seychelles and the Cayman Islands, ecoSPIRITS Dominican Republic will participate in the ecoSPIRITS Ocean Program, which works with island nations that are most at risk from rising sea levels due to climate change. Each order of an ecoTOTE in the Dominican Republic will fund the removal of one kilogram of single use plastic, glass and other man-made wastes from endangered coral reefs and marine environments.

For more information about ecoSPIRITS Dominican Republic, please contact ecoSPIRITS’ Sales Director for North America, Jessica Berry on Jessica.Berry@ecospirits.global. Brands, bars, restaurants, and hotels interested in joining the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program in the Dominican Republic may contact Alejandro Russo via email at DR@ecospirits.global. For media inquiries about ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Senior PR Manager, Sonya Hook on Sonya.Hook@ecospirits.global

About Candela

Candela Mamajuana is the finest expression of the Dominican Republic’s legendary spiced rum. Known for its smooth taste of the finest rum, exotic spices, and honey, this spirit is made with all-natural ingredients and distilled from fresh-pressed sugarcane in its native country. The approachable spirit can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks or mixed in a speciality cocktail. Co-founded in 2016 by the mother and son duo, Lillian Arinoviche and Alejandro Russo, Candela is distributed throughout Florida, California, New York, New Jersey, and the Dominican Republic.

For more details on Candela Mamajuana, please visit the website: www.drinkcandela.com

About the ecoSPIRITS Ocean Program

About ecoSPIRITS

MIAMI 15 December 2022 ecoSPIRITS USA, the United States operating partner of ecoSPIRITS, has announced the locations of its first ecoPLANTs in the United States, which will be managed in partnership with well-regarded distilled spirits plant (DSP) operators Mango Bottling in Florida and Chareau in Southern California. Both new partners join ecoSPIRITS’ growing network of ecoPLANT hosts around the world, playing a critical role in the launch and scaling of closed loop spirits and wine service. ecoSPIRITS USA now has plans to bring additional ecoPLANTs online in the United States in the second half of 2023. The news also paves the way for the launch of closed loop ecoTOTE™ service in both California and Florida next month.

ecoSPIRITS’ global closed loop network is anchored by its proprietary ecoPLANT technology, which are semi-automated, containerised spirits and wine processing plants. The containerised design provides a highly scalable modular solution for geographically distributed spirits and wine processing. To improve the safety and efficiency of ecoPLANT operations, ecoSPIRITS looks to partner with experienced local operators, often leading distilleries, or bonded warehouse companies, to host each ecoPLANT. Hosts provide licensed premises for the ecoPLANT site, as well as experienced production staffing and quality control systems.

Mango Bottling, which is located north of Miami in the Cocoa Beach area, Florida, has commenced operations of ecoPLANT No. 032, which is an ecoPLANT 2.0W model capable of processing both spirits and wine and will provide service to both South Florida and the duty-free hub in Miami port. Perfectly located to service the fast-growing Southern Florida region, including Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, ecoPLANT No. 032, is also near the Miami headquarters of ecoSPIRITS USA, which is a joint venture between Park Street Technology Ventures and the Edmund Pillsbury family. Mango Bottling started as a producer of spirit-based brands and later, in 1995, it extended its services into contract bottling. It now works with both new and established brands and all sizes of spirit-based products.

Chareau’s spirits facility is located north of Los Angeles in Ventura County, California. As part of the new partnership, ecoPLANT No. 031, which is also an ecoPLANT 2.0W model, is hosted in a dedicated production and warehouse facility to be operated by Chareau staff, who will be trained and supported by ecoSPIRITS’ global Closed Loop Operations team. The Chareau brand and business is the brainchild of Kurt Charron, who was inspired by the rich agriculture and natural beauty of California. Chareau spirits are designed to be made as naturally as possible from plant-based ingredients. Chareau is also a social purpose company, which means it cares about the wellness of its staff, customers, and the community at large. These attributes of caring for both the environment and those who interact with the business make Chareau an exceptional fit for ecoSPIRITS and its mission to end single use glass in the spirits and wine industry. ecoPLANT No. 031 will offer closed loop ecoTOTE service to Southern California, including Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego.

Closed loop service in both Florida and California will commence in January 2023. Additional details on early Climate Partner brands, distributors and outlets in the United States will be released soon. For more information about ecoSPIRITS USA, please contact Zdenek Kastanek on Zdenek@ecospirits.global or Jessica Berry on Jessica.Berry@ecospirits.global. For more information about ecoSPIRITS you may contact Senior PR Manager, Sonya Hook on Sonya.Hook@ecospirits.global.

About Mango Bottling

Mango Bottling is a privately owned corporation, based in East Central Florida, licensed as an Alcoholic Beverage Distiller and Producer. Mango was established in 1992 to manufacture pre-filled test tubes with flavored liqueurs carrying the Tooters brand name. The goal was simple, to add an element of fun through a unique ready to drink packaging. Then in 1995, Mango expanded its business model by offering contract bottling services to start-up and established Spirit brands. The focus was to establish ourselves as a niche co-packer that could facilitate standard and custom packaged products. In the past 30 years since its inception, Mango Bottling has continued to be creative and innovative within our product offerings and a reliable resource for contract bottling customers.

For more information visit www.mangobottling.com.

About Chareau

Chareau is a low ABV plant-based spirit made with real California Aloe. The founder, Kurt Charron, developed Chareau to be an honest spirit free of artificial colors and flavors, while bringing a much-needed sense of wellness and transparency to the industry. The company takes a mindful approach to creating light, refreshing, and delicious spirits using local California ingredients, and the brand is a gift from the hands and hearts of California’s farmers and artisans. Chareau is named after Kurt Charron’s great-grandparents, Arthur Charron and Florence Favreau, hard-working farmers who moved the family out west, where Kurt Charron has lived ever since.

For more information visit https://chareau.us/.

About ecoSPIRITS USA

About Park Street Technology Ventures

About ecoSPIRITS

ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides both a powerful cost advantage and a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 15 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow to 25 countries worldwide by early 2023. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers, venues, and retailers, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.

For more information visit www.ecospirits.global.

SINGAPORE 8 December 2022 ecoSPIRITS is marking a major expansion of its investment in its Intelligent Circular™ roadmap, which includes its CircularONE™ software platform, with two senior technology appointments. Eric Tan has joined the ecoSPIRITS Board of Directors as an independent board member and Derek Tang has been appointed to the newly-created role of Chief Technology Officer. Together, the new appointments add five decades of technology, software development and Internet-of-Things IoT (IoT) leadership experience to ecoSPIRITS’ board and executive leadership team. Messrs. Tan and Tang will help direct ecoSPIRITS’ expanded financial investment in the development of its software, IoT and data solutions. ecoSPIRITS’ Intelligent Circular roadmap is anchored by its CircularONE software platform, which integrates a complex global supply chain of hardware packaging assets into an IoT network. Through this integration of hardware and software, ecoSPIRITS is able to use data and automation to deliver real-time commercial insights, traceability and supply chain security, and unique performance features such as the patent-pending Verified Sustainable Refill™ technology. Having completed the first phase of development of CircularONE, ecoSPIRITS is now embarking on an intensive second phase of software development, which will see new features and capabilities released over the course of 2023.

Tan joins the ecoSPIRITS Board of Directors as an independent board member, with a mandate to mentor ecoSPIRITS’ CEO Paul Gabie and newly-appointed Tang in the development of its software vision. Tan currently sits on the Chief Information Officer (CIO) advisory boards of Gartner and the Wall Street Journal, and has spent many years working for PwC in various leadership roles. He brings to ecoSPIRITS a wealth of experience in technology, AI/ML, and cybersecurity. Tan currently holds the role of CIO and Senior Vice President for Technology at Coupa, the California-based, NASDAQ-listed global SaaS company for business spend management. In 2022, he was a Bay Area’s ‘CIO of the Year’ at the ORBIE Awards for his outstanding leadership and innovation. He is a Certified Public Accountant, and holds a Masters in IT and Bachelors in Accounting.

In the newly-created role of Chief Technology Officer, Tang will be responsible for overall product and technology development at ecoSPIRITS. Leading a team of hardware and software engineers, Tang will take charge of bringing to life ecoSPIRITS’ vision of a global Intelligent Circular network of IoT hardware powered by software and data. In this role, he will oversee ecoSPIRITS’ entire product portfolio, including its ecoPLANT™, ecoTOTE™, SmartPour™, SmartKiosk™ and CircularONE™ technologies. In his new role, one of Tang’s first tasks will be to expand ecoSPIRITS’ team of hardware, IoT and software engineers in both Singapore and Shanghai. Tang has spent his 20-year career on the forefront of IoT and software development and innovation. Prior to joining ecoSPIRITS, Tang was most recently a founding member and Head of Engineering at Singapore-based SaaS logistics start-up Spares CNX, where he built and led a software development team of 30 engineers. Previously, Tang held senior software development and IoT leadership roles at Amazon Web Services, Accenture, Intel Corporation and GE Aviation. Throughout his career, he has focused on digital transformation strategies, with a specialization in IoT software platforms.

The ecoSPIRITS circular packaging technology is now operating in more than 15 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Americas, with network coverage on pace to expand to 25 countries by early 2023. For media inquiries or general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Senior PR Manager at Sonya.Hook@ecospirits.global.

About ecoSPIRITS

ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides both a powerful cost advantage and a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 15 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. More than 1,000 leading bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers have adopted the technology, including Michelin-starred restaurants, World’s 50 Best and Asia’s 50 Best bars and iconic hotels. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow to 25 countries worldwide by early 2023. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers, venues, and retailers, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.

LONDON 1 December 2022 ecoSPIRITS has announced that it has partnered with Rémy Cointreau, one of the largest producers and distributors of spirits and liqueurs in the world, to jointly launch closed loop service in the United Kingdom in January 2023. The new collaboration will see two of Rémy Cointreau’s iconic brands – Cointreau liqueur and Mount Gay rum – made available in co-branded editions of ecoSPIRITS award-winning ecoTOTE™ and SmartPour™ hardware for on-trade venues in London and beyond. With this launch, Rémy Cointreau becomes the first global drinks company to partner with ecoSPIRITS in the United Kingdom and Cointreau becomes the first global liqueur brand to be available in a closed loop packaging format. For the launch, ecoSPIRITS and Rémy Cointreau have partnered with leading UK distributor, Speciality Drinks, which will be the exclusive distributor of Cointreau and Mount Gay’s Eclipse variant in ecoTOTE format for the initial phase of the pilot distribution period.

The Rémy Cointreau brands chosen to feature in the initial UK launch have global recognition and sit among the most high-profile spirits and liqueurs found in the UK’s on-trade scene. The producer’s eponymous Cointreau brand originated in Angers, France in 1849. The orange-flavoured liqueur is a cocktail pioneer at the heart of more than 600 cocktail recipes, including classics such as the original Margarita. The Barbados-born Mount Gay rum has a history dating back to 1703, making it the world’s oldest working rum distillery. It joined Rémy Cointreau’s stable of brands in 1989.

As the first global customer to launch with ecoSPIRITS in the UK, Rémy Cointreau will see its two iconic brands deployed in co-branded hardware to venues across the on-trade, including bars, restaurants, and hotels. The brands will travel to outlets in ecoTOTE format where they can be dispensed into branded bottles or served directly into glass or cocktail shaker via ecoSPIRITS’ SmartPour technology. The venues involved in the program will be revealed when the partnership officially commences in early 2023.

The UK launch with Rémy Cointreau is also significant for ecoSPIRITS because it marks another milestone in its journey to develop industry-leading circular technology. The co-branded SmartPour 2.0S Cointreau Edition has been adapted specifically for Cointreau to accommodate the higher levels of viscosity and sugar that are the hallmarks of the liqueur category. These adaptations included an upgraded dispense nozzle, enhanced calibration, and an upgraded cleaning process. The Cointreau Edition is the first SmartPour to be specifically tailored for liqueurs and will help accelerate ecoSPIRITS’ innovation in this important category.

The partnership with ecoSPIRITS forms part of Rémy Cointreau’s overall commitment to sustainable practices, whereby the company has set itself the goal of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% per bottle by 2030 and moving towards Net Zero by 2050. The program forms part of the company’s “Sustainable Exception” roadmap built around Terroir, People & Time, where soil regeneration, sustainable production (products and transport), increased bottle circularity and responsible consumption, are all key elements. The collaboration with ecoSPIRITS will result in a 95% reduction in single use packaging waste for Cointreau and Mount Gay distributed in ecoTOTE format. The system will also help UK on-trade partners reduce their own operations waste streams and reduce back-of-house storage by 30 to 50%.

To support the new collaboration, existing ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner and leading UK distributor, Speciality Drinks, will be the exclusive distributor of Mount Gay Eclipse rum and Cointreau liqueur during a pilot period. Speciality Drinks was founded in 1999 by Sukhinder and Rajbar Singh, who also founded the leading spirits retailer, The Whisky Exchange. The family-owned business works with more than 1,000 of the best bars, restaurants, and hotels across the UK and overseas, from the smallest pop-up bars to large international groups. As a member of the ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program, Speciality Drinks is part of growing global coalition of importers, distributors, and wholesalers who are licensed for closed loop distribution using ecoSPIRITS’ technology.