AB InBev acquires Master of Malt owner Atom Group

By Lisa Riley

Published: 19 April, 2018

ZX Ventures, the growth and innovation unit of AB InBev, has acquired the parent company of Master of Malt, Atom Group, for an undisclosed sum.

The deal, which marks ZV Ventures’ first foray into spirits, includes all three parts of UK-based e-commerce drinks business Atom Group, which comprises online retailer Master of Malt; spirits producer Atom Brands; and distributor Maverick Drinks.

Having invested in several international breweries in recent years, the latest acquisition by ZV Ventures marks the subsidiary’s first move into spirits and will see it take over Atom Brand’s craft spirits portfolio, including the Ableforth’s line of spirits, That Boutique-y Whisky Company and That Boutique-y Gin Company.

Founded by Justin Petszaft and three business partners: Ben Ellefsen, Tom McGuinness and Joel Kelly, Atom Group said the leadership team would remain in place following the deal, adding there would be no job losses.

Petszaft described the deal as “an amazing moment” for the business.

“This deal is an amazing moment for our business, which has gone from working out of a shed in Kent to one of the UK’s fastest-growing companies,” he said.

“We’ve always been a technology-focused business, building our e-commerce platform from scratch to give consumers the best experience possible and we recognised a kindred spirit in ZX Ventures, in its mission to innovate, grow and answer new consumer demands.”

Atom Group was a “really good cultural fit” for ZX Ventures, said Andy Logan, e-commerce director, ZX Ventures.

“We loved the leadership team’s passion and enthusiasm for innovation and we’re really excited about welcoming the Atom Group family into ZX Ventures and learning from the e-commerce expertise of the Master of Malt team,” he said.

ZX Ventures was set up to help other ambitious, innovative businesses unlock their potential, and that’s what this deal was all about, he added.

Printer friendly version