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Loverboy develops a line of sparkling hard teas and premium canned cocktails, including varieties like Espresso Martini, Cosmopolitan, Margaritas, and Spritz, alongside non-alcoholic options. The company emphasizes crafting beverages with zero added sugar, maintaining a calorie count of 90-100 per serving, and ensuring all products are gluten-free, catering to health-conscious consumers seeking lighter ready-to-drink options. Its product portfolio prioritizes both flavor and responsible ingredient profiles.
Kyle Cooke founded Loverboy in 2018, later bringing in Amanda Batula to lead creative and branding efforts. The entrepreneurial insight stemmed from a recognition of consumer demand for convenient, quality, and transparently formulated alcoholic beverages that align with contemporary wellness trends. Cooke, leveraging prior entrepreneurial experience, identified a gap in the market for premium, better-for-you canned drinks designed for social occasions.
The company primarily serves consumers interested in flavorful, low-calorie, and convenient adult beverages available for home delivery and in retail stores. Loverboy envisions transforming the alcoholic beverage industry by redefining how drinks are experienced, focusing on products that enhance social gatherings and personal enjoyment. The company remains dedicated to expanding its offerings while maintaining its core commitment to quality ingredients and consumer-friendly formulations.
Loverboy has raised $1.0M across 1 funding round.
Loverboy has raised $1.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Loverboy has raised $1.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Loverboy's investors include 645 Ventures, Abstract Ventures, Afore Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Banana Capital, BoxGroup, Chaac Ventures, Craft Ventures, Gaingels, Infinite Niches, LAUNCH, Ligature.
Loverboy is a premium beverage company founded in 2018 that produces low-sugar, gluten-free sparkling hard teas, canned cocktails, spritzes, and non-alcoholic sparkling teas.[1][2][3] It targets health-conscious adults seeking flavorful, better-for-you alcoholic alternatives, with products made from high-quality, organic ingredients and no artificial additives.[1][2][3] The brand has raised $3.5M in funding, achieved eight-figure revenue through direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales and distribution, and built a cult following via reality TV exposure and innovative marketing.[1][6]
Loverboy serves partygoers, lifestyle enthusiasts, and consumers at social occasions like poolside gatherings or nights out, solving the problem of high-sugar, unhealthy ready-to-drink (RTD) alcohols by offering low-calorie, tasty options.[2][3][6] Growth momentum includes expansions into spritzes, espresso martinis, and zero-sugar non-alcoholic lines, powered by a robust DTC tech stack (Shopify, Klaviyo, Attentive, Rebuy) and zero ad spend reliance on organic channels.[2][5][6]
Loverboy was co-founded in 2018 by Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula, stars of Bravo's *Summer House*, with Cooke as CEO.[2][3][6] The idea emerged from Cooke's personal frustration with sugary alcoholic drinks during his reality TV lifestyle, leading him to create a "sparkling hard tea that isn’t loaded with sugar" using clean ingredients.[6] Early traction came from leveraging their TV fame for buzz, importing booze innovatively, and navigating alcohol distribution challenges without ad spend.[6]
Pivotal moments include rapid category dominance in hard teas, expansions into new flavors like Aperol Spritz and Espresso Martini, and building a "Play-Hard, Work-Harder" team culture in New York.[1][4][6] By focusing on fun, quality, and work-life balance, they've scaled to millions of cans sold and a lifestyle brand with merchandise.[3][4][6]
Loverboy rides the RTD alcohol boom, particularly the "healthier indulgence" trend in beverages, where consumers demand low-sugar, clean-label options amid rising wellness awareness.[1][2][6] Timing aligns with post-pandemic social drinking surges and non-alcoholic shifts, favoring gluten-free, organic profiles in a $1B+ "Alcohol Tech" category.[1]
Market forces like DTC e-commerce growth and cookie-less data tools (e.g., Blotout, Yotpo integrations) boost them, enabling personalized CX in a regulated industry.[2][5] They influence the ecosystem by proving reality TV + tech stacks can disrupt CPG, inspiring brands to prioritize subscriptions, feedback, and community over traditional ads.[5][6]
Loverboy's blend of celebrity, clean products, and DTC tech positions it for sustained growth in RTD and non-alcoholic segments, potentially expanding into THC beverages as hinted by Cooke.[6] Trends like AI personalization (e.g., Rebuy) and subscription models will amplify retention, while regulatory easing could unlock more distribution.[5][6]
Their influence may evolve from niche hard tea leader to full lifestyle empire, influencing CPG peers to humanize brands via authentic storytelling—cementing Loverboy as the go-to for guilt-free celebrations.[2][4][6]
Loverboy has raised $1.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $1.0M Seed in June 2019.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2019 | $1M Seed | — | 645 Ventures, Abstract Ventures, Afore Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Banana Capital, BoxGroup, Chaac Ventures, Craft Ventures, Gaingels, Infinite Niches, LAUNCH, Ligature, NextGen Venture Partners, Pareto Holdings, Pelion Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, Reform Ventures, Sapphire Ventures, Seven Seven SIX, SoftBank Capital, Spark Capital, Thirty Five Ventures, TitletownTech, Tribe Capital, Baron Davis, Carmelo Anthony (Melo7 Tech Partners), Chuck Feerick, George Godula, Gregory Waldorf, Kurt Bilafer, Matthew Dellavedova, PAU Gasol | Announced |
