Company Snapshot
Reference Profile Summary
| Company | JuneShine Brands |
| Founders | Greg Serrao and Forrest Dein are the primary public founder narrative; Tracxn has a founder-list discrepancy that includes Joshua Makler. |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Original category | Organic hard kombucha / better-for-you alcohol |
| Current category | Multi-brand beverage platform spanning hard kombucha, RTD cocktails, beer, and hemp-derived THC beverages through Willie's Remedy+. |
| Deck type | 24-page September 2020 Series A operating-plan deck |
| Reference value | Strong outcome benchmark for CPG, alcohol, retail distribution, category leadership, and operating-plan feedback. |
| Primary caution | March 2026 move to contract production affected 30 employees, so headcount status should be nuanced. |
Status Overlay
Operating Status And Headcount
| Signal | Current Read | Evidence | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating status | Active | Official site, active LinkedIn posts, current commerce, current open roles, and active brand portfolio. | High |
| Headcount | Hiring with production-transition caution | LinkedIn shows 123 visible employees / 51-200 band; Tracxn around 116-121; Top Workplaces 170 US employees; 30 production employees affected by outsourcing. | Medium-High |
| Funding | Successful post-deck raise | $6M 2020 round, June 2021 Series A, $24M Series B, 2024 seven-figure InvestBev investment, and related $15M Willie's Remedy+ Series A. | High for event-level rounds; medium for total funding. |
| Current focus | Portfolio expansion and regulatory complexity | Flying Embers acquisition, Willie's Remedy+ growth, hemp-derived THC regulatory discussion, and contract manufacturing shift. | High |
Funding
Round And Investor Detail
| Round / Event | Date | Amount | Investors / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | 2019-02-12 | Undisclosed | Litani Ventures, Amberstone Capital, Red Light Management, Chris Hollod, Trail Post Ventures, and other early investors. |
| Early round | 2020 | $6M | Referenced by PRNewswire and Brewbound; used before expansion into 25 wholesale states. |
| Series A | 2021-06-08 | Undisclosed | Diplo, Whitney Cummings, Cody Ko, Ashlyn Harris, Ali Krieger, Ty Haney, Ashe, Peter Rahal, Litani, and Amberstone. |
| Series B | 2021-11-15 | $24M | Led by Amberstone and Litani Ventures, with Allen Gannett and existing investors. |
| InvestBev | 2024-01-31 | Seven figures | Private equity investment for marketing and product-line expansion. |
| Willie's Remedy+ Series A | 2026-02-05 | $15M | Related brand round led by Left Lane Capital with Second Sight Ventures; JuneShine Brands provides sales, marketing, and distribution services. |
Team
Deck-Era Team And Current Footprint
| Person / Signal | Role | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Greg Serrao | Co-founder and CEO | Core public founder and CEO; quoted across funding, InvestBev, and Willie's Remedy+ announcements. |
| Forrest Dein | Co-founder and creative/marketing leader | Core founder voice across San Diego Magazine, BeerNet, Brewbound, Flying Embers, and Willie's Remedy+ coverage. |
| Greg Peters | Chief Brewing Officer in deck | Deck-era brewing credibility through Saint Archer, Lost Abbey, and Maui Brewing. |
| Jeff Hansson | President / advisor in deck | Deck-era operating credibility through Villager Goods, Saint Archer, and Boston Beer. |
| Chain-sales team | National account specialists | Slide 10 shows targeted expertise from Constellation, Firestone Walker, Pabst, Rogue, MillerCoors, AB InBev, Delicato, FIFCO, and Reyes. |
| Current public headcount | 123 LinkedIn-visible employees | Supports active mid-sized company status; exact current employee count is not a formal HR census. |
| Open roles | Regulatory, contract manufacturing, and sales | Supports active hiring and current portfolio needs. |
| Production team | 30 roles affected by outsourcing | Critical nuance for status overlay and operating-model risk. |
News
Recent And Outcome Signals
| Date | Signal | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-06-08 | Celebrity-led Series A announced. | Post-deck financing and ambassador strategy. |
| 2021-11-15 | $24M Series B closed. | Successful follow-on financing after the Series A deck. |
| 2022 | JuneShine Spirits launched. | Platform expansion beyond hard kombucha. |
| 2024-01-31 | InvestBev invested seven figures. | Adult-beverage specialist validation and growth capital. |
| 2024-03-04 | Flying Embers acquired. | Category consolidation and platform-building. |
| 2026-02-05 | Willie's Remedy+ raised $15M Series A. | Related growth signal leveraging JuneShine Brands infrastructure. |
| 2026-03-10 | Production outsourced; facility shutdown announced. | Current operational caution despite active status. |
| 2026-06-08 | Willie's refreshed/ramped amid hemp-derived THC uncertainty. | Current strategic focus and regulatory risk. |
Podcasts
Founder Interviews
| Program | Year | Guests | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bossticks / Dear Media | 2021 | Greg Serrao and Forrest Dein | Brand origin and founder resourcefulness. |
| BeerNet Radio episode 76 | 2021 | Greg Serrao and Forrest Dein | Series A/B period founder discussion. |
| Brewbound Live 2021 | 2021 | Forrest Dein and Greg Serrao | Trade-audience hard-kombucha discussion. |
| San Diego Magazine Happy Half Hour | 2025 | Forrest Dein | Origin story and platform evolution. |
| BeerNet Radio episode 331 | 2026 | Greg Serrao and Forrest Dein | Current Willie's Remedy+ growth and regulatory discussion. |
Slide Inventory
Slide-Level Feedback Uses
| Slide | Use | Feedback Follow-Up |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | COVID pivot, revenue milestones, gross margin, SKU leadership. | Chart the data and source the category claims. |
| 5 | Progress timeline from zero to national category leadership claims. | Separate verified history from forward-looking milestones. |
| 7 | 2020/2021 plan with product, people, brand, wholesale, retail, capex, capital, and financial snapshots. | Show assumptions behind revenue and margin targets. |
| 8 | 2022/2023 profitability and manufacturing-path thinking. | Add decision gates for capex vs contract manufacturing. |
| 9-10 | Team and chain-sales credibility. | Highlight current full-time leaders vs advisors and target-account ownership. |
| 11 | Brand demand evidence. | Connect reach to revenue, velocity, repeat, and CAC. |
| 15 | Chain sales data and SKU rank. | Define MULO + convenience and make the table readable. |
| 19 | Revenue by wholesaler. | Summarize concentration and market maturity. |
| 20 | Sources and uses. | Tie every use of capital to measurable milestones. |
Source Audit
Current Sources
| Source | Facts Used | Reliability |
|---|---|---|
| Official JuneShine site | Active products, store locator, ambassadors, current commerce. | Strong current operating source. |
| 123 visible employees, 51-200 band, current posts, portfolio description. | Useful headcount/activity signal. | |
| Lever careers | Current open roles. | Strong hiring signal. |
| PRNewswire Series A | Seed investors, $6M 2020 round, Series A participants, 2020 traction claims. | Company-issued; strong for event details. |
| Brewbound Series B | $24M Series B and investor detail. | Strong trade source. |
| Brewbound InvestBev | Seven-figure 2024 investment, 28 states, prior funding context. | Strong trade source. |
| Brewbound Flying Embers | Acquisition terms, combined share, portfolio rationale. | Strong M&A source. |
| Brewbound production outsourcing | 2026 facility shutdown and 30 affected employees. | Strong current operating source. |
| Willie's Remedy+ Series A | $15M related brand round and JuneShine Brands service role. | Company-issued related-brand source. |
| Full source CSV | Structured source audit and reliability notes. | Local pipeline artifact. |