In an insightful interview with Paul Essery for The Tech Business Podcast, CEO Nick Martin chats through the evolution of Wine Owners and industry-driven business management platform the Wine Hub. Nick describes the role of technology in relation to the wine trade, saying in 2024 you need to be ‘more than just a bit of software, you’ve got to be able to positively impact a market’. Watch the interview to find out how.
The evolution of Wine Owners
Motivated by his passion for wine and data, Nick identified the gaps in the wine trade and consumer needs, leading to the inception of Wine Owners with co-founder Wolter Visscher in 2011. Initially starting with two primary lines—peer-to-peer collection management and a white label CRM for the wine trade—the company has since evolved significantly.
Wine Owners expanded their offerings to include software for wine storage operators in the US between 2015 and 2017. This move catered to the needs of data-oriented wine collectors, helping storage operators demonstrate their expertise. The industry’s specific software caught the attention of merchants and retailers, leading to the creation of Wine Hub in 2020, a comprehensive platform for running a wine business. Wine Hub handles core activities such as sourcing, inventory management, and sales, providing unique workflows tailored to the wine industry’s idiosyncrasies. The platform aims to streamline operations, enhance collaboration, and drive business growth through operational efficiency.
Reflecting on the company’s journey, Nick highlights the challenges and lessons learned, particularly the decision to remain self-funded rather than seeking venture capital. This choice required careful management of growth and priorities. Despite the complexities of the market, Wine Owners has remained capital efficient and responsive to market needs.
An ongoing partner to the wine industry
Looking ahead, the Wine Hub team envision building an ecosystem to facilitate easier collaboration within the wine trade and providing paths for growth through multi-channel approaches. By focusing on these strategies, Wine Hub aims to become an indispensable platform that supports the wine trade’s ambitions and fosters market growth.