If you are throwing a party your worst nightmare should be running out of booze. Whether it’s formal or wild, you don’t want to have to go out and run to the liquor store mid-party; that’s why you have to start using Thirstie. The easy to use delivery service that gets you wine, beer or cocktails is associated with Craft, the mixology based editorial to make sure that nothing holds back your next party.
CEO Devaraj Southworth tells AlleyWatch about their incredibly convenient company and their decision to go international.
Tell us about the product or service.
Thirstie is a discovery-to-delivery platform for wine, beer and spirits that engages customers through an editorial platform, The Craft. Users can read up on mixology ideas and booze news, and then order everything they need for their night in.
How is it different?
Unlike its competitors, Thirstie has built a robust content-to commerce platform. This platform, called The Craft, is where Thirstie distributes relevant content about the drinking culture (wine pairings, best new craft beers, vodka recipes, etc.). The content engages users, who ultimately drive down the sales funnel and purchase alcohol for delivery in an hour.
What market are you attacking and how big is it?
Our two largest markets in the US are NYC and San Francisco. However, given the early success we have seen in Canada, we have moved resources to focus more of our energies on Ontario. We’re the first on demand player to play in an international market and plan to strengthen our position there.
What is the business model?
Thirstie’s business model offers an on-demand mobile delivery service and a content-to-commerce platform. What this means: Thirstie provides an engaging editorial experience through The Craft, leading consumers through a thoughtful spirits discovery and education process on the way to purchase. Unlike competitors, Thirstie can build lasting relationships with its on-demand service users beyond just one-time delivery, solidified by content that adds value to their lifestyles.
What inspired you to start this business?
We saw an opportunity in a massive market, within an industry that has not been disrupted in decades. After analyzing almost a dozen ideas we settled on exploiting an opportunity in the wine and spirits industry, an industry that has not changed since the 1930s, an industry with a multitude of problems that could be solved with technology.
What are the milestones that you plan to achieve within six months?
Our focus and singular objective is to further improve our content-to-commerce model. We’ve also started raising our Series A to accelerate our growth and plan to expand our presence in existing new markets and launch in new markets.
If you could be put in touch with one investor in the New York community who would it be and why?
The visionary investor, Fred Wilson from Union Square Ventures. Fred’s notable early
Investments have included Twitter, Tumblr, Foursquare and Zynga.
Why did you launch in New York?
NYC is a bastion for tech growth, and also a city with a well developed delivery culture.
What is your favorite fall activity in NYC?
What else? Making myself a cocktail perfect for the fall – Don Julio, splash of fresh orange juice, splash of ginger-ale, squeeze of lime, over ice – I call it “The Pumpkin”.
