WAKAZE, which has brought sake to markets around the world, has shifted its business from liquor wholesaling to manufacturing tap cocktails that reduce the workload for restaurant staff. The company is establishing a company-owned factory in Tokyo and targeting full-scale operations in early 2027.
WAKAZE completed its fundraising on 5 November, with PARTNERS FUND among the lead investors and 7 new shareholders participating. The funds will be used to expand production and strengthen the sales organization for the tap cocktail business, whose brand name has been unified as “WAKAZE Tap Cocktails.”
The products are kegged cocktails and sours poured from beer taps, and dozens of hotels, restaurants and other locations have already adopted them. The company is establishing a company-owned factory in Tokyo and targeting full-scale operations in early 2027.
External supporters, including angel investors Toyama Masamichi (遠山正道), Izumo Mitsuru (出雲充) and Adachi Hikaru (足立光), have joined as shareholders. Soup Stock Tokyo’s new restaurant format has decided to introduce 3 tap cocktails.
Since founding WAKAZE in 2016, founder Inagawa Takuma (稲川琢磨) has expanded sake’s reach around the world. This latest move shifts the focus to addressing labor shortages in restaurants, transitioning the business toward products that reduce the workload for venues rather than focusing on the liquor itself.