Each month as part of StartHub’s Startups to Watch Program we connect with the winning company to learn more about them. Our September Startup to Watch is Drizly, a Boston-based startup that is transforming the way alcohol is shopped, sold and shared. Recently we had the pleasure of interviewing Nick Rellas, Co-founder and CEO of Drizly. Here’s what we learned:
StartHub: Tell us about your company. What does Drizly do?
Drizly is the best place to buy alcohol online. We work with local retailers in 24 major cities across the U.S. and Canada to bring consumers a convenient way to shop, share and purchase beer, wine and spirits online.
StartHub: What is your background?
I graduated from Boston College, double majoring in Finance and Corporate Reporting & Analysis. Before Drizly, I had my eyes set on a career in financial services, not being an entrepreneur. As a student I worked for New England Coffee Co., one of the largest coffee manufacturers in the country. During my time there I noticed the lack of technology surrounding a regulated industry and kept asking myself the question of why regulated industries and technology not mix well.
StartHub: How did you come up with the idea for Drizly? Who is your target customer?
Drizly began in 2012 when my co-founder, Justin Robinson, and I were curious why we couldn’t get beer delivered when nearly everything else had become so readily available. Before long, we started down a path to figure out a way to legally work within the system to make alcohol delivery a reality.
StartHub: How do you think Drizly is going to disrupt the market? What are the main differentiators between you and your competitors?
We don’t typically use the word disrupt, because what we’re actually doing is working with the industry to enhance the way consumers access beer, wine and spirits.
StartHub: Who are your main investors?
Polaris Partners, Fairhaven Capital & Suffolk Equity Partners.
StartHub: Why did you decide to start your business in Boston? How long has your company been around?
Drizly launched officially in 2013. I grew up outside of Boston and went to Boston College, so Boston was a clear choice. Also, Boston has some of the more strict regulations around the sale of alcohol, so we figured if we were able to work within the regulations in Boston, then we would be able to create a scalable model across the U.S. for alcohol delivery.
StartHub: What are the next steps for Drizly?
This past August we secured our Series B funding and we launched in our second international market, so things have been going well for our team. We’re on track to be in 30 markets by the end of 2016 and you’ll definitely be seeing more brand advertising from us in the coming months!
StartHub: What is the most important thing our readers should know about Drizly?
As we continue to grow our business, we’re looking to hire smart, talents and driven individuals to join our team. We currently have open roles within our engineering team and expect to be opening more roles in sales and business development over the next few months here in Boston! https://jobs.lever.co/drizly
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