--- title: "WineFi’s win at the SeedLegals Awards 2025 – and why their business has legs" id: "431808" type: "customers" slug: "winefis-win-at-the-seedlegals-awards-and-why-their-business-has-legs" published_at: "2026-05-27T15:34:08+00:00" modified_at: "2026-08-03T15:12:47+00:00" url: "https://seedlegals.com/customers/winefis-win-at-the-seedlegals-awards-and-why-their-business-has-legs/" markdown_url: "https://seedlegals.com/customers/winefis-win-at-the-seedlegals-awards-and-why-their-business-has-legs.md" excerpt: "Wine as an asset can be risky to invest in. The SeedLegals Startup of the Year 2025, WineFi, is welcoming young investors and healing the wine market with a transparent pour." --- 5 min read # WineFi’s win at the SeedLegals Awards 2025 – and why their business has legs Published: May 27, 2026 Contents [A new vintage for wine investment](#a-new-vintage-for-wine-investment) [Where WineFi outsmarts the market](#where-winefi-outsmarts-the-market) [Turning investors (and connoisseurs) into stakeholders](#turning-investors-and-connoisseurs-into-stakeholders) [SeedLegals as the sommelier of WineFi’s startup journey](#seedlegals-as-the-sommelier-of-winefis-startup-journey) [Pre-seed pour then full-bodied growth](#pre-seed-pour-then-full-bodied-growth) [Social Sensation… or Startup of the Year?](#social-sensation-or-startup-of-the-year) [Raising a glass to what’s next](#raising-a-glass-to-whats-next) [Ready to make your impact?](#ready-to-make-your-impact) [Erin Deasy](https://seedlegals.com/resources/author/erin-deasy/) Investing in fine wine has always carried a reputation: expensive, elitist and tightly controlled by merchants. Building a diversified portfolio typically costs upwards of £50k, leaving younger investors priced out – and without professional management, transparency drops, confusion rises and scams can creep in. So [WineFi](https://winefi.co/) is making the toast to a new era of investment – one that’s uncorked with professionalism and grounded in expertise. Meet CEO [Callum Woodcock](https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumwoodcock/) and Ops Director [Ollie Thorpe](https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-thorpe-/) , who are combining Callum’s background in traditional asset management (through the likes of Fidelity and JP Morgan) and Ollie’s family roots in the wine trade, to make investing in wine more accessible and cost-effective for everyone that wants a taste of the industry. ## **A new vintage for wine investment** WineFi’s big idea? Apply fintech infrastructure to modernise wine investment, with a syndicate-based model for fine wine that opens the cellar door at just £3000. With this approach, multiple investors can co-own a curated portfolio that’s managed from sourcing to scaling. ##### Run your syndicate with SeedLegals ### Want to create your own blend? Learn how to pool investors together and invest as a group with this free email series: ✅ Ideal if you’re new to angel investing ✅ Just as useful for experienced investors ✅ 6 quick emails, 5 minutes each [Sign up now](https://seedlegals.com/angel-syndicates-made-simple/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=syndicates-made-simple&utm_id=syndicates-made-simple) And this isn’t just guesswork. WineFi leans on institutional-grade analysis that pulls from over 18 million data points – identifying the bottles most likely to increase in value as well as the precise prices they’re worth buying at. ## **Where WineFi outsmarts the market** Don’t mistake WineFi for wine merchants – they’re passionate about wine, yes, but they also want to ‘balance the bouquet’ as professional asset managers with a data-driven, finance-first approach. Together they form a melting pot of expertise in investment banking, equity trading, data science, nuclear physics – and the result of this is a high-end wine investment system that simply didn’t exist before. Their model wrestles longstanding industry problems by: - Maintaining the UK capital gains tax exemption. - Avoiding high costs of traditional wine. - Offering professional asset management and market analysis. - Addressing the disconnect between merchant offer prices and accurate transaction values. WineFi’s platform is democratising wine investment by equipping prospects with the knowledge they need to make informed purchasing decisions, as well as offering objective references to build trust in a space that’s currently unregulated. > The way that we approach it is through an investment lens. There’s a lot of muddying of the waters between collecting and investing but, for people who genuinely want to make a return from wine, our model is the one that works. Education is a big part of what we do – helping investors understand why this structure, this data and this strategy are the way to win. > > [Ollie Thorpe](https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-thorpe-/) > Co-founder & Operations Director, > > [WineFi](https://winefi.co/) > > - [https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-thorpe-/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-thorpe-/) ## **Turning investors (and connoisseurs) into stakeholders** Not everyone who loves wine can justify dropping £10k on bottles to drink – but WineFi detects the sweet spot at which a budding Bordeaux enthusiast can invest the same amount *and*see a return. Callum and Ollie are reframing wine not just as something to drink, but as an asset class that draws in both seasoned investors and the next generation of ‘HENRYs’ (High Earners Not Rich Yet – think lawyers, bankers and entrepreneurs in their 30s – 40s). They openly reject the tired cliche of *“if it doesn’t go up, you can always drink it”* and are instead targeting investors who will be interested in helping you with ROI – not just red wine romance. WineFi’s angle can be used to expand the market to younger demographics by using the thrill of investment as a gateway into learning about fine wine producers, labels and regions, which in turn also benefits the entire wine trade ecosystem. ## **SeedLegals as the sommelier of WineFi’s startup journey** Referred through the London founder ecosystem and recommended by a friend with a positive SeedLegals experience, Callum and Ollie came in cold, admitting they were unsure what SEIS even was at the beginning of their journey. SeedLegals guided them through [SEIS/EIS](https://seedlegals.com/lp/seis-ppc-v11/?gclid=CjwKCAjwrNrQBhBjEiwAoR4VO_uVcAbd40sE91qntePt0JiaDD37pLQvdrARdKiVZVH44IZsWHRNTBoCi5UQAvD_BwE&utm_device=c&utm_adposition=&utm_network=g&utm_keyword=seed%20legals%20seis&utm_matchtype=p&utm_medium=PPC&utm_source=adwords&utm_campaign=13371049380&utm_term=seed%20legals%20seis&hsa_tgt=kwd-1597638883163&hsa_mt=p&hsa_cam=13371049380&hsa_kw=seed%20legals%20seis&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_acc=3885014890&hsa_grp=122576871589&hsa_src=g&hsa_ad=619108695086&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=13371049380&gbraid=0AAAAAoYOeXv3rZrz2OTkQXgQpH-cemU_o&gclid=CjwKCAjwrNrQBhBjEiwAoR4VO_uVcAbd40sE91qntePt0JiaDD37pLQvdrARdKiVZVH44IZsWHRNTBoCi5UQAvD_BwE) setup, [SeedFASTs](https://seedlegals.com/lp/asa-v3/?gclid=CjwKCAjwrNrQBhBjEiwAoR4VO9UpKLgsv-La3KzAp7BJ2krAZpbWA93snI5hO5XPhspNvTxFCVpD5hoCm2gQAvD_BwE&utm_device=c&utm_adposition=&utm_network=g&utm_keyword=seedlegals%20seedfast&utm_matchtype=p&utm_medium=PPC&utm_source=adwords&utm_campaign=13371049380&utm_term=seedlegals%20seedfast&hsa_tgt=kwd-1711555680637&hsa_mt=p&hsa_cam=13371049380&hsa_kw=seedlegals%20seedfast&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_acc=3885014890&hsa_grp=122576871549&hsa_src=g&hsa_ad=619108695077&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=13371049380&gbraid=0AAAAAoYOeXv3rZrz2OTkQXgQpH-cemU_o&gclid=CjwKCAjwrNrQBhBjEiwAoR4VO9UpKLgsv-La3KzAp7BJ2krAZpbWA93snI5hO5XPhspNvTxFCVpD5hoCm2gQAvD_BwE) , ASA agreements and the fundraising process. That support gave WineFi the confidence (and the tools) to raise their first £177k pre-seed round. More importantly, it let them prove an exciting new hypothesis that people would invest in wine, even without drinking rights. > We’re very lucky to have discovered a platform that was really perfect for our requirements straight out of the gates and made everything really easy. So we’ve been working with SeedLegals since the very beginning. > > [Callum Woodcock](https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumwoodcock/) > CEO, > > [WineFi](https://winefi.co/) > > - [https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumwoodcock/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumwoodcock/) ## **Pre-seed pour then full-bodied growth** Following that first proof-point, WineFi were able to begin challenging entrenched beliefs among angel investors that wine investment only made sense for drinking. With a seed round of £477k – also closed via SeedLegals – they were well-capitalised, which signalled disciplined growth and gave them room to scale. Their credibility then skyrocketed when [Coterie](https://coterieholdings.com/) , one of the most prestigious fine wine holding companies, joined as a strategic partner – with their CEO now sitting on the WineFi board. When we interviewed them after the 2025 Awards, WineFi described themselves as being in the ‘adolescent’ phase – they had a proven product, a growing team and performance that outpaced the wider market. After closing a £1.5 million round in May 2025, they were focused on scaling and embedding in wealth management platforms – with some great early inbound interest from boutique wealth managers and multi-family offices that manage hundreds of millions… far earlier than Callum and Ollie had pencilled into their roadmap. ## **Social Sensation… or Startup of the Year?** Few startups can say they’ve added a refreshing and innovative twist to reshape a centuries-old industry, built a loyal investor base *and*created a powerful online presence… all before their second birthday. But WineFi can. And now, if WineFi’s rapid growth wasn’t impressive enough on its own, their impact has been recognised publicly with the well-deserved ‘Startup of the Year’ trophy at the SeedLegals Awards 2025. Entered under the social sensation category and achieving finalist status due to their standout LinkedIn strategy, Callum and Ollie were excited for the potential of winning an award but mostly drawn to the event for the community feeling and opportunities to meet new people. WineFi gained traction through LinkedIn, racking up 80,000 impressions across two weeks of posting – the same reach they’d get from a £2000 paid campaign. Expecting to simply enjoy a night with the startup community, the two were blown away by the announcement that they would be walking home with the SeedLegals Startup of the Year title. > I felt more achievement winning that than I did raising our funding round – we kind of knew that we wouldn’t struggle to raise cash because of the story and the traction that we’d had but the actual recognition in front of an audience of people that we deeply respect, admire and expected to win really meant a massive amount. > > [Callum Woodcock](https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumwoodcock/) > CEO, > > [WineFi](https://winefi.co/) > > - [https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumwoodcock/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumwoodcock/) ### Grab tickets for the SeedLegals Startup Awards 2026 🤝 Network with 400+ founders, investors and industry leaders 🥂 Leave with answers, startup spirits… and maybe even a cheque **What's new?** Learn from exclusive pre-event investor breakout sessions, with a VIP ticket [Secure yours now](https://buytickets.at/seedlegals1/2235392/r/awardswebsite) ## **Raising a glass to what’s next** Winning an award is one thing. Turning that recognition into rocket fuel for the next stage is another. So when we asked Callum what the latest funding actually enables, he described to us the need to be everywhere at once: > In terms of the investment itself, all of it contributes towards the broader vision – to make investing in fine wine so seamless and cost-effective that it can feasibly be a part of any portfolio. That means being everywhere our audience is: on the social platforms they use, in the wealth management platforms they trust, and working with family offices and boutique wealth managers. This kind of moat building strategy can only really be financed by edge capital, because you have to move quickly and be everywhere at once – and that’s what we’re most excited about as a business. > > [Callum Woodcock](https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumwoodcock/) > CEO, > > [WineFi](https://winefi.co/) > > - [https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumwoodcock/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumwoodcock/) Since the SeedLegals Awards 2025, WineFi has gained hundreds of new investors and launched six new syndicates. They’ve also welcomed a Head of Investment to their team (Matthew Small). And with some exciting announcements in the works, they’re popping the cork and raising a glass to an ambitious, full-bodied future in fundraising. ## Ready to make your impact? We’ve helped thousands of startups raise over £2B in funding, simplify their legals and free up resources to focus on what matters. Want to see how we can help you grow? Book a demo with our team and let’s make it happen. Nail your pitch and impress investors Get the pitch deck that’s helping 3,500+ founders raise. 12 customisable slides, plus insider tips from investors. ## Related posts [5 min read“Before SeedLegals I had many sleepless nights and waking panics”: How VisaDoc swapped fundraising anxiety for investor confidenceAfter a difficult experience with another platform, VisaDoc found fast, hands-on support at SeedLegals to guide them thr...](https://seedlegals.com/customers/visadoc/) [4 min readMaking families possible: how SeedLegals powers Enhanced Fertility’s life-changing missionEnhanced Fertility is transforming fertility care by cutting diagnosis and treatment times from years to days.](https://seedlegals.com/customers/enhanced-fertility/) [5 min readRaising a glass to flexible fundraising: Shandy Shack’s road to exitDiscover Shandy Shack’s journey to a successful exit, made possible by SeedLegals’ flexible funding tools: SeedFAST and ...](https://seedlegals.com/customers/shandy-shack/)