World-first as craft beer goes on the Blockchain

Summary

Iron Craft Beers, an exporter and distributor of craft beers from Irish breweries, joined the entrepreneurial hub, Entrepreneurial Spark, to accelerate its growth. Through collaboration with Arcnet, a company focused on product transparency using blockchain, Iron Craft Beers became the first in the world to showcase the provenance of their products on the blockchain. This initiative highlighted the potential for breweries to build trust and showcase the authenticity of their products. Entrepreneurial Spark, powered by Ulster Bank, is the world’s largest free business accelerator, supporting 80 entrepreneurs across Northern Ireland.

Takeaways

• 😀 Iron Craft Beers is an export distributor of beverages from craft breweries across Ireland.
• 😀 The business was established two years ago and has been growing steadily.
• 😀 Iron Craft Beers joined Entrepreneurial Spark, a collaborative environment for startups and scale-ups.
• 😀 Entrepreneurial Spark hosts various businesses on their startup or scale-up journey, including ArcNet.
• 😀 ArcNet specializes in product transparency and traceability, serving companies and organizations globally.
• 😀 ArcNet helped Iron Craft Beers put their product on the blockchain, showcasing the first craft beer in the world with this technology.
• 😀 The blockchain technology tracks the source of materials, production process, and vaulting of the beer.
• 😀 The initial product featured on the blockchain was the Downstream Hybrid IPL beer, highlighting the transparency of the brewing process.
• 😀 The project aims to demonstrate how breweries and distilleries can use blockchain for trust and provenance of their products.
• 😀 Entrepreneurial Spark is the world’s largest free business accelerator, powered by Ulster Bank, offering a collaborative space for entrepreneurs across Northern Ireland.

Q & A

What is Iron Craft Beers?

Iron Craft Beers is an export distributor of beverages, specifically from craft breweries around Ireland. The company has been operating for about two years and has been growing steadily during that period.

How has Iron Craft Beers benefitted from joining Entrepreneurial Spark?

Iron Craft Beers joined the Entrepreneurial Spark program, which is a collaborative environment where various companies, including startups and scale-ups, work together. This has helped them grow their business and innovate in their field.

What is the role of ArcNet in the collaboration with Iron Craft Beers?

ArcNet specializes in providing transparency and traceability of products. They worked with Iron Craft Beers to put the company's craft beers on the blockchain, making the production and sourcing processes fully traceable and transparent.

What does ArcNet's technology offer to breweries and distilleries?

ArcNet's technology allows breweries and distilleries to showcase the authenticity, provenance, and transparency of their products. This is especially useful for ensuring customers know the sourcing and production processes of their beverages.

What is the significance of the beer 'Downstream Hybrid IPL'?

'Downstream Hybrid IPL' is the first craft beer to be showcased using ArcNet’s blockchain technology. It was developed to demonstrate how the beer’s sourcing, production, and quality can be transparently tracked and verified.

How does blockchain enhance the traceability of craft beer products?

Blockchain ensures that every step of the beer's journey, from sourcing materials to production and vaulting, is recorded in an immutable and transparent way. This helps customers trace the beer’s full lifecycle, ensuring its authenticity and quality.

What is Entrepreneurial Spark, and how does it support startups?

Entrepreneurial Spark is the world's largest free business accelerator in Northern Ireland, powered by Ulster Bank. It offers a collaborative space for up to 80 entrepreneurs at any time, providing support to startups and scale-ups to grow and succeed.

Who are the two businesses mentioned in the Entrepreneurial Spark program?

The two businesses highlighted in the Entrepreneurial Spark program are ArcNet and Iron Craft Beers.

Why was the blockchain integration considered a unique and innovative product?

The integration of blockchain technology into the craft beer industry was considered unique and innovative because it allowed the beer's entire production process to be fully traceable, showcasing transparency and trust for customers.

What impact did the collaboration between Iron Craft Beers and ArcNet have on the craft beer market?

The collaboration introduced a new level of transparency and trust to the craft beer market, allowing customers to trace the full journey of their beverages. This could set a new standard for product provenance and quality in the industry.