All-in-one production, inventory, compliance, and taproom management platform for craft beverage makers
TAM
$1.6B
Search Volume
4,200/mo
Reddit Mentions
530/mo
YoY Growth
+8%
12-month trend of search volume and Reddit mentions
Craft breweries manage a complex web of production (batch tracking, recipe management, fermentation monitoring), regulatory compliance (TTB reporting, state excise taxes), inventory across raw materials and finished goods, taproom POS, distribution tracking, and direct-to-consumer sales. Most use 3-5 disconnected tools or spreadsheets.
An integrated platform covering the full brewery workflow: recipe management with ingredient costing, production batch tracking with IoT sensor integration for fermentation, automated TTB and state compliance reporting, taproom POS with loyalty programs, distribution and wholesaler management, and DTC e-commerce for shipping beer directly to consumers in legal states.
The brewery management software market is valued at ~$1.55B in 2025, growing at 9.4% CAGR. Cloud solutions hold 74% market share. With ~10,000 US breweries, the market is meaningful but concentrated. The big news: Next Glass (parent of Untappd) acquired Ekos in October 2025, consolidating the market leader. Ekos had raised $29M total (Series B $21M in 2021). Other players include Ollie (owned by Next Glass), Crafted ERP, and Breww. The Next Glass consolidation creates both a threat (dominant player) and an opportunity (post-acquisition integration disruption, customer churn). Cloud-based and AI-powered production optimization could differentiate a new entrant.
Weakness: Post-acquisition integration risk; customers concerned about pricing changes and feature roadmap under new ownership
Weakness: Brewery-only focus within Next Glass portfolio; may receive less investment than Untappd consumer platform
Weakness: ERP-heavy approach that's complex for small breweries; AI features are marketing-forward but shallow
Weakness: UK-based with limited US market presence; TTB compliance and US distribution features are underdeveloped
Exhibit at Craft Brewers Conference and regional craft beer festivals for direct relationship building
Free TTB compliance reporting tool as lead magnet (most painful manual process for small breweries)
Partner with brewery equipment suppliers (Ss Brewtech, Blichmann) for bundled software recommendations
Content marketing on BeerAdvocate, r/TheBrewery, and homebrewing-to-pro transition communities
Next Glass acquiring Ekos consolidates the market leader; competing against Untappd's distribution network is difficult
US craft brewery growth has plateaued; the number of new brewery openings has declined since 2019
Small breweries have limited software budgets ($100-300/mo) and long sales cycles due to owner-operator decision-making
Regulatory complexity varies by state, requiring significant ongoing compliance engineering investment
Viable with Execution
out of 10
Craft breweries producing 500-50,000 barrels/year, cideries, meaderies, and distilleries seeking one platform for operations