Soft drinks brand Gunna has gone into administration, putting nearly £4 million in crowdfunding investments at risk. The company, which marketed itself as a healthier and eco-friendly alternative to traditional soft drinks, struggled financially despite raising significant funds.
Gunna secured £3.9 million from investors across multiple crowdfunding rounds but had accumulated £6.4 million in losses by the end of 2023. It expanded into the U.S. in 2022 but failed to gain traction. Meanwhile, its parent company, The Sustainable Bottling Co., launched an aluminium bottling facility in Leicester in early 2024, raising £1 million for the project despite Gunna’s ongoing financial difficulties.
Administrators from Moorfields Advisory were appointed on January 24 and are now seeking buyers for the company’s assets. Investors, including those in Nottinghamshire and across the East Midlands, have voiced frustration over a lack of transparency, with concerns growing over Gunna founder Melvin Jay’s quiet departure in November 2023.
The fate of the new bottling facility remains uncertain.