A County Durham entrepreneur who appeared on Dragons' Den has launched a crowdfunding campaign to expand his alcohol-free beer brand after securing a major deal with online grocery giant Ocado.
From Dragons' Den Rejection to Business Success
Mark Wong, a Durham University graduate, pitched his company Impossibrew on the BBC One programme in 2022 but left empty-handed after being rejected by all five Dragons. Undeterred, he used the rejection as motivation and built the business himself with help from a previous Crowdcube campaign.
Wong, who moved to the UK from Hong Kong at age 13, founded Impossibrew in his university bedroom after being advised to stop drinking for health reasons in 2019. He sought non-alcoholic alternatives but found none that provided a similar experience. This led him to research functional plants used by his ancestors in Asia for medicinal benefits. He began brewing beer in his Durham University room using these ingredients and collaborated with Dr Paul Chazot, a leading biosciences professor at Durham University, to develop Social Blend—a formula using nootropics and adaptogens with patent-pending technology.
Rapid Growth and AI-Powered Efficiency
Impossibrew has experienced remarkable growth, with turnover rising from £37,000 in its first year to £3.57 million recently. The company has achieved near 100-fold growth despite having a lean, AI-powered team of just four people. Instead of scaling headcount with revenue, the company integrates AI into daily operations for tasks such as reporting, customer insights, and content production.
The brand boasts a 63% returning customer rate and over 100,000 direct-to-consumer customers. Monthly subscription revenue more than doubled year-on-year, from £110,000 in January 2025 to £270,000 in January 2026. These figures placed Impossibrew at number four in the UK Fast Growth Index 2025 for Food & Drink.
Crowdfunding for Retail Expansion
Wong has launched a new Crowdcube campaign to fund wider retail expansion, secure more major listings, and boost working capital. Impossibrew has already raised £2.33 million across two oversubscribed funding rounds, including £1.4 million in 2025. The latest fundraiser has garnered over £508,000 from 588 investors.
Wong said: “The next stage is about turning proven demand into wider retail availability. We’ve reached this point with a very small team, and we don’t want to lose that discipline by suddenly building a traditional drinks-company structure. We built our own AI infrastructure from day one. It removes the repetitive operational drag around the edges, so a team of four can put all our energy into the beer, our customers, and the next stage of growth.”
