Elizabeth Banks is an actress, producer, writer, and director, known by many for her roles in The Hunger Games and Pitch Perfect film series. In film and television, she has also appeared in The Lego Movie, Love & Mercy, Mrs. America, and Power Rangers. Banks made her directorial debut in 2015 with Pitch Perfect 2 and produced the franchise through her production company Brownstone Productions, along with her husband, Max Handelman. She is a three-time Emmy nominee for her recurring roles in 30 Rock and Modern Family.
Earlier this year, Banks joined Archer Roose Wines as a co-owner and chief creative officer. The Hollywood mogul recently shared more with Fortune about her decision to invest in the company as well.
- Name of startup: Archer Roose Wines
- Year founded: 2014
- Valuation: Declined to disclose
- Investment level: $6 million raised to date
- Number of employees: 16
- Location: Boston
- Other major investors: SoGal Capital, Goat Rodeo Ventures, Boston Harbor Angels, Gaingels VC, Curated Capital, Mark Ramadan (founder of Sir Kensington’s), Brendan Iribe (founder of Oculus), Vivek Garipalli (founder of CloverHealth), Nathaniel Turner (founder of Flatiron Health)
Why she invested, in her own words
I first learned about Archer Roose while floating down a river in Utah. Which, frankly, is the perfect time to discover canned wine. I’ve always been a wine drinker. I’m not a collector, just someone who enjoys drinking wine with friends. And I don’t drink beer or hard seltzer, so expanding opportunities to drink wine—particularly good wine—just makes sense.
I thought Archer Roose was really good, and I loved the story of this world they were building. What drove me to invest was when I realized the applicability of what they were building. How can you bring consumers a better glass of wine that can be enjoyed on a Tuesday night or at your kid’s soccer games? That’s why I decided to invest.
[As co-owner and chief creative officer], I am not someone who does anything halfway. I saw an opportunity to disrupt the way that wine is traditionally marketed by harnessing the power of storytelling. That was something that I felt I could really contribute to. Because it solves a problem: You want to have a glass of wine, but you don’t want to open a bottle. Canned wine is really about moderation.
This insight is what others in the space don’t get—and it is what sets us apart. Archer Roose is as good as any wine in our price point in a bottle. We have a global portfolio of wines from the best wine regions in the world. And it doesn’t just taste great. Our wine is made from organic grapes and is vegan-friendly.
I work closely with our marketing and creative team to zero in on the fun moments for when canned wine really makes sense and how we can bring that to life. I am a writer in my day job, so bringing humor, particularly in an industry that takes itself pretty seriously, is why they keep me around.
I love all the wines in our portfolio, but the Bubbly is the perfect stocking stuffer for this time of year. It’s great to pour directly in the glass or to make cocktails. I am also drinking a ton of the Malbec right now. And we’ve got some exciting new varieties launching in 2022 that we are excited to share.
This is an installment of Why I Invested, a series featuring famous investors from all different backgrounds and industries, revealing what inspired them to invest their own money in a new business.
