Independent wine brand Humble Grape has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs to raise money for its tech-driven wine bar pilot.



The bar, to be based in Shoreditch, will have a companion Digital Assistant and Sommelier app - that’s a trained wine professional to you and me - to help visitors learn about the wine and find their way around. The company will also use iBeacons to deliver relevant marketing messages in-app.



Humble Grape is striving to be able to accept in-app payments via debit card, PayPal and Bitcoin. They will also be using a mobile POS, most likely iZettle, to take card payments on the spot.



The company will install wine tasting machines, which enable customers to quickly test wines straight from the bottle 'in the same as you would try out an iPad in an Apple Store before purchase'.



The company has already raised £150,000 of its £250,000 goal on the Seedrs crowdfunding platfrom, where it is offering 15 per cent equity in the company at a pre-money valuation of £1.4m. They intend to overfund to £500,000.



The company has arranged a public launch for its crowdfunding campaign at fintech accelerator L39 on Canary Wharf, where attendees can sample Humble Grape’s wines and hear from Jeff Lynn, CEO and co-founder of Seedrs.