{"data":{"type":"company_profile","id":162756,"entity_id":"wefunder:company:162756","attributes":{"canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/waters.edge.wineries","generated_at":"2026-06-24T13:07:14Z","updated_at":"2026-06-24T05:01:31Z","entity_ids":{"company":"wefunder:company:162756","slug":"wefunder:company_slug:waters.edge.wineries"},"profile_visibility":{"owner_published":true,"public_search_results":true,"site_search_listed":true,"privacy_mode":"promote","invite_only":false},"provenance":{"source":"wefunder_public_company_profile","as_of":"2026-06-24T13:07:14Z","claims":{"total_amount_raised":{"source":"FrontCompanySummary#amount_raised","last_verified_at":"2026-06-24T05:01:31Z","as_of":"2026-06-24T13:07:14Z","confidence":"high"},"total_investors":{"source":"FrontCompanySummary#number_of_investors","last_verified_at":"2026-06-24T05:01:31Z","as_of":"2026-06-24T13:07:14Z","confidence":"high"},"active_raise_states":{"source":"Fundraise.visible(nil, nil)","last_verified_at":"2025-06-29T21:23:40Z","as_of":"2026-06-24T13:07:14Z","confidence":"high"},"latest_fundraise_state":{"source":"Fundraise.visible(nil, nil).order(funding_started_at)","last_verified_at":"2025-06-29T21:23:40Z","as_of":"2026-06-24T13:07:14Z","confidence":"medium"}}},"company":{"id":162756,"entity_id":"wefunder:company:162756","slug":"waters.edge.wineries","name":"Waters Edge Wineries","tagline":"We are a nationwide premier winery franchise in the US.","story":"Own a Share of America’s Urban Winery FranchiseTo watch the full video interview at the top of the page, please click here. “Bringing the winery ownership experience to communities across 15 U.S. states.” 15 current locations expanding towards 50!The OpportunityWhen it comes to winemaking, the United States is at the forefront of the conversation. The U.S. wine industry is a $107 billion market (Statista), making it the largest wine market in the world. Amongst the best vineyards in the world are located in the country.“Most U.S. wineries are clustered in just six states, but Waters Edge Wineries is changing that—bringing the winery experience to communities across the country through a scalable urban winery franchise model.”Our Proven Model You don’t need a vineyard to own a winery with us. We import top-quality grape juice (called grape must) from famous regions like California, France, Italy and many others. Each franchise then crafts, bottles, and serves wine produced on-site, in welcoming tasting rooms of about 4,000–5,000 sq ft.Guests love being part of the experience — they can even create their own custom labels for their bottles.Traction That Tells the Story“Waters Edge Wineries runs 15 urban winery locations nationwide, with four years of strong growth and Inc. 5000 recognition. FY 2024 revenue hit ~$825K with ~85% gross margin and positive EBITDA. Our flagship in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma grew from $1M in year one to $2.6M in 2024, backed by 1,500+ wine-club members providing recurring revenue.”Business Model at a GlanceRevenue Streams:Why Invest NowInvestment Terms:Early-bird price: $1.00/share for first $100K (post-money ~$3.346M vs pre-money ~$4.18M valuation).Standard price $1.25/share thereafter.Minimum investment: $100. Campaign closes on December 31, 2025.Bonuses for $1K+ investors before September 30, 2025:Investor Perks:Use of Funds“Funds will be used to drive targeted digital marketing to franchise prospects in underserved states, hire a Franchise Development Lead to speed up sales, and scale operations with enhanced CRM, training, and onsite support systems.”The Financial SnapshotAwards our wineries have earnedOur Vision for Growth \u0026amp; Investor ReturnsWaters Edge Wineries is on a strategic path to expand to 50 locations within the next three years, strengthening our national presence and brand value. This growth trajectory is designed to position us as an attractive acquisition target for a larger franchise portfolio company.Our goal is to create a meaningful liquidity event for investors within 3-5 years, offering the potential for not only recovering the initial investment but also achieving a healthy return as our valuation increases. By investing today, you’re joining us at a pivotal moment—one that could lead to significant upside as we scale and position Waters Edge Wineries for long-term success.“The Microbrewery Effect Craft beer exploded because it gave consumers a local, authentic, and social experience. No one has done that for wineries, until now. We’re bringing the same disruptive energy to wine.”","location":"Rancho Cucamonga, CA","website":"https://www.watersedgewineries.com","total_amount_raised":71000,"total_investors":34,"is_funded":true,"is_active":true,"quality_score":3,"related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/waters.edge.wineries","https://www.watersedgewineries.com"]},"media":{"share_image_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company/header_media_photo/162756/xxl_blob.jpg","logo_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company/logo/162756/large_blob.png","header_media_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company/header_media_photo/162756/standard_blob.jpg","cover_photo_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company/header_media_photo/162756/standard_blob.jpg"},"links":{"company_url":"https://www.watersedgewineries.com","linkedin_url":"https://linkedin.com/company/in/kenlineberger/","instagram_url":"https://instagram.com/wew_hq/"},"highlights":[{"id":75541,"name":"investment_memo","url":"investmentmemo","presentable_name":"Investment Memo","description":"An investor has written an Investment Memo","image_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/2021/profile-highlights-pencil.svg"}],"quick_facts":[{"index":1,"claim_id":"claim-fact-1","value":"In 2012 we pivoted completely our business model and created the first-ever urban winery."},{"index":2,"claim_id":"claim-fact-2","value":"Founded the first location in 2004"},{"index":3,"claim_id":"claim-fact-3","value":"15 wineries franchised around the country."},{"index":4,"claim_id":"claim-fact-4","value":"Clear signs of product-market fit."},{"index":5,"claim_id":"claim-fact-5","value":"Finished last year with over $800K in revenue."},{"index":6,"claim_id":"claim-fact-6","value":"BevGraph partnership in place."},{"index":7,"claim_id":"claim-fact-7","value":"Made Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies for 4th year in a row."}],"team":[{"id":5299180,"entity_id":"wefunder:company_role:5299180","user_entity_id":"wefunder:user:4536907","role":"founder","name":"Ken Lineberger","title":"President","bio":"Ken Lineberger is the founder and president of Waters Edge Wineries, a rapidly growing urban winery franchise system that combines innovative winemaking with a scalable business model.","avatar_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company_role/custom_photo/5299180/square_blob.jpg?1773766196","profile_url":"https://wefunder.com/ken.lineberger.1","personal_url":"https://linkedin.com/in/kenlineberger/","related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/ken.lineberger.1","https://linkedin.com/in/kenlineberger/"]},{"id":5300551,"entity_id":"wefunder:company_role:5300551","role":"employee","name":"Art DeCaro","title":"Director of Training","bio":"After attending the US Naval Academy and studying Computer Science at Cal State University San Marcos, Art began his career in the tech industry before transitioning to the wine world in 2013.","avatar_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company_role/custom_photo/5300551/square_blob.jpg?1754344447","related_urls":[]},{"id":5455189,"entity_id":"wefunder:company_role:5455189","role":"employee","name":"Mark Mitzenmacher","title":"Director of Operations","bio":"Mark has decades of experience managing small and medium size businesses. He founded his own silkscreen and embroidery company as well as working for his family’s grocery business.","avatar_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company_role/custom_photo/5455189/square_blob.jpg?1754344447","related_urls":[]}],"featured_investors":[{"id":10216,"entity_id":"wefunder:company_investor_profile:10216","investor_profile_id":4031395,"investor_profile_entity_id":"wefunder:investor_profile:4031395","subject_entity_id":"wefunder:user:4540366","name":"Steven Alavi","role_title":"","avatar_url":"https://wefunder.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MzA3ODY3LCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--fa6ffde68bd8d7fd80f1a638e91bb6373bf6254b/filename","profile_url":"https://wefunder.com/steven.alavi","endorsement_quote":"I’m investing in Waters Edge Wineries because I believe in its unique approach to blending the traditional winery experience with an urban, local focus that brings people together to enjoy high-quality, world class wines. Waters Edge Wineries has an innovative business model that enables communities to engage with winemaking in a meaningful, accessible way. This investment supports my commitment to fostering businesses that enhance local culture and provide memorable experiences.","endorsement_name":"","investment_total":10000,"investment_info":"Invested $10,000 this round","is_lead_investor":true,"memo_url":"https://wefunder.com/memos/feed/185520-waters-edge-wineries-investment-memo","memo_paid_for_by_company":false,"related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/steven.alavi","https://wefunder.com/memos/feed/185520-waters-edge-wineries-investment-memo"]}],"investor_memos":[{"investor_name":"Steven Alavi","investor_entity_id":"wefunder:user:4540366","memo_url":"https://wefunder.com/memos/feed/185520-waters-edge-wineries-investment-memo","paid_for_by_company":false,"claim_id":"claim-investor-memo-1","entity_id":"wefunder:investor_memo:https-wefunder-com-memos-feed-185520-waters-edge-wineries-investment-memo"}],"tab_counts":{"posts":13,"ask_questions":3,"featured_investors":1,"faq_entries":3},"active_fundraises":[{"id":122328,"entity_id":"wefunder:fundraise:122328","state":"successful","offering_type":"4(a)(6)","funding_type":"note","structure":"ttw","security_type":"","currency":"USD","testing_the_waters":true,"min_purchase":100,"max_purchase":9,"funding_target":500000.0,"minimum_target":"50000.0","maximum_target":"500000.0"},{"id":122327,"entity_id":"wefunder:fundraise:122327","state":"successful","offering_type":"4(a)(6)","funding_type":"note","structure":"equity","security_type":"equity","currency":"USD","testing_the_waters":false,"min_purchase":100,"max_purchase":9,"funding_target":50000.0,"minimum_target":"50000.0","maximum_target":"500000.0","funding_started_at":"2025-02-06T19:58:33Z","funding_closed_at":"2026-02-07T04:59:59Z","auto_close_at":"2026-02-07T04:59:59Z"}],"latest_fundraise":{"id":122328,"entity_id":"wefunder:fundraise:122328","state":"successful","offering_type":"4(a)(6)","structure":"ttw","testing_the_waters":true,"can_invest_now":false,"funding_started_at":null,"funding_closed_at":null,"terms":{"eb":"$3.3M","nb":"$4.2M","txt":"pre-money valuation"}},"recent_posts":[{"id":253005,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:253005","type":"FeedItem::Update","visibility":"public","title":"Final 48 Hours — Last Chance to Increase Your Position","preview":"We’re now down to just two days before our Wefunder round officially closes.As we head into the final stretch, I wanted to share a few updates that reinforce why we’re excited about what’s ahead: New locations coming online in 2026 in Richmond, VA; Detroit, MI; Akron, OH; and Alexandria, VA A current pipeline of 44 qualified, active candidates we’re working with right now A new franchise referral partnership launched last month with one of the top firms in the industry — already delivering hi...","published_at":"2026-02-04T19:14:35Z","author_name":"Ken Lineberger","url":"/feed/253005","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/253005"},{"id":248811,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:248811","type":"FeedItem::Update","visibility":"public","title":"Final Weeks — Waters Edge Wineries Round Closes February 6","preview":"Every day, we’re pushed deeper into AI, automation, and systems that remove real human interaction.Waters Edge Wineries was built to do the opposite.Our business is about real people, real conversations, real wine, and real shared experiences. When guests walk into one of our wineries, they’re not interacting with algorithms — they’re connecting with people, learning about wine, and being part of a community. That human experience is why our franchisees succeed and why this brand continues to...","published_at":"2026-01-26T19:33:18Z","author_name":"Ken Lineberger","url":"/feed/248811","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/248811"},{"id":221367,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:221367","type":"FeedItem::Spotlight","visibility":"public","preview":"With decades in finance and operations, I’ve focused on creating value through disciplined growth and strong performance. Waters Edge Wineries aligns perfectly—combining sound business fundamentals with meaningful guest experiences. It’s a brand built to scale and endure.","published_at":"2025-11-14T22:52:38Z","author_name":"Ken Lineberger","url":"/feed/221367","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/221367"},{"id":219568,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:219568","type":"FeedItem::Update","visibility":"public","title":"How We Bring the World’s Wines to Every Community","preview":"Every day, new people discover Waters Edge Wineries — some as guests enjoying great food, wine, and atmosphere at one of our locations, and others as entrepreneurs excited about opening their own winery in their community.What captures nearly everyone’s attention is how different we are from traditional wineries. We’ve spent nearly two decades perfecting a model that lets us make world-class wine anywhere — without owning a single vineyard. Here’s how we do it.1. A Global Winemaking NetworkWe...","published_at":"2025-11-12T19:20:24Z","author_name":"Ken Lineberger","url":"/feed/219568","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/219568"},{"id":216823,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:216823","type":"FeedItem::Spotlight","visibility":"public","preview":"“We’re building more than wineries — we’re creating experiences that bring people together. Every new location is another community discovering the joy of wine culture, and when our owners succeed, we all win.”","published_at":"2025-11-05T22:35:54Z","author_name":"Ken Lineberger","url":"/feed/216823","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/216823"},{"id":216005,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:216005","type":"FeedItem::Spotlight","visibility":"public","published_at":"2025-11-03T21:40:29Z","author_name":"Ken Lineberger","url":"/feed/216005","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/216005"},{"id":209004,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:209004","type":"FeedItem::Update","visibility":"public","title":"New Interview: Our Founder Shares What’s Next for Waters Edge Wineries 🍷","preview":"We’ve just released a new interview featuring our founder, Ken Lineberger, and Maz Paw, the founder of Deal Insider Capital, where they discuss our Wefunder capital raise, how the funds will be used, and why this is such a unique opportunity for investors.If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a great overview of our growth strategy, what makes Waters Edge Wineries so distinctive in the marketplace, and how this investment supports our expansion nationwide.🎥 Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/@...","published_at":"2025-10-21T21:03:19Z","author_name":"Ken Lineberger","url":"/feed/209004","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/209004"},{"id":185561,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:185561","type":"FeedItem::Update","visibility":"public","title":"We’re Live on Wefunder—Investor Visibility \u0026amp; Early-Bird Opportunity!","preview":"Hello Investors!We're excited to announce that we've now officially gone live to all Wefunder investors, giving us exposure to a community of over 4.8 million registered potential backers Wefunder.We're already seeing contributions from the Wefunder community—from people we haven’t even promoted to yet. We anticipate momentum to ramp up quickly.Here’s what’s new:Investor Visibility: We’re now live on Wefunder’s full platform, unlocking broad investor exposure.Presentation Updates: A refreshed...","published_at":"2025-09-09T23:22:39Z","author_name":"Ken Lineberger","url":"/feed/185561","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/185561"},{"id":184334,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:184334","type":"FeedItem::Update","visibility":"public","title":"We Hit Our First Funding Milestone – Here’s What’s Next","preview":"Dear Investors,We’re excited to share that Waters Edge Wineries has officially reached our first fundraising milestone of $50,000—well ahead of our August 31 deadline!This achievement unlocks a major opportunity: ✅ We’re now a featured company on the Wefunder platform, which means we’ll be visible to thousands of active investors across their entire network. ✅ Wefunder will begin promoting us in their weekly investor newsletter ✅ We’ll be hosting live webinars to share our story and answer qu...","published_at":"2025-08-01T21:27:40Z","author_name":"Ken Lineberger","url":"/feed/184334","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/184334"},{"id":181594,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:181594","type":"FeedItem::Update","visibility":"public","title":"Waters Edge Wineries Early Investor Round Closes 4/30","preview":"We completed our 2024 financial audit with very positive results. Our sales grew by 20%, and our gross profit margin remained healthy at 87%. EBITDA came in on track at 14.6%. As we bring more units online in 2025, margin and EBITDA will expand as we do not anticipate adding much overhead to support the new locations.\u0026nbsp;We just opened our location in Dallas, and our Havasu City, AZ, location will open in the next few weeks. Chattanooga, TN, and Richmond, VA, are under construction, as is A...","published_at":"2025-04-18T19:35:05Z","author_name":"Ken Lineberger","url":"/feed/181594","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/181594"},{"id":180852,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:180852","type":"FeedItem::Update","visibility":"public","title":"Investor Update: More Growth \u0026amp; Just Over a Month Left in Our Raise! 🍷🚀","preview":"We’re excited to share some great news from the past week: ✅ We officially signed a new franchise in Richmond, VA ✅ Our Dallas, TX location is now open and welcoming guestsThese milestones push us further toward our goal of 50 locations and help strengthen our position as the leading micro-winery franchise in the U.S.As a reminder, our Wefunder capital raise closes on April 30th. If you know friends, colleagues, or fellow investors who may be interested, please share this link with them: 🔗 ht...","published_at":"2025-03-28T18:48:58Z","author_name":"Ken Lineberger","url":"/feed/180852","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/180852"},{"id":180149,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:180149","type":"FeedItem::Update","visibility":"public","title":"Waters Edge Wineries Investor Updates","preview":"Two quick updates investors! We began to get national press coverage on our offering, which should increase interest in our raise. To read the coverage, click on this link.Second, we now have a recorded webinar about the opportunity with Waters Edge Wineries that anyone can listen to on demand. To hear the webinar, click on this link.\u0026nbsp;Please share this link with anyone in your network who is interested in investing with you in Waters Edge. One more quick item while I've got you—we create...","published_at":"2025-03-07T20:02:19Z","author_name":"Ken Lineberger","url":"/feed/180149","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/180149"},{"id":179983,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:179983","type":"FeedItem::Update","visibility":"public","title":"Exciting Growth \u0026amp; How You Can Help Spread the Word!","preview":"Hey Early Investors,We’ve got some exciting updates this week! Waters Edge Wineries is expanding, with new franchise agreements signed in Arizona and Texas—bringing us closer to our goal of 50 locations! This kind of growth strengthens our brand and reinforces the investment opportunity you’ve already recognized. Check out the full press release here.We’re also beginning to gain momentum with the investment community, but we need your help to keep it going! The best way to support this campai...","published_at":"2025-03-04T23:16:02Z","author_name":"Ken Lineberger","url":"/feed/179983","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/179983"}],"q_and_a":[{"id":323761,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:323761","question":"Hi Ken, Would you be able to tell me the 2025 revenue and profit details- unaudited. Thank you","author_name":"Scott Allison","votes":0,"created_at":"2026-01-26T20:30:25Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/waters.edge.wineries#question-323761","answers":[{"id":324416,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:324416","answer":"Hi Scott - Sorry for the delayed response, but our CPA has not yet given me the green light that all the figures are entered for 2025, I was hoping to have an answer by now. As soon as I can get the figures, I will let you know - it should be any time.","author_name":"Ken Lineberger","votes":0,"created_at":"2026-02-04T18:31:41Z"}]},{"id":320085,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:320085","question":"Hi Ken, I'm interested in investing as a wine lover. Just one question please: the \"details\" tab shows that your business had a 800k+ revenue last year, but operating at a 100k+ loss. Could you give a brief recap on how the almost-1MM cost was spent on?","author_name":"Katia Oltmann","votes":0,"created_at":"2025-11-22T23:26:25Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/waters.edge.wineries#question-320085","answers":[{"id":320423,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:320423","answer":"Hi Katia, Thank you for investing in us and for your inquiry. All of our financial information is available on Wefunder and you should be able to review it to address your questions. If you have difficulty locating it, please let the support team know at Wefunder and they can assist. I hope that helps!","author_name":"Ken Lineberger","votes":0,"created_at":"2025-12-01T22:05:36Z"}]},{"id":305475,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:305475","question":"Good day , for investors if we invest in the current campaign are quarterly distributions in the form of dividends forecasted ? As well in terms of the 3-5 trajectory of a potential Acquisition is that the only point where investors could see a ROI ? Thank you for your time \u0026amp; breakdown .","author_name":"Gregory Montgomery","votes":0,"created_at":"2025-04-06T18:02:57Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/waters.edge.wineries#question-305475","answers":[{"id":307384,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:307384","answer":"Hi Gregory - my apologies for the delayed response. I do not normally look at this board for inquiries - but I will try to be more diligent about checking it. Anytime you would like to email me directly, please feel free to use ken@watersedgewineries.com. To address your question, we do not plan on paying dividends. We are a growth company, reinvesting our capital into the acceleration of our growth. The projection is to raise enough capital to accelerate growth to around 50 units within 3-5 years. Our projected EBITDA at that point will be attractive to an outside company looking to purchase emerging brands. Our ideal suitor would be a larger franchise platform company that is in the Food \u0026amp; Beverage (F\u0026amp;B) or hospitality spaces. There are many of these platform companies looking to buy emerging brands who have reached a certain momentum. If and when that happens, they would buy our all of our investors at an agreed upon multiple and create a liquidity event for all of us. Let me know if you have any further questions Gregory!","author_name":"Ken Lineberger","votes":0,"created_at":"2025-05-02T17:24:16Z"}]}],"faq":[{"question":"Good day , for investors if we invest in the current campaign are quarterly distributions in the form of dividends forecasted ? As well in terms of the 3-5 trajectory of a potential Acquisition is that the only point where investors could see a ROI ? Thank you for your time \u0026a...","answer":"Hi Gregory - my apologies for the delayed response. I do not normally look at this board for inquiries - but I will try to be more diligent about checking it. Anytime you would like to email me directly, please feel free to use ken@watersedgewineries.com. To address your question, we do not plan on paying dividends. We are a growth company, reinvesting our capital into the acceleration of our growth. The projection is to raise enough capital to accelerate growth to around 50 units within 3-5 ..."},{"question":"Hi Ken, I'm interested in investing as a wine lover. Just one question please: the \"details\" tab shows that your business had a 800k+ revenue last year, but operating at a 100k+ loss. Could you give a brief recap on how the almost-1MM cost was spent on?","answer":"Hi Katia, Thank you for investing in us and for your inquiry. All of our financial information is available on Wefunder and you should be able to review it to address your questions. If you have difficulty locating it, please let the support team know at Wefunder and they can assist. I hope that helps!"},{"question":"Hi Ken, Would you be able to tell me the 2025 revenue and profit details- unaudited. Thank you","answer":"Hi Scott - Sorry for the delayed response, but our CPA has not yet given me the green light that all the figures are entered for 2025, I was hoping to have an answer by now. As soon as I can get the figures, I will let you know - it should be any time."}]}}}