Norwegian producer FEDDIE Ocean Distillery, backed exclusively by more than 1,200 female investors, is preparing for international expansion. The woman-led distillery is now looking to raise an additional €4.5 million to support its growth and founder Anne Koppang’s mission to challenge the traditional gender stereotypes and barriers in the spirits world.
The distillery is located on the remote Norwegian island of Fedje, and its first bottles were launched in November 2023. They quickly became the best-selling malt whisky in the market, according to a brand press release.
By the end of the year, it had outsold all other Norwegian-made whiskies combined and is now the only non-Scottish brand in the country’s top 20 selling whiskies.
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READ THE STORYAina Lemoen Lunde was recently appointed as FEDDIE’s CEO to lead its next phase of development.
“This brand is built on barriers,” said Lunde. “Everything that should have made this idea impossible – geography, history, cutting out half of the people you can go to for investment – has become its greatest strength.”
FEDDIE’s investment model allows only women to invest, a rule the company states will remain until gender equality is reached in the Norwegian stock market. Currently, just 1% of early-stage investment is given to women in Norway.
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To date, the company has raised more than €12.5 million (US$14.6m) from shareholders in nine countries, including Switzerland, Germany, and France.
“Of course we’re here to produce great spirits, that’s the point,” Lunde added. “But beyond that, we’re here to show there are other ways to do business. We may be small, but we’re making an impact.”
The distillery also created the Young Sisters program, an initiative to help the daughters of investors gain training and participate in governance.
As early backer Lil-Sofie Ording Müller put it: “It’s not just about owning a stake – it’s about being part of a conversation and a movement. The dividend is knowledge and community.”
To convey its story under Norway’s strict alcohol marketing laws, FEDDIE partnered with Edinburgh-based creative agency Contagious.
“A distillery funded entirely by women, rooted in community, pushing against industry norms – it’s an extraordinary story,” said James Hartigan, creative director at Contagious. “The brief was to say everything, without being able to say anything.”
The new lightweight bottle designed by Contagious is embossed with 751 dots and 521 dashes, representing every female investor and island inhabitant at the time of its creation.
The design is built into the glass mold and will be updated with more marks in future iterations to track the movement’s growth.
“It’s a design and brand for presence and purpose,” Hartigan noted. “In doing that, we found a more powerful language. One that’s felt and noticed, rather than explained.”
FEDDIE’s success in Norway has already led to launches in Sweden, Switzerland, and Germany.
The distillery has reportedly had a positive economic impact on the island of Fedje, creating jobs and attracting tourism.
“We are acutely aware of what Fedje provides us, and what we want to provide Fedje,” Lunde stated.
As it prepares to expand into the global market, the company balances its dual identity.
“People still ask if we’re a whisky brand or a feminist project,” Lunde concluded. “The truth is, we’re both. And that’s the point.”
For more information, visit feddiedistillery.no.
