Enterprising twins and UCL alumnae Joyce and Raissa de Haas have secured £4.5 million to help their premium mixers business expand further into the UK and international markets.
Double Dutch is a global, award-winning premium mixers brand co-founded by the Netherlands-born twin sisters, who both studied UCL MSc in Technology Entrepreneurship 2014.
The sisters' interest and passion in quality drinks mixers was first developed at home, where their parents ran tasting events with different spirits. "We would spend time in the kitchen experimenting with different combinations of flavours," explained Joyce.
While studying at UCL they spotted an opportunity to turn this interest into a business venture. A fellow UCL student introduced them to the science of food pairing, where flavour combinations are tested based on analyses of their chemical composition rather than guesswork.
It was at UCL Joyce and Raissa won £10,000 for the year's best startup plan and used that money to make their first batch of mixers. They received further support as part of the UCL Hatchery incubator programme, run by UCL Innovation & Enterprise. Here they worked with business advisors to transform their experiments into a commercially viable product, and received mentorship and free office space in BaseKX, UCL's entrepreneurship hub.
Double Dutch Drinks is now a global mixers brand, known for bold, natural flavour pairings such as pomegranate with basil or cranberry with ginger, and their mixers are served in over 45 countries. They can be found in top bars, hotels, and airlines, from Soho House and The Four Seasons to Etihad Airways and even Formula One paddocks.
Reflecting on the company's achievements, Joyce said: "I don't think any of this would have happened if we hadn't studied at UCL. It's such a supportive environment for business startups."
The Dutch twins received most of their £4.5 million funding from the de Carvalho family, existing investors who have increased their stake in the company. Michel de Carvalho, whose wife is Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken, one of the world's richest women and the owner of a stake in the brewing giant, initially invested in Double Dutch Drinks in 2020.
Raissa said "We will use the money to accelerate our UK expansion, strengthen our premium position in hospitality, and invest in innovative low-sugar product launches and bold digital marketing campaigns."
Marking its tenth anniversary, Double Dutch has introduced a new bottle design, which has improved production costs and enhanced fizziness, or carbonation.
Professor Geraint Rees, UCL Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement) said: "Congratulations to Joyce and Raissa on securing this funding. Double Dutch's journey from an initial idea to one of the fastest-growing mixer brands is testament to the power of innovation, strategic vision, and access to UCL's early-stage entrepreneurship support.
"As Double Dutch mark their 10th anniversary with a bottle redesign, we also celebrate 10 years of nurturing entrepreneurship at BaseKX, our dedicated entrepreneurship hub in King's Cross.
"Double Dutch are one of the many fantastic ventures that have come to fruition at the university in the last 10 years. We are exceptionally proud of what Joyce and Raissa have achieved and wish them every success in the future."
