What iStill does

iStill B.V. is a privately held Dutch manufacturer, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Woerden, Netherlands, that designs and builds automated distillery equipment ranging from 10L development stills up to 5,000L industrial production systems. Its flagship iStill NextGen platform integrates mashing, fermentation, distillation, and extraction into a single stainless-steel system built around a patented flush square boiler geometry (304 stainless steel at 4-5mm thickness) and Helicone-packed columns that deliver 14-15x separation density per height versus traditional plates. The portfolio also includes the iStill Masher (€50,000-€70,000), iStill Fermenter (€25,000-€35,000) with 0.1°C temperature control and optional pH/specific-gravity monitoring, the iStill Mash Pump, and the iStill Mini development still family (10L/50L/100L) used for recipe R&D and operator training.

The company's revenue model rests on capital hardware sales as the primary engine, supplemented by €2,500-per-attendee four-day on-site training courses at Woerden HQ and €495 non-refundable production slot reservations that secure queue position in the manufacturing schedule. Go-to-market combines a product-led Design Studio online configurator for self-service exploration with direct enterprise sales for full-setup projects. The marketing stack is built around free educational assets — iStill University (a multi-module online distilling course), a DistillingAI chatbot, a founder-authored PDF guide, and customer-success content — reinforced by trade-show presence (FERMEX Japan 2026, State of Craft Distilling 2026).

iStill serves a horizontal craft-spirits customer base of more than 1,500 distilleries worldwide, segmented into craft and micro-distilleries (primary), mid-to-large production distilleries, and distillery startups/R&D teams using the Mini platform. The company has no disclosed external funding, is organized as a Dutch B.V., operates manufacturing and a training academy in Woerden, and ships equipment globally with documented customer wins including award-winning spirit producers across Europe, Japan, and beyond.

Name

iStill

Legal name

iStill B.V.

Website

https://istill.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

iStill B.V. is a Dutch manufacturer of automated distillery equipment spanning 10L development stills to 5,000L industrial systems, serving 1,500+ craft and production distilleries worldwide through hardware sales, training courses, and a product-led Design Studio configurator.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Distillery Equipment

NAICS

Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241), Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332)

akta.pro primary industry

Filling & Dosing Machines (Liquid/Powder/Solid) (IMAHAOAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Distilled Spirits Production & Distilling (AFAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Automated distillation equipment
• Craft distillery systems
• Spirits production machinery
• Stainless steel stills
• Distillery automation technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Woerden

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: iStill generates primary revenue from manufacturing and selling automated distillery equipment including production stills (iStill 100 to 5000), mashers, fermenters, mash pumps, and the iStill Mini development still. Equipment ranges from entry-level 10L Mini systems at €3,250 to industrial-scale 5000L production systems. Pricing is quote-based with online configurator for exploration.
2. Training Courses: Revenue from on-site 4-day practical distilling courses held at iStill HQ in Woerden, Netherlands. Course ticket priced at €2,500 excluding VAT, covering hands-on training in theory, equipment operation, tasting, and real production decisions. Also includes free online iStill University course as a marketing tool.
3. Production Slot Reservations: €495 reservation payment secures position in iStill production planning queue, allowing team discussions on equipment scope and timeline. This is a deposit for production slot allocation, not a final order.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

iStill designs, manufactures, and sells automated distillery equipment ranging from 10L development stills up to 5,000L industrial production systems, integrating mashing, fermentation, distillation, and extraction in 304 stainless steel platforms built in Woerden, Netherlands. The company complements its hardware with the StillControl smartphone app, DistillingAI chatbot, the free iStill University online course, and paid 4-day on-site training courses at its Woerden HQ.

Product overview

iStill offers a comprehensive automated distillery equipment portfolio centered on the NextGen production platform spanning 100 to 5,000 liters. The ecosystem includes complementary equipment (iStill Masher for mashing, iStill Fermenter for fermentation, iStill Mash Pump for transfer), the iStill Mini for recipe development and training, and supporting software/services including StillControl app, DistillingAI assistant, iStill University online courses, and on-site training programs. All equipment features patented square boiler design, stainless steel construction, and intelligent automation for repeatable production from mash through distillation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• iStill University: Online distilling education platform with free courses covering distilling workflow, fermentation, distillation techniques, and barrel aging.
• StillControl
• DistillingAI
• iStill NextGen
• State of Craft Distilling

Products and services

• iStill NextGen Production Stills Automated production distillation systems ranging from 100 to 5,000 liters featuring integrated mashing, fermentation, and distillation in a single stainless-steel platform with intelligent automation controls. Built for craft and industrial distilleries worldwide.
• iStill Masher

Quantifiable outcome

• 4x more efficient distillation compared to traditional methods
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• MollieminorOthersPayment processing partner for secure online transactions. Processes payments in euros for equipment purchases, course tickets, and production slot reservations. iStill uses Mollie's secure payment components; card credentials are not stored by iStill.
• PostmarkminorOthersTransactional email service provider for sending order confirmations and related communications to customers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kothe Distilling: German manufacturer of automated distillation equipment with comparable focus on craft distillery automation, energy efficiency, and modular configurations.
• StillDragon: Modular stainless steel distillation equipment manufacturer with a similar product philosophy to iStill; both target craft distillers with configurable, automated systems spanning mini to production scale.
• Vendome Copper & Brass Works: Established US-based manufacturer of copper and stainless distillation equipment serving craft distilleries; direct competitor with similar product breadth from pilot to production scale and the same target customer.
• Arnold Holstein GmbH: German manufacturer of distillation equipment with similar product focus on pot stills and columns for craft distillers; serves an overlapping European customer base.
• Moonshine Distiller: US-based craft distillery equipment supplier serving home distillers and small craft operations; comparable customer-segment focus on smaller-scale producers.

Broad incumbents

• Tetra Pak: Global beverage processing equipment giant with a broad portfolio including processing, packaging, and services; overlaps with iStill in beverage production equipment but at much larger industrial scale.
• SPX Flow: Industrial flow and process equipment maker serving beverage, brewing, and dairy industries; offers distillation-adjacent technologies within a diversified industrial portfolio.
• Alfa Laval: Global process equipment supplier with heat exchange and separation products used across distilling, brewing, and food industries; serves beverage production broadly.
• GEA Group: Global leader in process equipment for food and beverage industries including fermentation and distillation; serves large industrial beverage producers with a much broader portfolio than iStill's craft focus.

Others

• HRS Heat Exchangers: Heat exchanger manufacturer supplying thermal equipment to the distilling and beverage industries; component supplier rather than direct competitor, but with technology overlap in distillation heat management.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/205279363321597
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/istill

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about iStill