Massachusetts-based Willie’s Superbrew emerged as the winner of Brewbound’s 2018 Pitch Slam competition, beating out seven other emerging craft brands during the two-day Brewbound Live business conference in Santa Monica, California. The business pitch competition, sponsored by Craft Brew Alliance, featured eight contestants who delivered pitches during an initial judging round. Five companies advanced to the finals on Day Two of the Brewbound Live event.

Chula Vista, California-based Novo Brazil Brewing was named the winner of Startup Brewery Challenge 9, a business pitch competition sponsored by Craft Brew Alliance. Held during Wednesday’s Brewbound Session conference in Santa Monica, California, the competition featured five brewery entrepreneurs, who were given four minutes to showcase their beers and business plans in front of a panel of industry judges.

Owl’s Brew, makers of tea-based cocktail mixers and a tea-and-beer Radler line, announced Thursday it has closed a $4 million series A funding round. The round included large investments from Anheuser-Busch InBev’s “disruptive growth organization,” ZX Ventures, and investment firm Cambridge Companies SPG. As part of ZX’s investment, a representative of the group will join Owl’s Brew’s board of directors.