Fred Forsley, the longtime entrepreneur behind one of America’s early craft beer success stories, has invested in Cityverse, adding a seasoned builder to the company’s growing network of backers.
Forsley is best known as the founder of Shipyard Brewing Company, which he launched in the early 1990s as part of the first wave of the craft beer movement. What began as a single brewpub in Kennebunkport, Maine quickly scaled into a nationally distributed brand, helping shape the rise of independent brewing in the United States.
Over the past three decades, Forsley has built and expanded multiple hospitality and beverage ventures, including restaurants, brewing operations and related brands. His career has been defined by a willingness to take risks, and a consistent ability to grow businesses from the ground up.
Cityverse’s leadership views the investment as more than financial. Forsley brings experience in scaling consumer-facing brands, building communities around products and navigating emerging industries, all areas that align with Cityverse’s ambitions.
His involvement fuels continued momentum for the company as it builds the Cityverse platform and expands its footprint. It also reflects a broader trend of experienced operators from traditional industries placing bets on next-generation digital and civic platforms.
With Forsley now in the mix, Cityverse adds a founder who has already helped build one movement, and will be looking to do it again.
