Scottish brewer Innis & Gunn has raised £3 million in crowdfunding to help finance its new brewery at Heriot-Watt University seven days ahead of its target.

With the initial total met, the campaign has moved into a "cooling off period" for the next week and will close at midnight on Wednesday February 5.

This final phase is a regulatory requirement which also gives those who still wish to get involved a chance to invest.

Innis & Gunn will be able to accept further investment in exchange for releasing additional equity until the cooling off period has elapsed.

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In this raise the brewer has sold two per cent of it’s share capital to over 2,000 investors.

Each investor will have their name displayed on the wall of Innis & Gunn’s new brewery to be built at Heriot-Watt University Research Park.

A number of additional perks are also available such as free birthday pints and discounts across Innis & Gunn’s Brewery Taprooms.

The project is said to be the largest major brewery in Edinburgh for over 150 years.

The university tie-up is the UK’s first major collaboration of this type between a full-scale brewery and a university and will create a centre for brewing studies and applied learning on the world stage.

The collaboration will be on par with other famed brewery universities like Weinstephan in Germany.

The site will bring all production and packaging in house, simplifying the current outsourced model and reducing costs, while simultaneously reducing the company’s carbon footprint.

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It will also create around 30 new jobs and give Innis & Gunn the opportunity to offer brewing services to others for the first time.

Dougal Gunn Sharp, founder and master brewer at Innis & Gunn said: “Since Innis & Gunn was founded in 2003 our ultimate goal has always been to have our own brewery on our home turf, a brewing focal point for the city.

"We want to put Edinburgh back on the international brewing map, and with this investment secured we’re going to be able to do just that.

"We’ve got ambitious growth plans for the future and the brewery is going to be instrumental in reaching our long-term potential.

"With this key step now in place, we’re looking forward to a very bright future."

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He said: “I am personally absolutely delighted by the response we’ve had to our crowdfund and the endorsement of our beers, our business and our brand. I’d like to extend a warm welcome to the 2000-plus investors who have joined our community since the fund opened.

"We’ve always said our fans are one of our biggest strengths as a business, and we can’t wait to welcome you all to the brewery next year for the opening party to share a celebratory pint.

"Massive thanks again to everyone who has supported us, it is hugely appreciated.”