D2C
Forerunner Ventures’ Kirsten Green demystifies the COVID-19 consumer era
“In general, the consumer has proven to be more resilient than I would have thought,” said Kirsten Green, founder of Forerunner Ventures, which has investments in breakout D2C stars like…
Extra Crunch Live: Join Kirsten Green today for a live chat right now
When the world is in an unprecedented state, it’s fair — and appropriate — to challenge the status quo. Right now, Jordan Crook and Natasha Mascarenhas are hosting a Extra…
Extra Crunch Live: Join Kirsten Green for a Q&A next Tuesday at 11 a.m PST/2 p.m. EST/6 p.m. GMT
Last month, the Extra Crunch Live team hosted conversations with folks from all over the venture community that ranged from the pre-seed world with Charles Hudson to shark territory with…
Startups Weekly: A new era for consumer tech
TechCrunch is out hunting for bright spots in the startup world as we all come to grips with the pandemic — particularly where checks are actually being written despite everything.…
Featured Article
Where top VCs are investing in D2C
If you’re looking for toothbrushes, skin-care face masks, mattresses, glasses or even socks, there’s a digitally-native, direct-to-consumer (D2C) company or two that can help you out. And thanks to smart digital marketing, the cult followings that ensue and the economics of e-commerce, D2C has changed how we relate to consumer goods (while attracting a waterfall…
Everything that trades is down, and sentiment is in the toilet. Even Robinhood is undertaking its ritual downtime. What does this mean for startups?
Featured Article
Will ‘New Retail’ help D2C brands succeed offline?
Retail as a service is great for brands to test ideas. But are they going to make venture-scale money?
In a gloomy portent for 2020 debuts, Casper lowers its IPO price range
Hello and welcome back to our regular morning look at private companies, public markets and the gray space in between. Casper, the well-known D2C mattress company, has lowered its IPO…
Newly funded Legacy, a sperm testing and freezing service, conveys a message to men: get checked
Legacy, a male fertility startup, has just raised a fresh, $3.5 million in funding from Bill Maris’s San Diego-based venture firm, Section 32, along with Y Combinator and Bain Capital…
Digitally-native, vertically-integrated brands pool resources, operational costs and institutional knowledge to accelerate growth and achieve profitability at a faster rate.
Featured Article
D2C companies deliver customer delight and simplicity
D2C brands personalize the buying experience, optimize customer delight, educate users at the right cadence and ultimately, help consumers successfully harvest the emotions they were seeking.
Featured Article
‘The best VC on Instagram’ is now VC-backed
@thingtesting wants to become the ultimate review platform for D2C products.
Featured Article
Startup ads are taking over the subway
If you’re a New Yorker, one of the easiest ways to keep up-to-date on the latest consumer products — furniture, beauty products, mobile apps, you name it — is to hop on the subway. Even before you board, you may find yourself walking through a station filled with colorful startup ads. And once you’re actually…
One of the most-discussed plot twists in recent advertising has been the pivot of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brands to linear TV. These data-driven, digital-first players are expanding well beyond Facebook and…
Mejuri raises $23M Series B to serve women buying jewelry for themselves
New Enterprise Associates, the 42-year-old venture capital firm, has invested in the $23 million Series B round for Mejuri, a startup capturing millennial women’s penchant for affordable and treat yo’…
Ro, a direct-to-consumer online pharmacy, reaches $500M valuation
Venture capitalists plow more dollars into men’s health.
Cora, which sells organic tampons and pads, has raised $7.5 million. It’s the latest in a long series of deals in the femtech space.
Retail-as-a-service provider Leap raises $3M and launches first store
The past decade in retail has been the golden age of direct-to-consumer (D2C) and digitally native vertical brands (DNVBs) that use the internet to communicate with customers, execute transactions, handle distribution…
What Silicon Valley tech VCs get wrong about consumer investing
When I began fundraising for CircleUp six years ago, I encountered many investors whose eyes would glaze over when I mentioned “consumer.” These investors would fidget uncomfortably or drop their…
Mobile Media Company Affle Raises $10M+ From D2C (A NTT DoCoMo Subsidiary)
Singapore-headquartered mobile media and advertising startup Affle has raised over $10 million from D2 COMMUNICATIONS (D2C), Japan’s largest mobile advertising company and a subsidiary of the country’s largest mobile operator,…
