A venture capital firm dedicated to the modern consumer and the ambitious teams reshaping categories
San Francisco, CA
Based in United States
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Our Founding Partner @kirstenagreen is on the Midas List for her *10th* consecutive year.
From Chime to Faire, Hims&Hers, Decagon, Wabi, and countless more, Kirsten's drive to partner with founders building a better future is unmatched.
forbes.com/lists/midas/
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Humans in the Loop is back!
Join us on June 10th in SF. Space fills up fast. Apply to attend here!
humansintheloop2026.com/
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Our Founding @kirstenagreen speaking @DecagonAI today:
"[in startup building] there's no playbook you can just follow. Commonalities exist, but execution is an art—you make some things up as you go, learn every lesson, experiment, & strike aggressively when an opening appears."
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Consistently two of our favorite days of the year.
Our 2026 Founders Summit was something special:
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At our 2025 AGM, we welcomed 20 early-stage founders to preview what they're building in our company showcase.
The creativity and ambition were off the charts:
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Today at Connected Stack, @kirstenagreen interviews our portfolio founder @decagon alongside @cresta and @JoinNooks founders about building trust in enterprise AI, the only constant in AI-building today
@ping_wu @AshwinSreenivas @_dan_lee_
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We’ve loved hearing the same feedback over and over from Humans in the Loop attendees & speakers alike: the energy was electric, the enthusiasm was palpable, and the seed-stage startups blew people away just as much as iconic fireside chat speakers.
Here's the highlights reel:
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Onto our final session of the day, a conversation with @mikeyk - Chief Product Officer @AnthropicAI and Cofounder of @instagram:
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Next up, we’re hearing from investors @Alfred_Lin and @aunder on navigating the AI shift and investing at the edge of adoption, moderated by @eurie_kim
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We're co-hosting a new, first-of-its-kind event to celebrate the momentum and creativity in early-stage Consumer AI.
Join us on June 26th!
humansintheloop2025.com/
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Well-deserved recognition from our Founding Partner @kirstenagreen — her 9th consecutive Midas List ranking. "Everything is up for reimagination"
forbes.com/lists/midas/
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The exit market: the bar for going public is insanely high, and M&A activity has been especially sparse. But there are real reasons to believe that 2025 might look better than the last two years.
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AI investment: largely focused on enterprise and infrastructure to date, but the tide is starting to turn towards consumer
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Some highlights...
Early-stage VC is seeing a "flight to quality" — same volume of deals getting done, but at higher valuations, signaling both AI premiums and heightened focus on top-tier unit economics
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"Give us what you dread" — a compelling promise from @duckbillai, the personal assistant service that takes to-do lists off of people's plates.
See CEO @meghanvjoyce on @CBS:
piped.video/watch?v=uuhZAT6k…
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"We believe the next evolution of search won’t look much like search at all. Rather, discovery will take the shape of tailored, dynamic services."
Our perspective on the evolution of Search to Service, including our investment in @shopondaydream:
forerunnerventures.com/our-p…
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Earlier this year, we put out a report showing that consumer startups that raise a series B perform just as well—if not better— than their enterprise counterparts. We received lots of interest in the data, so we're now outsourcing the underlying research:
pitch.com/v/consumer-vs-ente…
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Our Founding Partner @kirstenagreen is on the Midas List for the 8th (!) year in a row, recognized as an early partner of @Chime, @faire_wholesale, @wearehims & more.
Here's to many more years of partnering with category-defining consumer companies. ⚡
forbes.com/profile/kirsten-g…
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Fay is emerging from stealth with $25M led by @nicoleahjohnson as they scale a new approach to nutrition: consumers get care at little to no cost, while dietitians build & scale their businesses on their own terms. The team's momentum speaks for itself:
forerunnerventures.com/our-p…
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Have you wished @jasondbornstein congrats yet?
Read more about Jason's new position as Partner and Head of Research, a new role for our firm that marks our deepened commitment to research as essential to consumer investing:
forerunnerventures.com/our-p…
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Digital Franchises are driven by mounting consumer interest in more flexible, entrepreneurial work, AI advancements, and the unbundling of historical services industries. The model sits in-between solopreneurship and gig work, where there are meaningful trade-offs on both ends:
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Caregiving is the #2 reason why people exit the workforce after retirement.
With caregiving needs only projected to grow, more stable infrastructure will be essential to preventing what could otherwise be an exodus of women from the workforce.
Entrepreneurship can fill gaps:
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It's never not International Women's Day around these parts. As a women-led team with a 50%+ women-led portfolio, we feel fortune to gain inspiration from a wide group of women every day. Here's to celebrating that every month. 🎉
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The Dinner Party, our new collaborative research platform, centers around the eight modern consumer archetypes identified through our new report.
Are you a Pioneer, Wellbody, Maverick, Juggler, Explorer, Homebody, Saver, or Artisan?
Take the quiz ➡️
thedinnerparty.forerunnerven…
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Forerunner founder @kirstenagreen and @joinincredible Founder/CEO @ImanAbuzeid took the main stage at #FortuneMPW with @MandelaSH today for a lively convo about ambition, breaking down barriers, and getting more women & WOC funded and empowered in their roles
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📣📣 Forerunner is proud of lead the Series A for @kinlyofficial, an affinity-focused neobank and financial services company focused on the unique needs of Black America & allies. @axios has more w/ reporting from @ShenLucinda:
axios.com/pro/fintech-deals/…
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🏠💫 Congratulations, @ArrivedHomes! We are thrilled to partner with this team as they democratize access to real estate for a new generation of investors.
More on how Arrived is benefitting everyday consumers from @omal: forerunnerventures.com/our-p…
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Long live the store: Physical retail has an important role to play in the future of commerce. "No matter how much this digitally native consumer evolves...it’s going to go back to the store, where it started," says @ForerunnerVC partner @nicoleahjohnson.
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Finally, don’t forget to wow your customer as a hook for acquisition. 🤩 Sending out an exchanged item before the original is returned, issuing a refund before an item is returned, and video chatting with a sales associate are all ways to “wow." 20/
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In exchange for ongoing loyalty, subscription consumers expect a lot out of this relationship - easy cancelation, free shipping, discounts, etc. @chargebee, @RechargePayment, @recurly, & @upscribe are building software to better manage these relationships. 19/
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We also asked about new customer discounts. Yes, consumers now expect these as an incentive to purchase for the first time from a new brand. What discount is compelling? Customers said ~20%, which most brands don’t offer. 17/
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Consumer appetite is ahead of many checkout offerings - but @nate_app, @PayWithCatch, @Bolt & @Fast are creating seamless, 1-click checkout, while @Checkout, @Passport & @flowcommerce are easing new payment options. For text / video commerce, try @get_paloma & @usehero. 💳 16/
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What do consumers expect on the path to purchase? Customer reviews are table stakes (which @Thingtesting is pioneering ✍🏾✨), and expectation for live chat is close behind. Most emerging ways of interacting with brands are still nascent. 15/
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Chat may be so preferred because it’s instantaneous: 89% of respondents expect to hear back “right away.” While texting, that expectation dips to 45% right away and 32% within an hour. 📱 Email has a more generous response time. Prioritize wisely. 13/
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Customer support is one area where brands and consumers aren’t totally aligned. ⬇️ 47% of respondents like to connect w/ brand reps via chat, 22% prefer email and 18% like text. Few want to pick up the phone (just 8%) and social media ranks last. 12/
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Amazon may have redefined shipping goals, but most consumers are more forgiving with their expectations for other companies. They instead expect roughly 4-5 days for a package to arrive after an online order. 🚚 11/
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Consumers want 30 days to return an item 📦 🔙... and many brands are meeting that mark. More generous policies boil down to seasonality of merchandise, value of having returned inventory back sooner & the belief in a shorter window meaning fewer returns overall. 10/
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While @amazon defined a new standard with its Prime two-day *shipping* offer, the standard for a best-in-class *return* experience remains to be seen - but disadvantageous return policies may cost you customers. 9/
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Consumers want easy returns + reliable, fast delivery. Companies like @narvarinc, @Loop, @Returnly, @HappyReturnsco & @returnmates are innovating in this space.
For better shipping solutions, try Swyft, @ShopOlive, @Attabotics, @fabric_commerce, @shippo, @ShipBob or @FastAF. 8/
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Consumers are split on what qualifies as best-in-class service. 🤔 48% said top-notch service is generous shipping, return and exchange policies; 44% said this means a brand’s service team is easily accessible and nice to work with.
They also *really* care about returns. ⬇️ 7/
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With e-commerce everywhere, @protocol asked @ForerunnerVC's @kirstenagreen on which channels retailers should focus their efforts. Check out her answers, straight from Forerunner's ongoing consumer research: protocol.com/braintrust/how-…
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3/ Some of the most iconic, recognizable brands like @Nike, @Starbucks, @Target, @Sephora and @amazon have sophisticated loyalty efforts that drive tremendous revenue and repeat transactions.
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How are consumers feeling coming out of Covid-19? How have they changed their behaviors? We asked 1,000+ to tell us about their attitudes, spending, habits, and more, and discovered that sellers are meeting the consumer at an impressionable moment.💥 1/6
forerunnerventures.com/our-p…
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What do @mrjoezee, @zola, and FV’s @eurie_kim have in common? They'll be livestreaming in ShopShops's #ShopAAPI Festival with 30+ Asian-owned businesses 5/7-5/8! Get $100 towards a purchase from an AAPI business when you download the app: sss.live/7i #Stopasianhate
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This Friday and Saturday, come #ShopAAPI with @LetsShopshops! The team has partnered with an incredible lineup of fashion designers, entertainers, businesses, and creators for a livestream festival to kick off AAPI Heritage Month and #StopAsianHate. 1/3
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Congrats to the the tremendous team behind @wearehims @wearehers on their public debut today: four years to become a telehealth leader modernizing consumer-focused HC; and now, green-fields opportunity ahead.
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.@ouraring CEO @harprizzle14 talks to @CNBC about how Oura rings are being used to help detect #Covid_19 symptoms piped.video/watch?v=JYqqLph_…
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"When @glossier founder and CEO @EmilyWWeiss first had the idea of launching a beauty startup, she began with a simple question: how could you make a beauty brand whose sweatshirt people would want to wear?" - @WiredUK cover story
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Celebrating so many inspiring women in our lives today, amongst them the 30+ female founders in the @ForerunnerVC portfolio #InternationalWomensDay
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.@kirstenagreen on stage at #WSJDLive talking about the state of VC, the road to IPO, & the consumerization of healthcare -> wellness
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Cultural shifts are underway, highlighted by 2 new, standout campaigns from portfolio co's ahead of the curve: @bonobos on the evolving definition of masculinity & @DollarShaveClub on celebrating *all sorts* of grooming rituals piped.video/watch?v=QEU-MAZR…
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We’re grateful as ever for our LPs & founders joining us from far and wide yesterday for our Annual Investor Day - and a special shout out to @outdoorvoices for the perfect venue!
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.@jessicaalba talks to @clare_oc abt targeting moms: MOBILE- the most personal devices on the planet #Under30Summit
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NYers, check it out! RT @ZolaRegistry: In need of wkend plans? Swing by the #ZolaTownhouse @ 43 Crosby St in #Soho! piped.video/watch?v=sg_BS3RJ…
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Pillow envy at @Guildery popup preview at 170 State St in Los Altos, opening tmrw! nitter.net/ForerunnerVC/status/59…
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