Research & Insights

Announcing our new $500M early-stage fund

It may seem like a narrative violation, but consumer startups largely meet or surpass the benchmarks of enterprise, according to the data on startups that had raised series B rounds.

In this year’s report we discuss the latest developments on 3 values shifts and 1 technological shift, including the potential upsides and downsides, the innovative companies spurring the shift, and white space opportunity.

Contrary to the market narrative, consumer companies are more likely than enterprise software companies to go public and drive efficient growth at the time of IPO, and are just as likely to trade at 10X revenue at the time of IPO.

With the emergence of LLMs, Forerunner is doubling down on opportunities that pair the IQ of AI with the EQ of actual people – i.e., full-stack, AI-native services firms that emphasize a human touch.

Brand plays a seminal role in company success; but brand-building is tough for leaders to master given its often intangible nature. Introducing the Brand Power Score, a new standard for measuring brand impact.

The US caregiving crisis is acute, economically challening, and disproportiately affects women-- and begs investment in solutions across business models in childcare, eldercare, and healthcare.

Looking ahead, we see massive opportunities in building for the traditional needs of non-traditional consumers, so society can have stronger, more reliable paths for purpose, direction, growth and wellbeing.

Our take on the opportunity for digitally-native franchises: platforms where solopreneurs can grow their own businesses, but get software-driven tools, structure and support to drive success.

The next generation of innovation must extend not just to those with access, but to those whose basic needs have been long overlooked. And, what better moment than coming out of crisis to be ambitious in our goals for leveraging tech to support all humans’ needs?

The transformation in digital commerce over the last decade was inspired by a thoroughly modern buyer; and with the market having reorganized itself around a new digital-first reality, we are convinced the next evolution will be propelled by the seller.

The consumer is in transition, with today’s emerging wants and needs shaped by a confluence of trends: environmentalism, preventative health, case for self-investment, loneliness, shifting values, COVID-19, social activism and the fight for injustice.