At Forerunner, we believe in a better way to invest. We’re a venture capital firm focused on understanding the mindset of the modern consumer and identifying the people poised to deliver what they need. We believe that when entrepreneurs are poised to meet consumers not just where they are today but where they’re going to be tomorrow, they become more than just founders — they’re forerunners. By supporting them with funding, strategic wisdom, and consumer insight — our “CQ” — we help transform industries and drive culture forward.    We’re a San Francisco-based team of veterans and visionaries from multiple disciplines. What unites us is a shared belief that “good enough” just isn’t good enough. We’ve used our combined expertise to support trailblazing brands like Dollar Shave Club, Warby Parker, Hims & Hers, and dozens more.

Forerunner

Lerer Hippeau is a seed-stage venture capital firm founded and operated in New York City. Since 2010, they have invested in entrepreneurs with great ideas who aren’t afraid to do hard things. Their portfolio includes more than 400 enterprise and consumer businesses including Guideline, MIRROR, Blockdaemon, K Health, Allbirds, ZenBusiness, and Thrive. They’re experienced operators who invest early and stay in their founders’ corners as they build iconic companies.

Lerer Hippeau

Alpaca VC leads Seed rounds in founders that are reshaping the real world. We believe that layering technology over daily life transforms how the real world works, so we invest in the people, products, and processes that power commerce in the physical world.    Led by a diverse team of company builders, operators, and analytical thinkers, Alpaca develops a repeatable playbook to help its entrepreneurs most efficiently progress from Seed to Series A.

Alpaca VC

Canaan is an early stage venture capital firm that invests in entrepreneurs with visionary ideas. With $5B under management, a diversified fund and over 190 exits to date, Canaan has invested in some of the world's leading technology and healthcare companies over the past 30 years. Canaan’s focus areas include fintech, enterprise/cloud, marketplaces, frontier tech, biopharma, digital health, and medtech.

Canaan Partners

LA-based early-stage fund backing the next rising technologies, products, and services that delight consumers and transform commerce.

BAM Ventures

Black Jays provides investment capital and advice to early-stage founders looking to redefine the industries in which they operate. Startups we support are looking to fundamentally re-imagine consumer behavior or how products and services are delivered.

Black Jays

Secocha Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on early stage startups.

Secocha Ventures

XFactor Ventures is focused on making pre-seed and seed stage investments in companies with billion dollar market opportunities that have at least one female founder.

XFactor Ventures

Overton Venture Capital is an early-stage VC fund investing in founders who are one step ahead, building next generation products and services essential to the changing consumer.

Overton Venture Capital

The Inside

The Inside sells home furnishing products. They provide bedrooms, living, dining, outdoor, office, and decor products. They also provide online interior design services. Their products include beds, chairs, lighting, wallpaper, benches, desk chairs, and room divider products.

The Insider's Guide to Furniture is an online resource aimed at educating and informing consumers about furniture shopping. The website provides detailed explanations and answers to common questions related to furniture brands, product quality, construction, pricing strategies, and industry terminology. With over 300 articles spanning various furniture-related topics, the Insider's Guide to Furniture aims to assist readers in avoiding expensive mistakes when purchasing furniture.

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The Insider's Guide to Furniture is an online resource aimed at educating and informing consumers about furniture shopping. The website provides detailed explanations and answers to common questions related to furniture brands, product quality, construction, pricing strategies, and industry terminology. With over 300 articles spanning various furniture-related topics, the Insider's Guide to Furniture aims to assist readers in avoiding expensive mistakes when purchasing furniture.
The website was founded by Jeff Frank, a 45-year veteran of the furniture industry with extensive experience in manufacturing, retailing, and product design. Frank's expertise encompasses furniture construction, design, quality assessment, cost analysis, retail marketing strategies, and customer service practices. He has authored over 2,000 furniture-related articles and reviews, garnering over 2 million views in the past decade.
The Insider's Guide to Furniture differentiates itself from other furniture review sites by providing comprehensive, unbiased information based on Frank's extensive industry knowledge. It addresses the declining quality of mass-produced furniture and aims to demystify the furniture buying experience, enabling consumers to make informed decisions and avoid costly mistakes.

Casper Sleep Inc. is an award-winning sleep company known for its design-driven products, unparalleled customer support, and seamless shopping experience. The company has revolutionized the mattress industry by offering a direct-to-consumer model, allowing customers to purchase affordable, high-quality mattresses online and have them delivered in a compact box.
Casper's mattresses are designed with three core principles in mind: cooling, support, and comfort. The company's research and development arm, Casper Labs, obsessively engineers its sleep offerings, including mattresses, pillows, bedding, and furniture. In January 2024, Casper unveiled a new line of mattresses reflecting the most up-to-date needs of customers, set to launch in February 2024.
Casper operates on a subscription-based model, where customers can purchase products directly from their ecommerce platform or through authorized retail partners. The company offers a 100-night risk-free trial, allowing customers to return the mattress if unsatisfied, and has it donated to charity or recycled. As of October 2019, Casper served over 1 million customers across eight countries and generated USD 439 million in revenue for the year.

Casper

MADE is a pioneering, family-founded British business dedicated to designing and manufacturing high-end, contemporary furniture. Their pieces are meticulously crafted from sustainable materials like solid wood sourced from European managed forests and estates with proper certifications. MADE embraces innovative technologies and continuously refines its practices to minimize environmental impact, aiming for low resource consumption, reduced emissions, and minimal waste disposal.
The company utilizes its own timber and sawdust waste to heat its factory, offers reupholstery services to extend furniture lifespan, and uses recyclable packaging materials. By producing furniture made-to-order, MADE ensures a respectful approach to resource utilization. With an internal Environmental Management system and ISO14001 accreditation, the brand maintains ethical working practices and a commitment to reducing harm to the environment, achieving the highest 'A' level rating on its Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

MADE

Simba Sleep is a British company that manufactures mattresses, mattress toppers, and other bedding products. Its flagship product is the Simba mattress, designed using data from over 10 million sleepers and featuring 2,500 conical pocket springs combined with responsive memory foam. Simba utilizes advanced technologies like open-cell foam structures and graphite-infused cooling layers to enhance breathability and temperature regulation.
The company sources materials from local UK suppliers and manufactures its products in Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Simba emphasizes environmental sustainability by using eco-friendly materials and processes. Its mattresses are designed to adapt to different body types and sleeping positions, providing optimal comfort and support.
As of 2024, Simba has achieved sales of over 750,000 sleep products worldwide and has amassed over 200,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.76 stars. The company offers a 200-night trial period and a 10-year warranty on its mattresses.

Simba Sleep

Havenly is an online interior design service that provides professional design assistance to customers across the US. It connects customers with vetted interior designers who create customized design plans based on the customer's style preferences, space, and budget. The service offers two main packages - the Havenly Mini (USD 79) for a room refresh, and the Havenly Full (USD 129) for a complete room redesign.
The design process begins with a style quiz to determine the customer's design aesthetic. Customers are then matched with a designer based on their preferences, and they collaborate through an online platform. The designer shares initial concept boards, which the customer can provide feedback on, leading to a final design with a layout plan, 3D renderings (for the Full package), and a curated shopping list for purchasing furniture and decor.
Havenly's strength lies in its ecommerce integration, allowing customers to conveniently purchase the recommended products directly through the platform. The company partners with over 200 retailers to offer a wide range of furniture and decor options across various styles and price points. In February 2022, Havenly acquired The Inside, a direct-to-consumer home furnishings brand offering customizable furniture, expanding its product offerings.
In May 2022, Havenly introduced in-person design services in select US markets, combining virtual tools like 3D renderings with hands-on consultations and styling by designers. This expansion aligned with the company's mission to make interior design more accessible and personalized.

Havenly

GAIA is a leading Mexican furniture manufacturer renowned for its commitment to sustainability and environmental protection. The company is the first in Mexico to develop furniture using certified wood sourced from sustainable forests, steering clear of materials like MDF. GAIA's product line encompasses a diverse range, including sofas, chairs, dining sets, tables, beds, wardrobes, and more, catering to residential and commercial spaces alike.
The brand prides itself on offering high-quality, natural designs that prioritize functionality and durability. GAIA's philosophy revolves around creating innovative, eco-friendly products that can be recycled, thereby minimizing their environmental impact. In addition to its nine branches across Mexico, the company has forged partnerships with local NGOs, further solidifying its dedication to sustainability.
GAIA has pioneered a new concept of modularity for its bathroom furniture line, enabling customers to customize and compose their desired solutions from various components. This approach allows for tailored aesthetics by selecting from nine distinct front panel designs, including Simple, Natura, Twist, Robin, Orizzonte, Auto, Wave, Domino, and Garden. Customers can independently create and price their ideal furnishing solutions, ensuring a personalized experience.
The company's recent catalogue expansion introduced a range of vanity unit configurations, with options for drawer modules, door modules, open compartments, and side modules. GAIA offers a versatile selection of countertop materials, including polished or matte white ceramic, crystal glass, matte resin, marble, and wood, catering to diverse design preferences.
In February 2021, GAIA unveiled its flagship store in Mexico City's Colonia Roma area, a vibrant cultural and commercial hub. The store's façade features a striking design with hand-made black concrete panels and steel beams, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow.

GAIA

Includes companies that offer furniture for a monthly rental, offered on a subscription basis or rent-to-own basis

Companies that develop customized furniture based on specifications (material, color, design, etc.) selected on the website by the customer

Companies that develop IoT-enabled furniture, usually controlled via a mobile app (e.g., an app-controlled bed that allows users to customize bed settings, create lighting scenarios, open safe drawers, etc.)

Companies that provide an online marketplace for P2P and B2B2C buying and selling for both used and new furniture

Companies that offer ready-made furniture sold directly through the website

Companies that offer virtual interior design solutions to design spaces, including furniture. These companies also typically offer furniture sourcing, installation, and coordination activities

Companies that develop lego-like and modular furniture systems that are easy to assemble and disassemble. Also includes space-saving expandable furniture systems

Customized furniture based on specifications selected on the website by the customer or virtual designs

IoT-connected furniture typically with the option of control through a mobile app

Furniture rental platforms that offer furniture on subscription basis or rent-to-own basis

Some companies offer IoT-connected furniture with the option of control through a mobile app

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