The Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing I Brands

Mike Gelb
The Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing I Brands

The Consumer VC takes a look into early-stage consumer investing and venture capital. If you are interested in learning about consumer trends, have a b2c business and interested in learning about the fundraising process at the early stage, you have come to the right place. Mike interviews some of the top venture capitalists in the world that focus on B2C and consumer type companies or have a deep track record investing in these categories such as marketplaces, SaaS, social, CPG and non-tech subscription. Mike also interviews founders that are building some of the most disruptive consumer facing companies in the world. The conversation usually includes the insight the founder discovered, fundraising strategy, and the pitch. This podcast also includes bonus episodes. Each bonus episode dives into a particular subject that might not have to due with the fundraise or venture capital, but still would be helpful to founders. For example, a bonus episode on brand strategy or how to construct a board of directors. All bonus episodes will be clearly labeled. For all episodes, please visit www.theconsumervc.com. For updates, you can follow @mikegelb on Twitter.

  1. JAN 16

    Why The Supplement Industry Is Broken and How Momentous Plans to Fix It with Jeff Byers

    Thank you to our presenting partner –– Propeller Industries https://www.propellerindustries.com/ Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies. Our guest today is Jeff Byers, CEO of Momentous. Momentous produces and sells best in class human performance products. Previously, Jeff Byers founded Amp Human and later acquired Momentous, merging the two companies. He’s also a former professional football player and played at USC in college (Fight On✌️) 00:00 Welcome to The Consumer VC 00:40 Introducing Jeff Byers and Momentous 02:02 Jeff Byers' Transition from NFL to Entrepreneurship 04:31 The Birth of Amp Human and Momentous 07:46 Challenges and Innovations in Supplement Industry 14:17 Acquisition of Momentous and Future Plans 25:37 Navigating the Supplement Market 33:25 Sourcing and Trust in Supplements 34:12 Challenges in the Supplement Industry 34:29 Transparency Issues in Ingredient Sourcing 37:30 The Problem with Chinese Creatine 40:49 Commoditization of Supplements 46:23 Importance of Protein, Omegas, and Creatine 53:08 Momentous' Approach to Supplements 58:04 Building Trust and Transparency 01:02:26 Books that Inspire 01:06:21 Final Thoughts and Conclusion Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://www.theconsumervc.com/ Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Hjm74Z... Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast... Follow on Twitter: / mikegelb Follow on Instagram: / mikegelb Follow on TikTok: / consumervc

    1h 7m
  2. Why Invest in CPG and Tech? Expected Returns and Red Antler's VC Journey with Daniel Faierman, Partner at Habitat Partners

    JAN 8

    Why Invest in CPG and Tech? Expected Returns and Red Antler's VC Journey with Daniel Faierman, Partner at Habitat Partners

    Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries https://www.propellerindustries.com/ Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies. Our guest on today’s episode is Daniel Faierman, Partner at Habitat Partners. Habitat Partners is an early-stage venture fund that is part of Red Antler. Red Antler is one of the premier branding and marketing agencies. We focus this conversation on Habitat Partners investment strategy. The relationship with Red Antler, why they both invest in consumer brands and software businesses, the differences in the underwriting process in each of these business types, why for them it makes to have two strategies, how he thinks about returns. 00:00 Introduction 02:04 Daniel's Journey into Food and Beverage 04:13 Challenges of Innovation in Big CPG Companies 08:05 The Role of Strategic Partners in Scaling Brands 09:34 Red Antler's Venture into Investment 19:54 Habitat Partners' Investment Strategy 28:29 Sourcing and Red Antler's Impact 29:55 Introducing Propeller Industries 30:49 Key Metrics for Consumer Brands 34:19 Navigating Competitive Investment Landscapes 34:46 The Role of Creative in CPG and B2B SaaS 37:21 Transitioning from Health and Wellness to B2B SaaS 40:06 The Importance of AI in SaaS 43:35 Evaluating Founders and Teams 46:46 Lightning Round: Trends, Myths, and Personal Insights 54:20 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

    55 min
  3. The Evolution of Premium Products in Mainstream Retail with Marcel Bens, CEO of Emil Capital Partners

    09/06/2024

    The Evolution of Premium Products in Mainstream Retail with Marcel Bens, CEO of Emil Capital Partners

    Today, we're diving into the secrets of successful early-stage investments in North American consumer brands with Marcel Bens, CEO of Emil Capital. In this episode, Marcel shares the unique strategy of Emil Capital’s hybrid venture firm, with its sharp focus on 'better-for-you' products and how it bridges the critical investment gap between angel investors and larger private equity firms. We’ll explore how they strategically deploy $1-5 million checks, backed by the rich history of the Tangleman Group, to drive growth and diversification across regions. Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries https://www.propellerindustries.com/ Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies. 0:00:28 - Why Do Consumers Pay a Premium for High-Quality Products? 0:07:04 - How Is the Investment Deployment Strategy Structured? 0:13:14 - What Are the Opportunities in Better-for-You Products? 0:19:01 - What Are the Market Strategies for Premium Products? 0:25:47 - How to Decode Nutrition Labels for Better Choices? 0:30:37 - How to Select the Right Brands at Conventions? 0:34:48 - How to Identify Niche Emerging Categories? 0:38:37 - How to Invest in Consumer Brands and Tech? 0:48:49 - What Is the Approach to Building a Company Brick by Brick? Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://www.theconsumervc.com/ Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Hjm74Z... Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast... Follow on Twitter:  / mikegelb   Follow on Instagram:  / mikegelb   Follow on TikTok:  / consumervc

    51 min
  4. When to Invest in Consumer Technology with Vanessa Larco at NEA

    08/30/2024

    When to Invest in Consumer Technology with Vanessa Larco at NEA

    Our guest today is Vanessa Larco, Partner at NEA. She shares her journey from pioneering XBox at Microsoft to navigating the social gaming boom with Playdom and making her mark in venture capital. Discover her investment ethos centered on consumer passion projects, successful investments in companies like Robinhood and Mejuri, and her insights on AI's transformative potential across industries. This episode is filled with valuable lessons and expert knowledge from Vanessa's diverse career. Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries https://www.propellerindustries.com/ Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:03:23 - Microsoft's Early Touch Screen Technologies 0:05:36 - Designing Surface Device Controls Without Mouse 0:09:11 - Xbox Connect Speech Recognition Evolution 0:14:33 - Innovative Technologies and Timing 0:17:12 - A-B Testing and Data-Driven Decisions 0:23:10 - Profitability and Growth in Different Industries 0:26:55 - Investing Across Different Categories 0:29:53 - Robinhood Revolutionizes Commission-Free Investing  0:36:33 - Identifying Winning Consumer Companies 0:54:15 - Venture Capital in Tech Innovation Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://www.theconsumervc.com/ Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Hjm74ZMqodx5UmAeWAOJF?si=e0bd72bc48b341ab Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-consumer-vc-venture-capital-i-b2c-startups-i/id1484646914 Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeGelb Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikegelb/ Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@consumervc

    1 hr
4.9
out of 5
134 Ratings

About

The Consumer VC takes a look into early-stage consumer investing and venture capital. If you are interested in learning about consumer trends, have a b2c business and interested in learning about the fundraising process at the early stage, you have come to the right place. Mike interviews some of the top venture capitalists in the world that focus on B2C and consumer type companies or have a deep track record investing in these categories such as marketplaces, SaaS, social, CPG and non-tech subscription. Mike also interviews founders that are building some of the most disruptive consumer facing companies in the world. The conversation usually includes the insight the founder discovered, fundraising strategy, and the pitch. This podcast also includes bonus episodes. Each bonus episode dives into a particular subject that might not have to due with the fundraise or venture capital, but still would be helpful to founders. For example, a bonus episode on brand strategy or how to construct a board of directors. All bonus episodes will be clearly labeled. For all episodes, please visit www.theconsumervc.com. For updates, you can follow @mikegelb on Twitter.

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