Ecommerce funding is harder to get in 2025.
VCs want profitable unit economics from day one. No more "grow now, profit later."
But money is still flowing. Just to different places. DTC brands with 50%+ gross margins. Marketplaces with network effects. B2B platforms solving real problems.
This guide lists 30+ active ecommerce investors. Their focus areas. Check sizes. Portfolio companies. Direct contacts.
Plus what they actually look for. How to reach them. Alternative funding options.
Everything based on real data from 2025, not recycled 2021 lists.
The current landscape
What Gets Funded in 2025
DTC brands: 40%+ gross margins, profitable on first order
B2B platforms: $10K+ ACV, 120% net revenue retention
AI commerce tools: Proven ROI, not just ChatGPT wrappers
What Doesn't
Another Allbirds clone. Marketplaces with no liquidity. Social commerce experiments.
Reality Check
Seed rounds: $1-3M (was $5M+)
Series A: $7-15M (was $20M+)
Valuations: Down 50-70% from 2021
Many "active" investors haven't deployed since 2022. We only list ones with recent deals.
How to pitch e commerce investors
You've built a profitable DTC brand. Gross margins hit 50%. Customers keep coming back.
But investors ignore your emails.
Stop sending PDF pitch decks. They vanish in inboxes. You can't see who opened them. Partners can't track which slides matter.
Use trackable links instead. Know when investors open your deck. See time spent per slide. Get alerts when shared internally.
Ellty makes it simple. Share secure links. Track pitch deck engagement. No more guessing if investors saw your work.
Start tracking your pitch deck
30 E-commerce investors by category
General Ecommerce & Retail Tech
1. Bessemer Venture Partners
Century-old firm with extensive ecommerce portfolio.
Investment focus: Consumer internet, marketplaces, ecommerce platforms
Investment range: Seed to growth, $1M-$100M+
Notable investments: Shopify, Pinterest, Yelp, Kabbage
Contact: bvp.com
2. Lightspeed Venture Partners
Global VC with $25B AUM and strong ecommerce focus.
Investment focus: Early and growth stage ecommerce, fintech, consumer
Investment range: Series A to growth, $10M-$100M+
Notable investments: Vinted, Finaloop, StitchFix, Affirm
Contact: lsvp.com
3. Accel
Early-stage investor with multiple ecommerce unicorns.
Investment focus: Consumer internet, marketplaces, DTC brands
Investment range: Seed to Series B, $500K-$50M
Notable investments: Flipkart, Jet.com, Spotify, Etsy
Contact: accel.com
4. General Catalyst
Multi-stage firm with growing ecommerce practice.
Investment focus: Consumer platforms, retail tech, marketplaces
Investment range: Seed to growth, varies by stage
Notable investments: Warby Parker, Stripe, Snapchat
Contact: generalcatalyst.com
5. Index Ventures
Global VC backing transformative ecommerce companies.
Investment focus: Marketplaces, consumer platforms, retail tech
Investment range: Seed to growth, $2M-$200M
Notable investments: Farfetch, Glossier, ASOS, Deliveroo
Contact: indexventures.com
6. Sequoia Capital
Legendary firm with strong ecommerce track record.
Investment focus: Consumer internet, marketplaces, platforms
Investment range: Seed to growth, $100K-$100M+
Notable investments: Airbnb, DoorDash, Instacart
Contact: sequoiacap.com
7. NFX
Network effects-focused investor with ecommerce expertise.
Investment focus: Marketplaces, platforms with network effects
Investment range: Pre-seed to Series A, $250K-$5M
Notable investments: Trulia, Lyft, DoorDash
Contact: nfx.com
8. Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)
Silicon Valley powerhouse investing across ecommerce.
Investment focus: Consumer platforms, crypto commerce, marketplaces
Investment range: Seed to growth, $500K-$100M+
Notable investments: Instacart, Lyft, Pinterest
Contact: a16z.com
DTC/D2C Specialists
9. Forerunner Ventures
The queen of DTC investing.
Investment focus: Consumer brands, DTC innovation, retail tech
Investment range: Seed to Series B, $1M-$30M
Notable investments: Glossier, Away, Warby Parker, Hims
Contact: forerunnerventures.com
10. Bullish
Agency-turned-investor focused on brand building.
Investment focus: DTC brands with strong unit economics
Investment range: Seed to Series A, $500K-$10M
Notable investments: Harry's, Birchbox, Casper, Warby Parker
Contact: bebullish.com
11. Felix Capital
European fund backing creative commerce brands.
Investment focus: DTC brands, marketplaces, content commerce
Investment range: Series A to B, $5M-$30M
Notable investments: Peloton, Farfetch, Mejuri
Contact: felixcap.com
12. 14W
Consumer-focused fund investing in modern brands.
Investment focus: Consumer internet, marketplace, ecommerce, CPG
Investment range: Seed to Series A, $1M-$15M
Notable investments: Various DTC and marketplace brands
Contact: 14w.vc
13. Silas Capital
Growth capital for digitally native brands.
Investment focus: DTC brands with omnichannel potential
Investment range: Series A to growth, $5M-$50M
Notable investments: Bellroy, Built NY
Contact: silascapital.com
14. True Ventures
Early-stage fund with strong DTC portfolio.
Investment focus: Consumer brands, marketplaces, commerce enablement
Investment range: Seed to Series A, $1M-$10M
Notable investments: Blue Bottle Coffee, Peloton
Contact: trueventures.com
15. Third Kind Venture Capital
Consumer-focused seed investor.
Investment focus: Early-stage consumer brands and platforms
Investment range: Pre-seed to seed, $250K-$2M
Notable investments: Multiple DTC brands
Contact: thirdkind.vc
Marketplace Focused
16. Greylock Partners
Elite VC with marketplace expertise.
Investment focus: Consumer marketplaces, B2B platforms
Investment range: Series A to growth, $5M-$100M
Notable investments: Airbnb, Poshmark, Mercari
Contact: greylock.com
17. Benchmark
Selective investor in category-defining marketplaces.
Investment focus: Marketplaces with network effects
Investment range: Series A to B, $10M-$30M
Notable investments: eBay, Uber, Snapchat
Contact: benchmark.com
18. Redpoint Ventures
Consumer and marketplace specialist.
Investment focus: Consumer internet, marketplaces, ecommerce
Investment range: Seed to growth, $3M-$50M
Notable investments: Netflix, Stripe, Twilio
Contact: redpoint.com
19. RTP Global
Early-stage technology investor with marketplace focus.
Investment focus: Consumer platforms and marketplaces
Investment range: Seed to Series B, $1M-$20M
Notable investments: Various marketplace platforms
Contact: rtpglobal.com
20. Balderton Capital
Leading European VC backing marketplace leaders.
Investment focus: European marketplaces and platforms
Investment range: Series A to C, $5M-$50M
Notable investments: Revolut, Depop, Citymapper
Contact: balderton.com
Growth Equity & Late Stage
21. Tiger Global
Growth investor writing large checks.
Investment focus: Late-stage ecommerce and marketplaces
Investment range: Series C+, $20M-$500M
Notable investments: Flipkart, Warby Parker, Peloton
Contact: tigerglobal.com
22. Coatue Management
Tech-focused growth investor.
Investment focus: Late-stage consumer internet and platforms
Investment range: Series C+, $25M-$200M
Notable investments: DoorDash, Instacart, Chime
Contact: coatue.com
23. DST Global
International growth equity firm.
Investment focus: Late-stage consumer internet leaders
Investment range: Series C+, $25M-$500M
Notable investments: Alibaba, Airbnb, Spotify
Contact: dst-global.com
No pitch deck yet? Start with this template
24. Summit Partners
Growth equity for scaling ecommerce brands.
Investment focus: D2C brands, ecommerce platforms
Investment range: $10M-$100M+
Notable investments: Various ecommerce leaders
Contact: summitpartners.com
25. Insight Partners
Software and ecommerce growth investor.
Investment focus: Ecommerce software, platforms, marketplaces
Investment range: Series B+, $10M-$500M
Notable investments: Shopify, Alibaba, Veeam
Contact: insightpartners.com
26. GV (Google Ventures)
Alphabet's venture arm investing across ecommerce.
Investment focus: Technology-enabled commerce
Investment range: Seed to growth, $50K-$250M
Notable investments: Uber, Slack, Stripe
Contact: gv.com
27. Battery Ventures
Technology-focused growth investor.
Investment focus: Commerce platforms and infrastructure
Investment range: Series A to growth, $5M-$100M
Notable investments: Wayfair, Groupon, Roku
Contact: battery.com
28. Greycroft
Bi-coastal fund investing in consumer brands.
Investment focus: Consumer internet, ecommerce, media
Investment range: Seed to Series B, $500K-$25M
Notable investments: Bumble, Scopely, Venmo
Contact: greycroft.com
29. Union Square Ventures
Thesis-driven investor in networks and marketplaces.
Investment focus: Network businesses and marketplaces
Investment range: Seed to Series B, $1M-$20M
Notable investments: Etsy, Kickstarter, Shopify
Contact: usv.com
30. Khosla Ventures
Technology investor with ecommerce exposure.
Investment focus: Technology-first commerce companies
Investment range: Seed to growth, $500K-$50M
Notable investments: Square, DoorDash, Affirm
Contact: khoslaventures.com
What E-commerce investors look for
They Want
Profitable unit economics from day one. Not "we'll figure it out at scale."
50%+ gross margins for DTC. 20-day cash conversion cycle. Customers who buy again without discounts.
Founders who've done this before. Or at least sold something online profitably.
One clear advantage. Better product. Cheaper acquisition. Exclusive supply. Something Amazon can't copy.
They Don't Want
Another meal kit subscription. Another Allbirds clone. Another Warby Parker for X.
100% Facebook ads dependency. One iOS update shouldn't kill your business.
"We're pre-revenue but need $2M for marketing." No.
Marketplaces with chicken-egg problems and no solution.
Founders who think VC money solves distribution.
Alternative funding
Revenue-Based Financing
Clearco (formerly Clearbanc)
$10K-$10M for 6-12% of revenue. No equity. Funds in 24 hours.
Pipe
Trade MRR for upfront capital. Good for subscription businesses.
Wayflyer
$10K-$20M for ecommerce. Integrates with Shopify. 2-4% monthly fee.
Inventory Financing
Kickfurther
Crowdfunded inventory. Pay back as you sell.
Ampla
Finance inventory and marketing spend together. For brands doing $500K+ annually.
Settle
Working capital for inventory. Integrates with your supply chain.
Marketplace Lending
Shopify Capital
If you're on Shopify. Automatic offers based on sales data.
Amazon Lending
For FBA sellers. Invite-only. 6-12 month terms.
PayPal Working Capital
Based on PayPal sales history. One fixed fee.
Recent success stories & exits
2025 Winners
Miros - €6M Pre-Series A
Estonia-based leader in visual AI e-commerce solutions, has secured €6M in a pre-Series A funding round. Visual search that actually works. Shoppers find products without typing.
Ameba - $7.1M Seed
AI-powered platform aimed at transforming supply chain management, has raised $7.1 million in a Seed round. Solving the real problem - supply chain chaos.
Zomato - Planning $1B Raise
Zomato announced plans to raise $1 billion through… quick-commerce expansion. India's quick commerce wars heat up.
2024 Success Stories
SKIMS - $4B valuation
Kim K's brand. But really: perfect sizing, inclusive marketing, 50% margins.
Vuori - $5.5B valuation
Athleisure that works everywhere. Profitable since year two.
Liquid Death - $1.4B valuation
Water in beer cans. $263M revenue. Stupid idea that worked.
Lessons
2025 is brutal. Only the profitable survive.
AI tools getting funded. Generic DTC brands aren't.
Quick commerce still hot in Asia. Dead in US/Europe.
Supply chain innovation matters more than marketing innovation.
How Ellty helps E-commerce brands raise funding
Track Real Investor Interest
Ecommerce pitch: 100 slides about TAM and market size.
Reality: Investors spend 90% of time on your unit economics slide.
Ellty shows you exactly what they care about. Adjust accordingly.
Know Your Champions
Partner A spent 15 minutes reading. Shared with 3 colleagues.
Partner B bounced after slide 2.
Follow up with A. Forget B.
Protect Your Numbers
Your competitor shouldn't see your CAC. Your manufacturer shouldn't know your margins.
Control who sees what. Revoke access anytime.
Data-Driven Follow Ups
"Hi Sarah, noticed you reviewed our retention cohorts. Our 6-month LTV just hit $180."
Works better than "Just checking in!"
Get investor tracking for your pitch deck
FAQs
What's the minimum revenue for ecommerce investors?
$100K MRR for most VCs. Some seed funds will look at $50K MRR if growth is 30%+ monthly.
Which metrics matter most?
CAC payback period (under 6 months), LTV/CAC ratio (3:1 minimum), gross margin (40%+ for DTC), repeat purchase rate (20%+ at 60 days).
Should I raise VC or use revenue-based financing?
RBF if profitable with good margins. VC only if you can 10x in 5 years. Most ecommerce brands shouldn't raise VC.
Who's most active in 2025?
Forerunner (12 deals), Felix Capital (8 deals), Lightspeed (15 deals but mostly Series B+). Focus on these for responses.
What kills ecommerce deals?
100% Facebook ads dependency. Under 30% gross margins. No repeat purchases. Amazon can easily copy you.
How long to close funding?
4-6 weeks if they're interested. Ecommerce due diligence is faster than SaaS. They can see your numbers immediately.
Do I need a technical co-founder?
For Shopify brands - no. For marketplace or platform plays - absolutely yes.
What valuation should I expect?
2-4x revenue for DTC brands. 5-10x for marketplaces. Down 50% from 2021 peaks.
Can international brands raise from US VCs?
Yes, if expanding to US. Show clear US incorporation and go-to-market plan.
What about aggregators?
Dead model. Thrasio bankruptcy killed it. Build, don't roll up.
