Active consumer VCs investing in NYC DTC and CPG startups in 2026

New York closed $3.8B in consumer deals across 180+ companies in 2025. Most capital went to DTC brands, beauty, and food & beverage. The city has more consumer expertise than anywhere except LA. You'll compete with 50 other brands for the same check.

Quick list

Why New York for consumer fundraising

New York has 60+ active consumer-focused funds. Average seed round is $3.2M. Series A runs $8-15M. That's higher than Austin but lower than SF for enterprise.

The city has actual consumer expertise. Partners worked at Estée Lauder, LVMH, or built DTC brands themselves. You won't pitch to former SaaS operators who think CAC is a new metric.

New York investors expect unit economics from day one. Profitable within 24 months or clear path to it. The "grow then monetize" pitch dies in first meetings. Rent is expensive, capital is expensive, investors know your burn rate.

Competition is brutal. You'll pitch alongside 10 other beauty brands or 15 food companies. Differentiation matters more than in smaller markets. Most funds see 2,000+ decks per year and invest in 3-5.

Picking the right New York consumer investor

Local presence: Manhattan-based investors know which retail buyers to intro you to at Sephora, Whole Foods, or Target. They'll walk your product into meetings. Remote investors can't do this. New York consumer VCs have actual relationships with retail gatekeepers, not just LinkedIn connections.

Portfolio companies: Check if they've backed CPG vs DTC vs beauty. Some funds only do food & beverage. Others won't touch anything that ships physical products. Look at their last 10 deals, not their website positioning. If every portfolio company is software-enabled retail, your organic skincare line won't fit.

Check sizes: Seed rounds run $2-5M. Series A is $8-15M. Series B hits $20-40M. New York consumer investors write smaller checks than growth equity firms but larger than LA seed funds. Know which funds lead vs follow. About 40% of NYC consumer funds can't lead rounds over $5M.

Local network: New York investors can intro you to buyers at Bloomingdale's, Saks, or Nordstrom. They know which PR firms actually move product. They'll connect you to manufacturing partners in New Jersey or packaging designers in Brooklyn. Share your deck through Ellty trackable links so you know which retail connections they're sharing it with.

Follow-on capacity: Most NYC consumer funds have $30-80M under management. They'll do your seed and maybe Series A, then you'll need coastal growth firms or CPG strategics. Ask about follow-on reserves upfront. Plan your Series B pitch to Tiger Global or Unilever Ventures now.

How to find and approach New York consumer investors

Research local deals: Check Glossy's funding coverage and Modern Retail's deal database. They track every NYC consumer round over $2M. Crunchbase misses half the early-stage beauty and food deals. Follow BevNET for food & beverage deals specifically.

Leverage local ecosystem: Grand Central Tech and ERA run consumer cohorts twice yearly. Techstars Anywhere includes strong consumer mentorship. Join Brand Project's workshops in SoHo. These programs have direct pipelines to Lerer Hippeau, Forerunner, and BBG.

Build relationships first: New York consumer investors want to see traction before first meetings. Don't cold pitch at 0 revenue. Get to $20K MRR or 5,000 email subscribers first. The market moves fast but investors are cautious. Schedule coffee, not pitch meetings.

Share your pitch deck: Upload to Ellty and create unique links for each investor. You'll see exactly which partners view your unit economics slide vs your brand story. NYC consumer VCs spend 3x longer on financial projections than West Coast investors. Track who's actually interested vs who's being polite.

Attend local events: Ad Week in October and ShopTalk in March pull every consumer investor to Manhattan. Skip the main sessions, work the evening events. Female Founder Office Hours happens monthly in Flatiron. That's where BBG Ventures and Female Founders Fund scout. Beautycon in August if you're in beauty or wellness.

Connect with portfolio founders: Message founders from your target fund's last 5 investments. Ask about decision timeline and partner style. Most will respond. New York consumer founders are more helpful than SF enterprise founders. They know you're not direct competition. Many early-stage founders in NYC explore DocSend alternatives so they can still track investor engagement without burning budget too early.

Organize due diligence: Set up an Ellty data room before you send your deck. Include your Shopify analytics, customer cohort analysis, and supplier contracts. New York consumer investors want to see retention curves and repeat purchase rates immediately. They'll ask for this data in first meetings.

Understand local pace: Consumer rounds close faster than enterprise in NYC. Four weeks from first meeting to term sheet is normal if you have traction. But you'll pitch 15-20 funds before getting real interest. Budget 3 months start to finish. Investors move fast once they decide, but they'll pass quickly too. Demonstrating a structured GDPR document-sharing workflow shows New York VCs that your operation is compliant, disciplined, and ready for scrutiny.

New York-specific considerations

New York consumer investors have seen every DTC playbook. Your Shopify store and Facebook ads won't impress them. They want differentiation in product, not just marketing. Show actual innovation in formulation, manufacturing, or business model.

Expect in-person meetings. NYC investors won't write checks over Zoom. You'll meet 3-4 times before term sheets. First meeting is 30 minutes. Second is 60 minutes with questions. Third is partner meeting. Fourth is final diligence. That's faster than enterprise but slower than LA consumer deals.

Retail relationships matter more here than anywhere. If you can't get into one NYC boutique, investors assume you can't scale. Prove local traction before you pitch. Having 5 Manhattan stockists beats 50 Instagram posts.

18 top consumer investors in New York

1. Lerer Hippeau

They've backed every major NYC consumer brand since 2010 and still lead early-stage rounds.

• Recent Deals: Allbirds ($7.2M Series A, 2015), Casper ($13M Series A, 2014), Warby Parker ($12M Series A, 2011), Bonobos ($8M Series A, 2011)
• LinkedIn: Ben Lerer
• Sector Focus: DTC brands, consumer products, beauty, home goods, apparel, food & beverage
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 545 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: lererhippeau.com

2. Forerunner Ventures

They wrote Glossier's first check and have the best consumer brand track record in the market.

• Recent Deals: Glossier ($8.4M Series A, 2014), Bonobos ($30M Series C, 2013), Dollar Shave Club ($9.8M Series A, 2012), Chime ($40M Series C, 2018)
• LinkedIn: Kirsten Green
• Sector Focus: DTC, beauty, fintech, consumer retail, home goods
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 40 Worth Street, Manhattan
• Website: forerunnerventures.com

3. BBG Ventures

They only back female founders and have funded 180+ companies since 2014.

• Recent Deals: Rent the Runway ($1.5M seed, 2009), The Riveter ($3M seed, 2018), Kinside ($2.5M seed, 2019), Primary ($5M Series A, 2016)
• LinkedIn: Susan Lyne
• Sector Focus: Consumer products, retail tech, beauty, wellness, family products
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 902 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: bbgventures.com

4. Coefficient Capital

They focus exclusively on sustainable consumer brands and write $3-8M checks.

• Recent Deals: Blueland ($20M Series A, 2021), The Farmer's Dog ($25M Series B, 2019), Prose ($18M Series B, 2019)
• LinkedIn: Maya Baratz
• Sector Focus: Sustainable consumer products, clean beauty, eco-friendly CPG, pet products
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 55 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: coefficientcapital.com

5. Bread & Butter Ventures

They invest exclusively in food & beverage brands at seed stage with $1-3M checks.

• Recent Deals: Fly By Jing ($4M seed, 2020), Partake Foods ($2M seed, 2019), Deux ($3M seed, 2021)
• LinkedIn: Katie Chiou
• Sector Focus: Food & beverage, CPG, snacks, condiments, sustainable food
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 1460 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: breadbutterventures.com

6. CircleUp

They use data to identify fast-growing consumer brands and invest seed through growth.

• Recent Deals: Hims & Hers ($3M seed, 2017), Bonobos ($18.5M Series B, 2012), KIND Snacks ($25M growth, 2013), Vital Proteins ($20M growth, 2016)
• LinkedIn: Rory Eakin
• Sector Focus: Consumer products, beauty, food & beverage, wellness, pet products
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B, Growth
• Office Location: 555 West 18th Street, Manhattan
• Website: circleup.com

7. Female Founders Fund

They exclusively back female-led consumer and tech companies at pre-seed and seed.

• Recent Deals: Thinx ($1M seed, 2013), Billie ($3M seed, 2018), Lola ($2M seed, 2015), Summer Fridays ($4M Series A, 2020)
• LinkedIn: Anu Duggal
• Sector Focus: Consumer products, beauty, wellness, feminine care, DTC brands
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 601 West 26th Street, Manhattan
• Website: femalefoundersfund.com

8. Primary Venture Partners

They led Warby Parker's first institutional round and focus on consumer brands with tech enablement.

• Recent Deals: Warby Parker ($12M Series A, 2011), Allbirds ($17.5M Series B, 2016), Outdoor Voices ($7M Series A, 2015), Rockets of Awesome ($5.5M Series A, 2017)
• LinkedIn: Ben Sun
• Sector Focus: DTC brands, consumer retail, fashion, eyewear, footwear, children's products
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 55 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: primaryvc.com

9. Unilever Ventures

They're the strategic arm of Unilever and invest $5-30M in growth-stage consumer brands.

• Recent Deals: Olipop ($30M Series B, 2022), The Honest Company ($27M Series C, 2014), Dollar Shave Club ($12M Series B, 2013), Nutrafol ($35M Series C, 2020)
• LinkedIn: Ynze van Ommeren
• Sector Focus: Food & beverage, beauty, personal care, household products, sustainable CPG
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: 700 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ (covers NYC market)
• Website: unileverventures.com

10. Black Sheep Capital

They invest in rebellious consumer brands that challenge category norms with $2-8M checks.

• Recent Deals: Fly By Jing ($8M Series A, 2023), Starface ($5M Series A, 2021), JuneShine ($7M Series A, 2020)
• LinkedIn: Ari Bloom
• Sector Focus: Food & beverage, beauty, alcohol, functional beverages, challenger brands
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 902 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: blacksheepcapital.co

11. Great Oaks Venture Capital

They focus on sustainable consumer brands and write $3-10M checks from seed to Series B.

• Recent Deals: The Farmer's Dog ($25M Series B, 2019), Blueland ($10M Series A, 2020), Prose ($18M Series B, 2019), Olly ($35M Series C, 2019)
• LinkedIn: Andrew Savage
• Sector Focus: Pet products, sustainable CPG, personalized products, wellness, clean beauty
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 1460 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: greatoaksvc.com

12. FirstMark Capital

They invest across consumer and enterprise but have strong DTC brand portfolio and pattern recognition.

• Recent Deals: Riot Games ($8M Series A, 2008, exited $400M), Pinterest ($10M Series A, 2011), Shopify ($7M Series A, 2010), Airbnb ($12M Series A, 2010)
• LinkedIn: Amish Jani
• Sector Focus: Consumer platforms, DTC enablement, marketplaces, consumer products
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 100 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: firstmarkcap.com

13. Grand Central Tech

They run an equity-free accelerator but invest selectively in consumer graduates with follow-on checks.

• Recent Deals: Outdoor Voices ($5M seed, 2014), Vega ($3M seed, 2015), Zola ($2M seed, 2013)
• LinkedIn: Matt Harrigan
• Sector Focus: DTC brands, consumer products, marketplaces, wedding tech, fashion
• Stage Focus: Accelerator, Seed
• Office Location: 335 Madison Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: grandcentraltech.com

14. VMG Partners

They invest exclusively in consumer brands at growth stage with $20-50M checks and CPG expertise.

• Recent Deals: Magic Spoon ($35M Series B, 2021), Perfect Bar ($50M growth, 2018), Health-Ade Kombucha ($40M growth, 2020), Vita Coco ($30M growth, 2011)
• LinkedIn: Jim Illar
• Sector Focus: Food & beverage, functional foods, better-for-you snacks, CPG brands
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: 600 Montgomery Street, San Francisco (active in NYC deals)
• Website: vmgpartners.com

15. M13

They invest in consumer brands with strong repeat purchase behavior and data-driven growth.

• Recent Deals: Daily Harvest ($43M Series C, 2019), Public Goods ($15M Series B, 2020), Casper ($100M Series D, 2019), Liquid Death ($23M Series B, 2021)
• LinkedIn: Courtney Reum
• Sector Focus: Food & beverage, subscription DTC, wellness, consumer platforms, CPG
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 1460 Broadway, Manhattan (primary office in LA)
• Website: m13.co

16. Proof Collective

They invest exclusively in beauty and personal care brands with $1-5M checks.

• Recent Deals: Starface ($2M seed, 2019), Youth to the People ($5M Series A, 2018), Tower 28 ($3M seed, 2019)
• LinkedIn: Sean Sheppard
• Sector Focus: Beauty, skincare, cosmetics, clean beauty, personal care
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 395 Hudson Street, Manhattan
• Website: proofcollective.com

17. Red Sea Ventures

They focus on consumer brands that leverage technology for distribution and growth.

• Recent Deals: Casper ($5.5M seed, 2014), Harry's ($10M Series A, 2013), Stance Socks ($15M Series B, 2013), Away ($31M Series B, 2017)
• LinkedIn: Ben Tregoe
• Sector Focus: DTC brands, home goods, personal care, travel products, fashion accessories
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 902 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: redseaventures.com

18. Greenthread Partners

They invest in sustainable fashion and home goods brands at seed stage with $1-3M checks.

• Recent Deals: Reformation ($3M seed, 2013), Girlfriend Collective ($2M seed, 2016), Rothy's ($7M Series A, 2017)
• LinkedIn: Sarah Stothart
• Sector Focus: Sustainable fashion, eco-friendly home goods, circular economy, ethical manufacturing
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 601 West 26th Street, Manhattan
• Website: greenthreadpartners.com

Start tracking your New York consumer investor outreach

These 18 investors closed NYC consumer deals in 2025-2026. Before you start pitching Manhattan funds, set up proper tracking. You'll pitch 20+ investors before getting term sheets.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each New York investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your unit economics. NYC consumer VCs focus heavily on CAC payback period and repeat purchase rate. Track who's spending time on financials vs who's skipping to team slide.

When New York investors ask for more materials, share an Ellty data room instead of email attachments. Your Shopify analytics, customer cohort data, and supplier contracts in one secure place with view analytics. You'll know which partners are reviewing due diligence vs which ones have moved on.

Common questions

Do I need to be based in New York to raise from NYC consumer investors?

No, but expect to visit monthly for meetings. Most NYC consumer funds invest 60% locally and 40% elsewhere. Remote founders need stronger traction to get first meetings. Have $50K+ MRR before pitching if you're not local.

How does New York compare to LA for consumer fundraising?

New York has more capital ($3.8B vs LA's $2.1B in 2025) but also more competition. LA investors move faster and take bigger risks on brand. NYC investors want unit economics proven before they write checks. Choose LA for creative consumer products, NYC for data-driven DTC.

What's the average seed round size in New York for consumer brands?

$3.2M for consumer vs $2.1M for enterprise. Expect 2-3 lead investors at $1-1.5M each, plus angels filling the rest. Series A runs $8-15M. That's 30% higher than Austin but 20% lower than SF.

Should I raise locally or go straight to SF/NYC?

Start in New York if you have retail traction in Manhattan. Don't cold pitch NYC funds from Kansas with 100 customers. Get to $20K MRR first. Then target 10-15 NYC funds plus a few SF consumer specialists like Forerunner or Bullish.

Do New York consumer investors expect in-person meetings?

Yes. Budget 3-4 trips to Manhattan before term sheets. First meeting can be Zoom, but partner meetings and final diligence happen in person. This is different from enterprise where remote is accepted. Consumer is relationship-driven.

What industries get funded most in New York?

Beauty and personal care lead with 32% of deals in 2025. Food & beverage second at 28%. Fashion and apparel third at 18%. Home goods fourth at 12%. Wellness and supplements fifth at 10%. Pet products and children's products fight for the remaining deals.

How long does it take to close a consumer round in NYC?

Four weeks from first meeting to term sheet if you have strong traction. But you'll pitch 15-20 funds before getting real interest. Budget 3 months total. NYC consumer investors move faster than enterprise but slower than LA. They want to see 2-3 months of consistent growth before committing.