16 New York investors promoting ecommerce and DTC brands in 2026

New York closed $3.8B in ecommerce and DTC deals across 220+ rounds in 2025. Most capital went to marketplace platforms and consumer brands with proven unit economics. The city has the strongest retail DNA in the US because fashion, CPG, and media all operate here. You'll compete with 300+ DTC brands for capital, and investors are tired of brands that lose money on every order.

Quick list

Why New York for ecommerce fundraising

NYC ecommerce investors deployed $3.8B across 220+ deals in 2025. Average seed is $2.5M, Series A is $10M. That's comparable to LA but 30% lower than SF for the same stage. The difference is NYC investors actually understand retail operations, not just software metrics.

New York has fashion executives, CPG operators, and media people who became investors. They know gross margins matter more than growth rate. If you're burning $2M per month with 30% gross margins, you won't get funded here. NYC investors lived through Casper's disaster and watched Brandless shut down. They want profitable unit economics before Series A.

The advantage is access to real customers. You can test products with 8M people in the metro area across every demographic. Rent here forces discipline - if your CAC is $200 and LTV is $180, investors know you can't survive NYC burn rates. That makes funded companies stronger but kills more startups in early stages.

Picking the right New York ecommerce investor

Local presence: NYC ecommerce investors want to see your product in customers' hands, not just Shopify dashboards. They'll ask where you're selling offline (popup shops, retail partnerships) and expect you to know SoHo foot traffic versus Williamsburg. Manhattan investors can intro you to buyers at Nordstrom, Sephora, or Whole Foods faster than remote VCs.

Portfolio companies: Check if they've backed brands in your category. Forerunner has 12+ beauty brands, Primary focuses on sustainable goods, BBG invests in female-founded marketplaces. Look for investors who understand your customer acquisition channels and margin structure, not just investors who like your category.

Check sizes: Seed rounds run $1-3M, Series A is $7-12M, Series B is $15-30M. NYC ecommerce investors write smaller checks than SF tech VCs but expect better unit economics. Forerunner leads with $3-8M, Lerer Hippeau does $500K-2M seeds, Greycroft writes $5-15M Series A checks. Founders pitching in NYC usually prioritize screenshot protection so their creative work, metrics, and strategy slides don’t end up circulating beyond the intended investors.

Local network: The best NYC ecommerce investors connect you to retail buyers, influencers, and distribution partners. RSE Ventures opens doors to their sports and entertainment network. Lerer Hippeau connects you to their media portfolio. That's more valuable than a check from a generalist VC who doesn't know retail.

Communication: Share your deck through Ellty with unique links for each investor. NYC ecommerce VCs want to see cohort analysis and contribution margin by channel, not just GMV growth. Track which slides they review - if they skip your brand story but read your Facebook CAC three times, you know what matters.

Follow-on capacity: Forerunner, Greycroft, and Primary all reserve capital for Series B and C. Smaller funds like BBG Ventures and Female Founders Fund typically bring in larger co-investors at Series A. Ask about their ownership targets - most NYC ecommerce investors want 10-15% and won't lead your next round if they own less than 8%.

How to approach New York ecommerce investors

Research local deals: Check Forerunner's portfolio page and Lerer Hippeau's recent investments. Both publish case studies about their consumer bets. Read Glossier and Warby Parker's fundraising stories to understand what NYC investors value. The Retail Brew newsletter tracks DTC deals better than Crunchbase for this vertical.

Leverage local ecosystem: Apply to XRC Labs' accelerator if you're building retail tech. Their demo days attract 30+ NYC consumer investors. Join the DTC Newsletter community or Brand Builders community - founders share which investors actually respond. Female Founders Fund hosts quarterly events for women-founded companies.

Build relationships first: NYC ecommerce investors see 200+ brands per quarter. They're not taking cold emails unless you're introduced by a portfolio founder or have exceptional metrics. Warm intros from existing portfolio companies close meetings 5x faster than LinkedIn messages. If you don't have intros, get to default alive first.

Share your pitch deck: Upload to Ellty and create separate tracking links for each NYC investor. Ecommerce VCs often share decks with their retail and brand advisors, so you'll see if your deck gets forwarded outside the firm. Monitor which sections get attention - investors here spend more time on unit economics than market size.

Attend local events: WWD's investor conferences bring NYC ecommerce investors together quarterly. Cafe Connect hosts monthly founder-investor dinners in Manhattan. The DTC Summit in September draws every active consumer investor. Skip generic startup events - go to retail and fashion industry gatherings where investors actually source deals.

Connect with portfolio founders: Message founders at Glossier, Allbirds, Warby Parker, or The Wing on LinkedIn. Ask which investors helped with retail partnerships versus who just attended board meetings. NYC ecommerce is tight-knit enough that founders will tell you which VCs understand consumer business and which ones push tech metrics.

Organize due diligence: Set up an Ellty data room before first meetings. NYC ecommerce investors want to see customer cohorts, channel-level economics, supplier contracts, and margin analysis by SKU. They'll ask for your Shopify data and Facebook Ads Manager access. Have everything ready in one link with view tracking.

Understand local pace: Seed rounds close in 4-6 weeks if you have strong metrics. Series A takes 10-14 weeks because investors want to talk to your customers and retail partners. That's faster than SF for ecommerce but slower than fintech. NYC investors will pass quickly if your unit economics don't work - don't waste time trying to convince them otherwise.

New York ecommerce considerations

NYC investors prefer brands with clear paths to profitability over pure growth plays. They've seen venture-backed brands like Casper go public at terrible valuations and Brandless shut down after raising $300M. If you're losing money on every order and planning to "figure out margins later," you won't get funded here in 2026.

Expect 3-5 partner meetings before term sheets. NYC ecommerce investors want to see your product, meet your team, and understand your supplier relationships. They'll introduce you to retail executives in their network to validate demand. Plan for 2-3 months from first meeting to signed term sheet for Series A. Seed rounds move faster if you have clean unit economics. In New York, the startups that get the most traction are often those tied to professional services, where revenue predictability feels closer to enterprise software than risk.

NYC's retail infrastructure drives different priorities than SF or LA. Investors here understand wholesale dynamics, retail buyer relationships, and omnichannel distribution. Don't pitch them software metrics like you would a SaaS investor. Show them contribution margin, repeat purchase rates, and customer cohort retention. The best-funded NYC brands all reached profitability by Series B or had clear line of sight to it.

16 top ecommerce investors in New York

1. Forerunner Ventures

The top consumer investor globally with $2B+ AUM and the best track record in DTC brands. Glossier put them on the map in NYC.

• Recent Deals: Glossier $80M Series D (2019), Faire $260M Series E (2021), Ritual $41M Series C (2020), Curology $60M Series C (2020)
• LinkedIn: Kirsten Green
• Sector Focus: beauty brands, fashion, wellness, marketplace platforms, sustainable consumer goods
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 902 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: forerunnerventures.com

2. Primary Venture Partners

Brooklyn-based consumer investor focused on sustainable and mission-driven brands. Allbirds was their signature investment before IPO.

• Recent Deals: Allbirds pre-IPO rounds (2020), Prose $102M Series C (2021), Public Goods $20M Series B (2020), Package Free $3M seed (2019)
• LinkedIn: Ben Lerer
• Sector Focus: sustainable consumer brands, wellness, clean beauty, eco-friendly products, marketplace platforms
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 45 Main Street, Brooklyn
• Website: primary.vc

3. Lerer Hippeau

NYC's most active early-stage consumer investor with 100+ portfolio companies. Warby Parker's early backer and still the first call for NYC founders.

• Recent Deals: Warby Parker pre-IPO rounds (2020), Casper Series B (2017), Allbirds Series A (2016), Everlane Series C (2018)
• LinkedIn: Eric Hippeau
• Sector Focus: DTC brands, marketplaces, consumer platforms, fashion, beauty, food and beverage
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 902 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: lererhippeau.com

4. Designer Fund

Design-focused consumer investor who backed Casper before the troubled IPO. They prioritize product design and brand aesthetics over pure metrics.

• Recent Deals: Casper $100M Series C (2017), Dia&Co $40M Series C (2019), Rockets of Awesome $19M Series B (2018)
• LinkedIn: Enrique Allen
• Sector Focus: design-led brands, furniture, fashion, home goods, consumer electronics
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 568 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: designerfund.com

5. Female Founders Fund

NYC's dedicated fund for women-founded consumer companies. The Wing was their most visible investment before its shutdown.

• Recent Deals: The Wing Series B (2018), Winky Lux $7M Series A (2019), Supergoop $20M growth equity (2018), Zola $100M Series D (2019)
• LinkedIn: Anu Duggal
• Sector Focus: beauty, wellness, fashion, marketplace platforms, women-focused products
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 16 West 23rd Street, Manhattan
• Website: femalefoundersfund.com

6. BBG Ventures

Early-stage fund focused on female-founded consumer and marketplace businesses. Faire's $260M round showed their ability to pick winners.

• Recent Deals: Faire $260M Series E (2021), Rent the Runway pre-IPO rounds (2019), The Muse $30M Series C (2019), Rockets of Awesome $19M Series B (2018)
• LinkedIn: Susan Lyne
• Sector Focus: marketplace platforms, consumer brands, retail tech, beauty, fashion
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 902 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: bbgventures.com

7. Greycroft

Full-stack consumer and marketplace investor with $2B+ AUM. Thrive Market and Icelandic Provisions showed their consumer packaged goods expertise.

• Recent Deals: Thrive Market $89M Series D (2020), The Farmer's Dog $109M Series D (2021), Icelandic Provisions growth rounds (2019-2020), Faire $260M Series E (2021)
• LinkedIn: Dana Settle
• Sector Focus: marketplaces, food and beverage, wellness, subscription brands, pet products
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 200 Park Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: greycroft.com

8. RRE Ventures

Long-time NYC consumer investor who backed Rent the Runway through IPO. They understand fashion and rental business models better than most VCs.

• Recent Deals: Rent the Runway pre-IPO rounds (2019-2020), Bombas $100M Series D (2021), Harry's $155M Series E (2018), Rockets of Awesome $19M Series B (2018)
• LinkedIn: Stuart Ellman
• Sector Focus: fashion, rental platforms, consumer packaged goods, men's brands, marketplace platforms
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 130 East 59th Street, Manhattan
• Website: rre.com

9. Cross Creek

High-growth consumer brand specialist who led Fabletics through multiple rounds. They focus on brands with $50M+ revenue potential.

• Recent Deals: Fabletics growth rounds (2018-2020), Daily Harvest $43M Series C (2019), Recess $5M Series A (2019)
• LinkedIn: Rick Scanlon
• Sector Focus: apparel, athletic wear, food and beverage, wellness, subscription models
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, growth equity
• Office Location: 712 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: crosscreekadvisors.com

10. Coefficient Capital

Early-stage consumer brand investor focused on category-defining companies. Outdoor Voices was a portfolio company before operational challenges.

• Recent Deals: Outdoor Voices $40M Series C (2017), Cuup $3M seed (2018), Nécessaire $5M Series A (2019)
• LinkedIn: Anarghya Vardhana
• Sector Focus: apparel, beauty, wellness, lifestyle brands, sustainable consumer products
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 156 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: coefficient.capital

11. Beeby Clark+Meyler

Sustainable consumer specialist who backed Public Goods and other eco-friendly brands. Small fund but strong mission-driven portfolio.

• Recent Deals: Public Goods $20M Series B (2020), Reformation growth rounds (2019), Farmgirl Flowers $10M Series A (2019)
• LinkedIn: Joanna Beeby
• Sector Focus: sustainable brands, clean beauty, eco-friendly products, organic food, ethical fashion
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 175 Varick Street, Manhattan
• Website: beebyclarkmeyler.com

12. RSE Ventures

Sports and entertainment-focused consumer investor with strong celebrity network. Daily Harvest and other wellness brands benefit from their distribution.

• Recent Deals: Daily Harvest $43M Series C (2019), Resy acquisition by Amex (2019), Overtime $80M Series C (2021), Sweetgreen pre-IPO rounds (2019)
• LinkedIn: Matt Higgins
• Sector Focus: food and beverage, wellness, sports-related brands, entertainment platforms, lifestyle brands
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 345 Park Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: rseventures.com

13. True Ventures

SF-based but extremely active in NYC consumer market. Peloton's early backer and they maintain strong NYC relationships.

• Recent Deals: Peloton early rounds (2014-2017), Ring $109M Series D (2018), Blue Bottle Coffee acquisition by Nestle (2017), Fitbit early rounds
• LinkedIn: Tony Conrad
• Sector Focus: fitness tech, connected hardware, food and beverage, consumer platforms, wellness
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 575 Market Street, San Francisco (active NYC presence)
• Website: trueventures.com

14. Mousse Partners

Fashion and lifestyle investor who backed Reformation's growth. They understand luxury positioning and premium brand building.

• Recent Deals: Reformation growth rounds (2019-2020), Ganni growth equity (2019), Glossier Series D (2019)
• LinkedIn: Tom Singh
• Sector Focus: fashion, luxury brands, lifestyle products, sustainable fashion, premium beauty
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, growth equity
• Office Location: 667 Madison Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: moussepartners.com

15. Urban Innovation Fund

Brooklyn-based fund targeting NYC consumer brands with diverse founders. Savage X Fenty was their most successful investment.

• Recent Deals: Savage X Fenty Series A (2018), Partake Foods $4M seed (2019), Siete Foods growth rounds (2019)
• LinkedIn: John Payne
• Sector Focus: fashion, beauty, food and beverage, diverse-founded brands, NYC-based companies
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 55 Washington Street, Brooklyn
• Website: urbaninnovationfund.com

16. XRC Labs

Retail tech accelerator and investor who backed ThirdLove and other direct-to-consumer brands. Strong retail partnership network.

• Recent Deals: ThirdLove $55M Series C (2019), Spring acquisition by Shopify (2018), b8ta $50M Series C (2018)
• LinkedIn: Deena Fox
• Sector Focus: retail tech, DTC brands, fashion, beauty, marketplace platforms
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 1460 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: xrclabs.com

Start tracking your New York ecommerce investor outreach

These 16 investors backed 180+ NYC ecommerce and DTC brands in 2025-2026. Before reaching out to Manhattan or Brooklyn funds, set up proper tracking so you understand who's actually interested in your metrics.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create unique links for each NYC investor. You'll see which slides they review and how long they spend on your unit economics. New York ecommerce investors skip your brand story and head straight to contribution margin, CAC payback, and cohort retention - your analytics will confirm this.

When Forerunner or Lerer Hippeau ask for detailed financials and customer data, share an Ellty data room instead of sending spreadsheets via email. Keep your cohort analysis, Facebook Ads data, and supplier contracts in one secure place. NYC investors expect organized founders who understand their numbers.

Common questions

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

No, but it helps. Forerunner and True Ventures have backed LA and SF brands successfully. The issue is NYC investors want to see your product in person and understand your customer. If you're selling beauty products but never visit Sephora's Manhattan stores or SoHo popup shops, you'll miss context that NYC investors value.

How does New York compare to LA for ecommerce fundraising?

NYC has more capital and deeper retail relationships through department stores, buyers, and media. LA has stronger influencer networks and better production infrastructure for physical products. Average Series A is similar ($10-12M) but NYC investors care more about profitability while LA investors tolerate longer paths to positive unit economics.

What's the average seed round size for NYC ecommerce?

$1-3M with lead checks of $1-2M. Lerer Hippeau typically invests $500K-1M, while Forerunner leads with $2-3M. Expect 2-3 investors in your seed round. If you're raising under $500K, bootstrap longer or find angels - most NYC ecommerce VCs don't write smaller checks.

Should I raise locally or go straight to SF investors?

Raise in NYC if you're building consumer brands, fashion, beauty, or products targeting East Coast customers. The retail knowledge here is unmatched. Raise in SF if you're building marketplace platforms or consumer tech products - they understand two-sided platforms better. Most successful NYC brands had Lerer Hippeau or Forerunner in early rounds.

Do NYC ecommerce investors expect in-person meetings?

Yes, especially for Series A and later. Investors want to see your product, understand your brand positioning, and meet your team. They'll ask to visit your office, warehouse, or popup shops. Seed rounds can start remote but close with in-person meetings. Budget for 2-3 NYC trips during fundraising.

What business models get funded most in NYC ecommerce?

Direct-to-consumer brands with subscription components get the most interest, followed by marketplaces connecting brands to retailers. Pure one-time purchase brands rarely get funded unless margins are exceptional (60%+). Wholesale-first brands get funded if you have Nordstrom, Sephora, or Whole Foods distribution locked in.

How important are unit economics for NYC ecommerce investors?

Critical. NYC investors lived through Casper's IPO disaster and Brandless shutting down. If your CAC is over 12 months payback or contribution margin is below 20%, you won't get funded here in 2026. Investors want line of sight to profitability by Series B, not "we'll figure out margins at scale."