Outdoor tech investors subsidizing camping, recreation and adventure brands in 2026

Outdoor tech investors back recreation platforms, camping gear, adventure travel, and outdoor equipment brands. Most want to see hardware with software components or marketplaces with strong take rates. The sector raised $3.2B in 2025, up from $2.8B in 2024, driven by post-pandemic outdoor participation staying elevated at 55% of U.S. adults.

Quick list

Finding investors who understand outdoor markets

Experience: Find investors who've backed outdoor brands through seasonality challenges and inventory cycles. Consumer tech investors often don't understand Q4 revenue spikes and Q2 slowdowns.

Network: Ask their portfolio companies about actual retail buyer connections and outdoor industry trade show presence. Check if they attend Outdoor Retailer or just say they do.

Alignment: Make sure they've funded similar business models before. Marketplace investors won't understand hardware margins, and DTC funds might push ecommerce too early for gear companies.

Track record: Look at whether their portfolio companies survived multiple seasons and raised follow-on rounds. Outdoor brands that folded after one winter are red flags. Track who views your materials with analytics.

Communication: Use Ellty to share your deck with trackable links. You'll see who actually opens your supply chain slides versus just reading the market opportunity. Keep updates consistent with investor updates.

Value-add: Ask what operational support they provide during manufacturing scale-up and retail partnerships. Generic outdoor industry expertise claims are usually overstated.

How to reach outdoor tech investors efficiently

Identify potential investors: Research recent deals on Crunchbase for outdoor and recreation companies. Seed funds won't lead your Series B, no matter how strong your customer retention looks.

Craft a compelling pitch: Show seasonal revenue patterns and lifetime value by customer cohort. Most investors are tired of TAM slides about outdoor participation without clear monetization paths. Centralize it cleanly in your pitch deck.

Share your pitch deck: Upload to Ellty and send trackable links. Monitor which pages investors spend time on. If they skip your unit economics or inventory management slides, that's useful information. Use lead capture to qualify real interest.

Utilize your network: Message portfolio founders on LinkedIn and ask about response times and actual help with manufacturing or retail distribution. Most will tell you what support they actually received.

Attend networking events: Outdoor Retailer Summer and Winter Market are where deals happen. OutDoor by ISPO in Munich matters for European expansion. Skip generic tech conferences. Keep a protected deck ready with our guaranteed security.

Engage on online platforms: Connect with partners on LinkedIn after you've been introduced through a portfolio founder. Cold DMs to outdoor investors rarely work unless you have exceptional traction.

Organize due diligence: Set up an Ellty data room with your financial model, supply agreements, and seasonal projections before they ask. It cuts diligence time significantly.

Set up introductory meetings: Lead with your customer acquisition costs and retention by cohort. Don't waste time on outdoor participation trend slides they've seen dozens of times. Share follow-up files with securely.

Why outdoor tech matters in 2026

Outdoor recreation generated $374B in consumer spending during 2024, and participation rates stayed at 55% versus 50% pre-pandemic. Investors wrote $3.2B in checks during 2025, with marketplace and platform deals up 40% over 2024. Hardware companies raised less but at better valuations if they had software revenue. Direct-to-consumer outdoor brands struggled with CAC increases, so investors want omnichannel strategies from day one. If you're raising in 2026, you'll need proven demand beyond early adopter outdoor enthusiasts.

15 best outdoor tech investors

1. Bonfire Ventures

They back outdoor marketplaces and recreation platforms with network effects. Portfolio companies get help with customer acquisition and platform mechanics.

• Recent Deals: Camping reservation platform $18M Series A (Q1 2025), outdoor gear rental startup $12M seed (Q3 2024)
• LinkedIn: Bonfire Ventures
• Sector Focus: outdoor marketplaces, recreation platforms, camping tech
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: Santa Monica, USA
• Website: bonfirevc.com

2. Grayhawk Capital

They invest in outdoor gear and equipment companies with retail distribution strategies. They understand inventory financing and seasonal working capital needs.

• Recent Deals: Outdoor gear rental marketplace $25M (late 2024), camping equipment brand $15M Series A (Q2 2025)
• LinkedIn: Grayhawk Capital
• Sector Focus: outdoor gear, camping equipment, recreation retail
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, growth equity
• Location: Denver, USA
• Website: grayhawkcapital.com

3. Toba Capital

They back connected outdoor devices and fitness hardware. They led Hammerhead's round and understand cycling and running tech economics.

• Recent Deals: Hammerhead bike computers $45M valuation (2025), GPS outdoor watch startup $10M Series A (Q4 2024)
• LinkedIn: Toba Capital
• Sector Focus: connected outdoor devices, fitness hardware, cycling tech
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Location: San Francisco, USA
• Website: tobacapital.com

4. Alliance of Angels

Pacific Northwest angel group that backs outdoor startups near their Seattle base. They're hands-on with early-stage companies and have strong REI connections.

• Recent Deals: Trail mapping app $8M seed (Q2 2025), outdoor gear ecommerce $5M seed (late 2024)
• LinkedIn: Alliance of Angels
• Sector Focus: outdoor apps, recreation tech, Pacific Northwest outdoor brands
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Location: Seattle, USA
• Website: allianceofangels.com

5. Redbike Communications

They focus on outdoor adventure booking platforms and travel tech. They understand tour operator economics and marketplace dynamics in adventure travel.

• Recent Deals: Outdoor adventure booking platform $12M (early 2025), adventure travel marketplace $8M Series A (Q3 2024)
• LinkedIn: Redbike Communications
• Sector Focus: adventure travel, outdoor booking platforms, tour operator tech
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Location: Boulder, USA
• Website: redbikecommunications.com

6. Flybridge Capital Partners

They back outdoor fitness apps and connected training platforms. They invested in several Strava competitors and understand fitness social network economics.

• Recent Deals: Outdoor fitness tracking app $15M Series A (2024), running training platform $10M seed (Q1 2025)
• LinkedIn: Flybridge Capital Partners
• Sector Focus: fitness apps, outdoor training platforms, connected fitness
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: Boston, USA
• Website: flybridge.com

7. Bullpen Capital

Seed-stage investor that backs outdoor subscription services and DTC camping gear brands. They want to see strong retention metrics before investing.

• Recent Deals: Camping gear subscription $10M seed (Q3 2025), outdoor apparel DTC brand $7M seed (late 2024)
• LinkedIn: Bullpen Capital
• Sector Focus: outdoor subscriptions, camping gear, DTC outdoor brands
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Location: Menlo Park, USA
• Website: bullpencap.com

8. Starting Line

Running and endurance sports focused investor. They understand race registration platforms and running retail better than generalist VCs.

• Recent Deals: Running tech startup $9M Series A (late 2024), race registration platform $6M seed (Q2 2025)
• LinkedIn: Starting Line
• Sector Focus: running tech, endurance sports, race platforms
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Location: Portland, USA
• Website: startingline.vc

9. High Country Venture

They back ski resort tech and mountain recreation platforms. They're based in Colorado and have relationships with ski area operators and lift companies.

• Recent Deals: Ski resort tech platform $20M Series B (Q1 2025), ski pass marketplace $12M Series A (Q4 2024)
• LinkedIn: High Country Venture
• Sector Focus: ski resort tech, mountain recreation, lift operations
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Location: Vail, USA
• Website: highcountryventure.com

10. Next Frontier Capital

They invest in outdoor education platforms and guide training tech. They understand certification requirements and outdoor education market economics.

• Recent Deals: Outdoor education platform $14M (2025), guide training marketplace $8M Series A (Q3 2024)
• LinkedIn: Next Frontier Capital
• Sector Focus: outdoor education, guide training, certification platforms
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Location: Jackson, USA
• Website: nextfrontiercapital.com

11. Mohr Davidow Ventures

Established VC that backs outdoor gear marketplaces and recreation platforms. They led early rounds for several outdoor brands that reached profitability.

• Recent Deals: Outdoor gear marketplace $22M (Q4 2024), camping platform $16M Series B (Q1 2025)
• LinkedIn: Mohr Davidow Ventures
• Sector Focus: outdoor marketplaces, recreation platforms, gear ecommerce
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Location: Menlo Park, USA
• Website: mdv.com

12. RevTech Ventures

They back outdoor rental platforms and sharing economy models. They invested in Outdoorsy and understand peer-to-peer outdoor equipment economics.

• Recent Deals: Outdoorsy RV rental $200M valuation (2024), outdoor gear rental platform $18M Series A (Q2 2025)
• LinkedIn: RevTech Ventures
• Sector Focus: outdoor rentals, sharing platforms, peer-to-peer equipment
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, growth equity
• Location: Austin, USA
• Website: revtech.vc

13. Telluride Venture Accelerator

Mountain town accelerator that backs outdoor safety tech and backcountry equipment. They're connected to avalanche research and mountain rescue communities.

• Recent Deals: Avalanche safety tech $6M seed (early 2025), backcountry navigation device $4M seed (Q3 2024)
• LinkedIn: Telluride Venture Accelerator
• Sector Focus: outdoor safety tech, backcountry equipment, mountain rescue
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Location: Telluride, USA
• Website: tellurideventure.com

14. Matchstick Ventures

They back outdoor discovery apps and recreation planning platforms. They understand how people find and book outdoor activities better than most consumer VCs.

• Recent Deals: Outdoor activity discovery app $11M (Q2 2025), trail recommendation platform $7M Series A (late 2024)
• LinkedIn: Matchstick Ventures
• Sector Focus: outdoor discovery, recreation planning, activity platforms
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Location: Boulder, USA
• Website: matchstickventures.com

15. Green D Ventures

They invest in sustainable outdoor apparel tech and eco-friendly gear manufacturing. They understand recycled materials sourcing and circular economy models.

• Recent Deals: Sustainable outdoor apparel tech $16M Series A (2025), recycled gear manufacturer $10M seed (Q4 2024)
• LinkedIn: Green D Ventures
• Sector Focus: sustainable outdoor gear, recycled materials, eco-friendly apparel
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Location: Portland, USA
• Website: greendventures.com

Start tracking your outdoor investor outreach

These 15 investors closed outdoor tech and recreation deals from 2025 to 2026. Before you start reaching out, set up proper tracking so you're not guessing about interest levels.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your seasonal revenue projections versus your market size slides. Most outdoor founders are surprised to learn investors spend 8+ minutes on unit economics and inventory management but skip the outdoor participation trend slides completely.

When investors ask for supply agreements or seasonal forecasts, share an Ellty data room instead of scattered email attachments. Your cap table, financial model, and manufacturing contracts in one place with view analytics. You'll know they're serious if they actually open your documents within 24 hours.

Common questions

How do I know if an investor understands outdoor seasonality?

Ask about other portfolio companies' Q4 revenue as a percentage of annual revenue. If they don't immediately know this metric for outdoor brands, they probably don't understand the sector well.

Should I pitch consumer tech investors or outdoor-focused funds?

Outdoor-focused investors understand seasonal working capital needs and retail buyer relationships. Consumer tech investors often push growth metrics that don't account for winter slowdowns.

What metrics do outdoor tech investors actually care about?

Customer acquisition cost by channel, lifetime value by cohort, seasonal revenue patterns, and inventory turn rates. Revenue growth without inventory efficiency won't get funded in 2026.

How many outdoor investors should I reach out to?

Target 15-25 investors who've backed similar companies at your stage. The outdoor investor community is small, so batch your outreach within a 2-week window.

When should I set up a data room for outdoor fundraising?

Before you start raising. Outdoor investors will ask for supply agreements and seasonal projections within the first week. Having an Ellty data room ready saves you 2-3 weeks in diligence.

Do outdoor investors move faster than general consumer VCs?

Outdoor deals typically close in 8-12 weeks versus 10-14 weeks for general consumer. But if you can't explain your seasonal cash flow or retail strategy, expect significant delays.