Participated · Series E · Sep 2020

GOAT operates a peer-to-peer marketplace for sneakers and streetwear, connecting a broad audience of buyers and sellers. The company reports about 30 million members and roughly 600,000 sellers on its platform. Its marketplace has reached approximately $2 billion in gross merchandise volume. Last year it saw 100% year-over-year growth in its sneaker business and 500% year-over-year growth in its newer apparel business. GOAT has positioned itself as a fashion-commerce destination outside of Amazon’s purview and has expanded its audience of buyers and sellers. Financially, the company has now raised just shy of $500 million in total capital, most recently a $195 million Series F that values the group at about $3.7 billion. GOAT is a Los Angeles-based online marketplace best known for sneakers and that has expanded into apparel and accessories. In September 2020 the company completed a $100M Series E that valued GOAT at $1.75 billion. On January 19, 2021 GOAT announced a strategic investment from Groupe Artemis; the size was not disclosed. GOAT said the strategic investment will be used for continued expansion in fashion apparel and other new categories. The new investment follows the Series E and is intended to support category expansion beyond footwear. The company is led by co-founder and CEO Eddy Lu. GOAT operates an online and physical resale marketplace for collectible sneakers and streetwear. Launched in 2015 and based in Los Angeles, the company has expanded into adjacent categories beyond footwear. Brands such as Alexander McQueen and Nike sell directly on its platform. The company has previously raised $200 million from investors including Accel and Upfront Ventures; Foot Locker also made a separate $100 million investment. GOAT raised a new $100 million round that values it at $1.75 billion. The company says it will use the financing to double down on research and development and to expand internationally. GOAT is a sneaker marketplace that has focused on app and online portals rather than retail. It is merging with Flight Club, a long-standing aftermarket sneaker retailer whose retail and online businesses are synonymous with the aftermarket scene. As part of the integration, the two brands will continue to exist concurrently while GOAT's tech stack will facilitate Flight Club's online sales and Flight Club's warehousing and international expertise will support retail and expansion. GOAT currently operates stateside only, while Flight Club does significant international business, which the company says will help drive GOAT's international expansion. GOAT raised $60 million in a Series C and has now raised just shy of $98 million in total. Retail now comprises 20% of GOAT's sales, indicating demand for regular high-quality footwear beyond rare resell items. GOAT operates a sneaker-focused resale marketplace and mobile app built for passionate sneakerheads, emphasizing discovery and authenticated transactions. The founders, Eddy Lu and Daishin Sugano, previously worked on other consumer apps and built GOAT out of their own passion for sneakers. The company says it will remain focused on shoes for now, even as some competitors expand into handbags and watches, and is exploring moving upstream into first-party sales. GOAT has shown strong marketplace engagement: roughly 2 million members and an average order value of about $350. Top sellers have generated meaningful volume, including one seller who sold more than $850,000 in 2016 and multiple sellers exceeding $1M in sales this year. The team recently added former Twitter COO Adam Bain to the board, signaling an emphasis on scaling marketplace operations and product experience.

Led · Series A · Sep 2019

NTWRK operates a livestream video shopping platform that mixes commerce with entertainment, enabling creators to interact with viewers and sell products in real time. The app offers tools for live chat, product drops, and exclusive live events, and it has featured hosts and collaborators such as Billie Eilish, DJ Khaled, Odell Beckham Jr., Jonah Hill and Doja Cat. NTWRK has expanded into virtual festivals and events (TRANSFER, BEYOND THE STREETS, Unboxed and others) and launched NTWRK NFT, a curated shop for crypto art. Its business model emphasizes timed drops and live virtual events to build anticipation and drive sales, alongside creator partnerships and occasional strategic investments. The company said it will use new funding to further growth and establish a more global footprint. NTWRK had previously raised a $10 million Series A, according to Crunchbase data. NTWRK is a youth culture e-commerce and content platform that combines episodic programming, original content, and exclusive product launches. Launched in the fall of 2018 and headquartered in Los Angeles, the company brands its approach as "Shopping at the Speed of Culture" and focuses on demand creation through content-driven commerce. Its format enables brands and artists to tell stories behind products via shopping content, experiential activations, and exclusive launches. NTWRK has partnered with brands such as Nike, Jordan, adidas, Puma, Champion and New Balance and was initially backed by Warner Brothers Entertainment. Aaron Levant, the CEO, previously founded The Agenda Show and helped launch ComplexCon, and leads the company's efforts to commercialize hype and deliver one-of-a-kind consumer experiences. Financially, the company completed a $10 million Series A led by Live Nation and Foot Locker, which included a $3 million strategic investment from Foot Locker.

Led · Series C · Feb 2019

Rockets of Awesome ships personalized seasonal boxes of children’s apparel based on a short style quiz, letting parents keep what they want and return the rest. Launched in 2016 by Rachel Blumenthal out of her earlier startup Cricket’s Circle, the company combines data-driven merchandise R&D with human editorial curation. Individual pieces in each box are priced roughly $16–$38, and the company’s “whole box” deal is $150. Historically focused on its subscription boxes and direct e-commerce, Rockets of Awesome is moving to expand an omnichannel retail presence via a partnership with Foot Locker. The company plans an experiential retail location timed for back-to-school and will have Rockets of Awesome assortments in Kids Foot Locker stores as well as on kidsfootlocker.com. According to Crunchbase cited in the article, the company’s total funding is now $49 million. Rockets of Awesome is a year-old, New York–based subscription service that sends curated boxes of kid apparel. It ships 12 pieces of clothing per child at the start of each season and charges parents only for the items they keep; returns are free and the company says it learns from returns to improve recommendations. Unlike many adult-focused subscription services, Rockets of Awesome designs and makes its own apparel and says no two boxes contain the same items. Individual pieces are priced between $12 and $36, below many comparable retail brands. The company evolved out of founder Rachel Blumenthal’s earlier startup Cricket’s Circle. The business model focuses on convenient discovery for parents and iterative improvement through customer feedback and returns. Rockets of Awesome is a direct-to-consumer kids' apparel company that operates a personal shopping service sending seasonal curated boxes of 12 mix-and-match items (11 clothing pieces and 1 accessory) four times per year. Parents sign up free, complete a style profile for sizing and preferences (the service supports boys and girls, sizes 2–14), receive a box and only pay for the items they keep, returning the rest by mail. The company designs and manufactures its entire catalog in-house, enabling price points of $12–$36 per item while targeting quality comparable to $40–$120 pieces. Customers also get a personalized online shop that refreshes with new styles every two weeks, and Rockets of Awesome uses purchase and box-keep data to inform future designs. The concept grew out of founder Rachel Blumenthal's prior site Cricket's Circle, which had 50,000 members and provided early access; Cricket's Circle will be winding down as the new site launches. Design leadership includes Zia Taylor, whose background includes Gap Kids, American Eagle, JCPenney and The Children's Place. Rockets of Awesome is backed by $7 million in seed funding from General Catalyst, Forerunner Ventures and LAUNCH and is launching now for back-to-school shopping.

Led · Equity · Feb 2019

GOAT Group operates an online marketplace focused on sneakers, with apparel and accessories as adjacent categories. Founded in 2015, the company reported $2 billion in gross merchandise value over the past year. GOAT delivers to more than 30 million customers across 170 countries. Its valuation more than doubled to $3.7 billion in the latest round from $1.8 billion a year earlier. The company plans to use the proceeds to grow its sneaker business as well as its apparel and accessories units and to expand its global footprint. Competitors include eBay and StockX. GOAT Group operates a global platform that began in 2015 focused on the sneaker market and has expanded into apparel and accessories from select emerging, contemporary and iconic brands. The company runs 13 physical locations across the U.S., Asia and Europe, including distribution and authentication centers. GOAT ships products to 170 international markets and is delivering products to over 30 million members across 170 countries. Its platform features over 350 brands across sneakers, apparel and accessories. The company intends to use new funding to accelerate growth across its product categories and geographies. GOAT is led by CEO Eddy Lu. GOAT Group operates an online marketplace for secondary-market sneakers and retail, known for authenticating product through a ship-to-verify model it pioneered in 2015. The company acquired Flight Club and is pushing into physical in-store experiences to build an omnichannel offering. GOAT said it will use the Foot Locker investment to accelerate global operations and expand its omnichannel experience and technologies. The platform reports more than 12 million active users, roughly 150,000 vendors, and about 750,000 sneaker listings; headcount has grown to more than 600 employees from 200 a year earlier. In 2018 several top sellers on GOAT sold more than $10 million worth of sneakers, up from $2 million in 2017. Since launching in 2015 GOAT has raised $197.6 million, including a $60 million raise last year tied to the Flight Club move.

Led · Seed · Jan 2019

Super Heroic is a tactical play and entertainment company focused on inspiring children to be more active through play. The company designs, manufactures and markets innovative footwear, clothing and accessories that combine technical functionality with high-performance design specifically for children. Co-founded by Jason Mayden and Harshal Sisodia and based in Oakland, Calif., Super Heroic was founded in 2016. Financially, the company has raised a total of $10M since its founding. As part of its growth plans, Kids Foot Locker will be the first brick-and-mortar U.S. retailer for Super Heroic products. Foot Locker will also serve as a board advisor and partner with the company on product and content initiatives. Super Heroic is a children’s activewear brand that launched a performance-grade sneaker line designed specifically for kids. Its inaugural product, the TMBLR v1, features a dual-density midsole, midsole sidewall traction ridges, a utility strap closure and an offset durable rubber outsole tailored for multi-directional movement and varied surfaces. The company plans a larger collection including footwear, apparel and accessories, augmented by content, technology and partnerships aimed at encouraging imaginative play. Super Heroic is selling the TMBLR v1 by pre-order exclusively online at www.superheroic.com in sizes 12C–7Y, priced at $99, with shipments starting August 15, 2017. The business is led by founder and CEO Jason Mayden. The company raised $7m in funding from outside investors.