Led · Series B · May 2017

Greats is a digitally native, direct-to-consumer sneaker company that produces and sells Made in Italy classic sneakers directly from its website, greats.com. Founded in August 2013 by Ryan Babenzien and based in Brooklyn, New York, the company expanded over the last year and a half from two styles to over a dozen classic-inspired silhouettes and added a women’s collection. The women’s collection now counts for one third of the business. Greats plans to use the Series B proceeds to invest in new technologies, grow its team, and open ten or more pop-up retail experiences over the next two years in key U.S. cities. The company remains focused on classic designs produced in Italy and direct online distribution. Greats Brand designs and sells men's sneakers direct-to-consumer online, running a small weekend pop-up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The company historically sold one or two versions of a shoe at a time; its single model “The Bab” generated $100,000 in sales in June. Since launch 11 months ago, sneaker sales are up 250% and revenue is up 134%, producing a projected $1.6M run rate for the year. The founders, Ryan Babenzien and Jon Buscemi, launched the company after combining roughly 20 years of footwear experience and positioned it as a brand focused on saving money for the end consumer. Greats handles design, buys product wholesale, and markets via social channels with essentially $0 spent on marketing, building a 32,000-strong Instagram following and notable organic social shares (40% of purchasers share their purchase). The company plans to expand its assortment to three models immediately and reach 10 models on the site by the first quarter of next year, while considering a permanent retail space. Greats is an e-commerce men's footwear label that launched in August, selling primarily sneaker styles made in the same factories as upscale lines. The brand sells shoes priced from $39 to $190 and reports current profit margins of about 60%. Founders Ryan Babenzien and Jon Buscemi brought industry experience from K-Swiss, Puma and Gourmet Footwear and initially pre-sold in beta before the public launch. The company began shipping three weeks after its August 6 launch and has started limited offline exposure through a small Williamsburg shop and displays at select stores in LA and Phoenix. Product plans include rolling out six additional shoes over the next year and adding boots, boat shoes, and auxiliary categories like socks, bags and sweatshirts. Management targets global expansion (early web traffic from multiple countries) and has a stated ambition of reaching $100 million in revenue within five years.

Participated · Series B · Oct 2015

Draper James is a Southern-inspired retail brand that embodies founder Reese Witherspoon's personal style, offering ready-to-wear, accessories, and home décor designed in-house. The company launched its direct-to-consumer website in May 2015 and reports sales in all 50 states and over 15 countries. A large portion of its product is manufactured in the U.S., specifically in the South. The company announced a $10 million Series B financing to accelerate growth and broaden its product assortment. Proceeds are intended to support continued direct-to-consumer build-out, expansion of retail and wholesale channels, and a disciplined licensing rollout. Its first retail store is slated to open in Nashville later this month, with plans to expand the retail footprint into other Southern markets and begin wholesale and licensing in 2016.