Investor directory

Techstars

Techstars Central LLC, founded in 2006 and based in Boulder, Colorado, operates as a startup accelerator and venture capital firm focused on supporting early-stage technology-oriented companies. It specializes in a mentorship-driven accelerator program, selecting ten startups each summer to participate in a three-month incubation period, offering funding of $120,000 in exchange for equity. Techstars invests primarily in sectors such as fintech, artificial intelligence, blockchain, augmented reality, and IoT, while avoiding investments in medical devices, healthcare technology, and local service-oriented businesses. In addition to its primary accelerator, Techstars has various specialized programs, including those focused on music, retail, mobility, and social impact, with global reach extending to regions such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The firm prefers taking minority stakes, typically between six and ten percent, without seeking board representation or investor rights. Techstars has built a robust network of entrepreneurs, mentors, and corporate partners to foster innovation and growth within its portfolio, which includes over 1,000 companies with a significant collective market capitalization.

Focus

Pre Seed RoundSeed RoundArtificial IntelligenceMachine LearningSeries AShow more
http://techstars.com/ventures
https://crunchbase.com/organization/techstars
https://facebook.com/techstars
https://linkedin.com/company/techstars
https://twitter.com/techstars
https://www.capitaliq.com/CIQDotNet/company.aspx?companyId=431767203
https://www.privateequityinternational.com/database/#/profile?id=14977

Ethan Austin

MD of the Techstars Western Union Accelerator

Mark Tortorella

Advisor

Nathanial Zola

MD

Past deals in Consumer Goods

Kindora

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Kindora buys, sells, and rents premium pre-owned items – from cots and strollers to nursery furniture – after a deep clean.

Dispatch Goods

Funding Round in 2021
Dispatch Goods Inc. manufactures reusable steel containers and boxes for food delivery ecosystem. The company offers containers for the elimination of the disposable food ware. It serves restaurants and food trucks. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

TO THE MARKET

Pre Seed Round in 2018
TO THE MARKET specializes in the ethical manufacturing and sourcing of apparel, accessories, and home goods. Established in 2016 and based in the United States, the company collaborates with artisan groups and suppliers globally to provide sustainable solutions. Its services encompass design, production, compliance, sourcing, logistics, and reporting, catering to a diverse clientele, including Fortune 500 companies, brands, and retailers. By focusing on transparency, sustainability, and authenticity, TO THE MARKET aims to create products that resonate with a new generation of consumers, while promoting a supply chain that empowers communities and protects the environment.

Unioncrate

Seed Round in 2018
Unioncrate helps consumer goods companies build and manage supply chains that can keep up with the consumer of today. Based in New York City, we are a team of CPG veterans, rebels, and nerds who believe that the future of supply chain will be driven by AI. It powers everything we do. We are obsessed with helping our clients take back the invaluable time, money, and resources that are far too commonly lost by relying on archaic supply chain management systems. That’s why we’ve built an intelligent platform designed specifically for the complexities of a consumer goods industry that’s needlessly stuck in the past.

TO THE MARKET

Pre Seed Round in 2018
TO THE MARKET specializes in the ethical manufacturing and sourcing of apparel, accessories, and home goods. Established in 2016 and based in the United States, the company collaborates with artisan groups and suppliers globally to provide sustainable solutions. Its services encompass design, production, compliance, sourcing, logistics, and reporting, catering to a diverse clientele, including Fortune 500 companies, brands, and retailers. By focusing on transparency, sustainability, and authenticity, TO THE MARKET aims to create products that resonate with a new generation of consumers, while promoting a supply chain that empowers communities and protects the environment.

Unioncrate

Seed Round in 2016
Unioncrate helps consumer goods companies build and manage supply chains that can keep up with the consumer of today. Based in New York City, we are a team of CPG veterans, rebels, and nerds who believe that the future of supply chain will be driven by AI. It powers everything we do. We are obsessed with helping our clients take back the invaluable time, money, and resources that are far too commonly lost by relying on archaic supply chain management systems. That’s why we’ve built an intelligent platform designed specifically for the complexities of a consumer goods industry that’s needlessly stuck in the past.

Gone

Seed Round in 2015
Sellers simply provide a picture, and Gone intelligently handles pricing, last-mile logistics, warehousing, marketplace listing, and payment processing. Buyers on Gone’s forthcoming marketplace will browse a curated collection of fully inspected and warrantied used items with detailed images and descriptions and significant discounts. According to Nielsen, American households have $3,100 worth of unused purchases hidden in drawers and closets. Gone’s suite of services unlocks this value by removing the research, shipping, and buyer interaction challenges for sellers and delivering riskless, quality-assured used items to buyers.

Gone

Seed Round in 2013
Sellers simply provide a picture, and Gone intelligently handles pricing, last-mile logistics, warehousing, marketplace listing, and payment processing. Buyers on Gone’s forthcoming marketplace will browse a curated collection of fully inspected and warrantied used items with detailed images and descriptions and significant discounts. According to Nielsen, American households have $3,100 worth of unused purchases hidden in drawers and closets. Gone’s suite of services unlocks this value by removing the research, shipping, and buyer interaction challenges for sellers and delivering riskless, quality-assured used items to buyers.

Gone

Seed Round in 2013
Sellers simply provide a picture, and Gone intelligently handles pricing, last-mile logistics, warehousing, marketplace listing, and payment processing. Buyers on Gone’s forthcoming marketplace will browse a curated collection of fully inspected and warrantied used items with detailed images and descriptions and significant discounts. According to Nielsen, American households have $3,100 worth of unused purchases hidden in drawers and closets. Gone’s suite of services unlocks this value by removing the research, shipping, and buyer interaction challenges for sellers and delivering riskless, quality-assured used items to buyers.

Given Goods

Seed Round in 2013
Given Goods Company is the marketplace for beautiful, high-quality products that give back. By curating thousands of products that all make a tangible social impact, from tote bags and jewelry to home décor, Given Goods is redefining the consumer retail experience. Brands both established and emerging are feeling massive upward consumer demand for products that create meaningful social impact. Given Goods is already working with 115 brands and offering over 1,200 products and 4,500 SKUs in order to connect mainstream consumers to high-quality products that give back. Buying social impact products today is the equivalent of buying natural and organic foods 10 years ago—consumers wanted them but they were incredibly difficult to find. Whole Foods changed that. They captured an emerging yet fragmented market to create an enduring movement. Given Goods is driving the next large scale shift in consumer behavior.