With the amount of technology reshaping retail as we know it, there are a multitude of startups looking to capitalize and innovate. With the right guidance and financial support from knowledgeable investors, these ventures can find success and become household names. Thanks to social media, the valuable insight of venture capitalists is also often available through outlets like Twitter.
To save our readers time, we've assembled a list of 10 of the best retail venture capitalists and firms to follow.
1. BONNO VAN DER PUTTEN
On Twitter: @bonnovanderputt
As a founding partner of Monarch Equity, Bonno van der Putten brings over 20 years of commercial and operational experience in the world’s leading distribution groups. He chairs the firm’s Investment and Management Committees and is especially experienced in retail sectors ranging from Ecommerce to fashion and luxury goods to both big and small box retailing. He also speaks fluent Dutch, English, German, French, Spanish and Portuguese as a result of his worldwide career experiences and international studies.
Walmart vs. Costco: How Do They Really Compare?aol.it/175sRJG via @aoljobs
— bonno van der putten (@bonnovanderputt) June 13, 2013
2. KURT SALMON CONSUMER GROUP
On Twitter: @KurtSalmonCG_NA
Over a 75-year period, global management consulting firm Kurt Salmon’s Consumer Group has worked with 30 of the top 50 retailers in the world—and that figure includes the current top five retailers. They offer valuable insight ranging from business strategy to technology optimization, and their Twitter feed is frequently populated with news and thoughts from one of their retail strategists.
Transforming your brick-and-mortar - why stores should behave more like online retailers - ow.ly/lR5QL
— Kurt Salmon CG NA (@KurtSalmonCG_NA) June 10, 2013
3. MICHELLE GOLDBERG
On Twitter: @ellegold
Michelle Goldberg is an advisor and VC with Ignition Partners. Digital commerce is among her interests in the Web and digital media, which also include advertising analytics, SEO and social media. Even when her tweets and retweets aren’t focused specifically on digital commerce, many of them have value for tech companies in general.
Article from @thefashionbeat on eCommerce cos with physical stores, but what is happening to business models? bit.ly/11n7nP2
— Michelle Goldberg (@ellegold) May 28, 2013
4. STEVE WODA
On Twitter: @SteveWoda
Steve Woda founded ecommerce trust and safety company buySAFE, serving as its chairman for nine years. He is currently president and CEO of uKnow.com, an online security firm that helps parents keep track of their child’s digital activities, and still serves on the buySAFE advisory board, as well as the advisory board for seed-stage investment firm LaunchBox Digital. Given his buySAFE experience, he still tweets regularly about matters pertaining to retail.
Branding Brand grows along with m-commerce uknow.co/18xzpks #ecommerce
— Steve Woda (@SteveWoda) June 12, 2013
5. SYLVIA KUYEL
On Twitter: @skuyel
Formerly with StarVest, Techquity Capital Management and Jefferies & Company, Sylvia Kuyel’s focus is on software-as-a-service, Internet marketing services and ecommerce. According to her “Gone, but not forgotten” profile on StarVest’s Web site, she will be graduating Stanford’s Graduate School of Business in 2014, but already has transaction experience with Dun & Bradstreet’s Allbusiness.com acquisition and Enpocket’s sale to Nokia. Her Twitter feed will likely be one to keep an eye on in coming years.
John Doerr: "I remember talking to Steve Jobs and he just didn't believe in NFC. He thought it wouldn't work until ID etc are on the phone."
— Sylvia Kuyel (@skuyel) March 7, 2013
6. DAN ROSEN
On Twitter: @venturedan
Commerce Ventures General Partner Dan Rosen began investing in startups 13 years ago. Over the course of the time, he has focused on mobile and payments-related startups at Highland Capital Partners, and he was also involved in corporate development at RSA Security and software consulting for American Management Systems during a previous stint as an associate at HarbourVest Partners. As his Twitter bio relates, his interests are in mobile, payments and retail’s future.
Retailers: Don't be scared of the smart phone...77% of shoppers who research on mobile buy IN-STORE!! streetfightmag.com/2013/05/22/for… cc/@commercevc
— Dan Rosen (@venturedan) May 22, 2013
7. SCOTT LOFTESNESS
On Twitter: @sjl, @paymentsviews
An investor and adviser with Commerce Ventures, Scott Loftesness is an expert in payments innovation, mobile payments and next-generation financial services. He’s also a founding partner at Glenbrook Partners, is a co-inventor on multiple payments-related U.S. patents and has over 30 years of experience with technology, venture investment and consultancy. Aside from his primary Twitter account, he also operates @paymentsviews for Glenbrook.
"Would you feel comfortable paying for your shopping just by tapping your glasses?" bit.ly/191hXUX
— Scott Loftesness (@sjl) June 6, 2013
8. BESSEMER VENTURE PARTNERS
On Twitter: @BessemerVP
With global offices in Silicon Valley, New York, Boston, Mumbai and Tel Aviv, Bessemer Venture Partners has its hands in a lot of pots. The firm’s past retail investments include names like Staples and Dick’s Sporting Goods, and its portfolio currently includes startups like ecommerce software provider Shopify and grocery service Blue Apron.
way to go @shopify @pinterest RT @cnbcdisruptors: Meet the 5 companies disrupting the retail space: cnb.cx/18FHZv8 #CNBCDisruptors
— Bessemer Venture (@BessemerVP) May 13, 2013
9. JEREMY LEVINE
On Twitter: @jeremyl
A partner at Bessemer’s New York office, Jeremy Levine’s online-retail investments include KupiVIP, Onestop and Shopify. He was formerly the vice president of operations at Internet software publisher Dash, as well as a consumer products and light industrials specialist for management buyout firm AEA Investors.
If the dictionary had a definition for "amazing execution," it would simply say "See @shopify." @ecommercebabe: ecommerce-platforms.com/ecommerce-sell…”
— Jeremy Levine (@jeremyl) May 15, 2013
10. ETHAN GOODMAN
On Twitter: @EthanGG
Ethan Goodman is the managing director for Griffon Ventures. A nationally renowned digital marketing expert, he previously served a number of Fortune 100 clients as Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide’s director of digital strategy. He has been given credit for helping to grow the agency’s ecommerce practice, and was also instrumental in laying the foundation for MARS Advertising’s digital shopper marketing team during his four years with that firm. Griffon’s portfolio currently includes Detroit-based office and school supplies ecommerce startup Chalkfly, and many of Goodman’s tweets, as well as the firm’s, relate to online retail.
@bricktrends revolutionizing instore retail while so many others are focused on ecomm. Ambitious, but interesting. #1million #Mars2013SXSW
— Griffon Ventures (@GriffonVentures) March 8, 2013
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