Thirteen years ago, Forerunner Ventures began helping to usher in a new era of consumer startups, including Warby Parker, Bonobos, and Glossier. None has gone through a traditional IPO process. Warby Parker was taken public through a special purpose acquisition vehicle. Bonobos was acquired by Walmart. Glossier is still privately held, along with many other design-forward brands in Forerunner's portfolio. Consider that companies like fintech Chime and smart ring outfit Oura, founded in 2012 and 2013, respectively, were also early bets for Forerunner and have achieved valuations north of $5 billion, proving their staying power in crowded markets. But while Chime has confidentially filed to go public, Oura's CEO has said there are no immediate plans for an IPO. At TechCrunch's StrictlyVC evening late last week, Green made it clear she doesn't mind. Asked specifically whether she is bothered by Oura's CEO, Tom Hale, repeatedly telling the media the company is not preparing an IPO...
learn more
