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Brian Folmer

Disrupting Venture Capital at FirstLook

Brian Folmer is the Founder and CEO of FirstLook, a venture capital firm based in Cleveland, Ohio, that aims to streamline the investment process for early-stage consumer brands. He established FirstLook in October 2019 to create a platform where founders can more effectively connect with investors, reducing the time and effort traditionally required to raise funds. The company operates on a model that allows investors to discover and support emerging brands through a subscription box service that showcases high-growth consumer products.12

Background and Experience

  • Education: Brian holds degrees in Finance and Economics from The Ohio State University and has also studied at Università Bocconi in Italy.1
  • Previous Roles: Before founding FirstLook, he served in various roles including Managing Partner at FirstLook Ventures, Angel Investor at Tally Foods Inc., and held positions at XRC Ventures and Victoria's Secret. He has also been involved as a mentor for several startup accelerators, including Techstars and Andreessen Horowitz.13
  • Other Ventures: In addition to FirstLook, he co-founded Distrobox, which facilitates connections between brands and independent distributors. He is also an angel investor and has participated in multiple startup accelerators.13

Personal Interests

Brian is described as a passionate advocate for startups, often engaging with founders to learn from their experiences. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys traveling, skiing, and attending music festivals.23

Highlights

Aug 13 · linkedin

BIG congrats to The Coconut Cult on raising $100,000(!) from a FirstLook 🤑 investor!

The Coconut Cult is lead by Noah Simon-Waddell and Ari Raz.

Noah started the brand in 2017 making yogurt fermented with a unique blend of probiotic strains designed to target inflammation. Today he is the face of the brand, growing the cult on social media with an authentic approach that places the brand in the top 1% of engagement among CPG brands.

Ari cofounded Once Upon a Farm, the fastest growing kids nutrition brand in the country and worked as President under CPG legend John Foraker for 4 years. Ari was recruited by Noah in 2021 to leverage his experience building a brand from the ground up.

Shop The Coconut Cult below, and use the discount code “FirstLook” for 20% site wide!

#startups #venturecapital #funding

Jun 27 · linkedin

The disparity between what people see in the headlines (ie. Hero Bread Raises $21 Million In Less Than 90 Days!) versus what the other 99.9% of founders are dealing with right now is brutal.

For those not in the .01% of #startups, keep your chin up!

In the next FirstLook 🤑 newsletter going out this Sunday, I have dive into the challenges with fundraising right now, and a strategy #founders can use to find more folks willing to write checks.

Subscribe here👇

Related Questions

What inspired Brian Folmer to start FirstLook?
How does FirstLook Ventures differ from other venture capital firms?
What are some successful startups that FirstLook Ventures has invested in?
How did Brian Folmer's experience at Victoria's Secret influence his career in startups?
What is the mission behind Distrobox?
Brian Folmer
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Location

New York, New York, United States