10 Top Retail Angel Investors You Should Know
Finding the right angel investor for your retail business can be a challenge. We've listed 10 active investors who frequently back companies in the retail sector.
Rho Editorial Team
Retail angel investor funding provides startups with crucial early-stage capital and mentorship from experienced individuals within the consumer goods and services sector.
For example, notable backers in the startup community like William Ford, Alfred Lin, Mike Volpi, and Brian Spaly have supported various businesses in the retail space.
If you’re raising or have just closed a round, Rho’s platform helps you manage your new capital with FDIC-insured accounts, corporate cards offering up to 2% cashback, automated bill pay, spend controls, and real-time accounting integrations.
For founders in retail, consumer goods, or e-commerce, finding the right capital is a critical step. Knowing which investors are active in your sector can make all the difference.
Angel investors often provide the initial capital for a new business, bringing personal industry experience that can be just as valuable as the funds themselves.
To help you prepare for your fundraise, we've curated this overview of some of the top angel investors in the retail and CPG sectors.
Just raised or about to? Set up your financial stack with Rho in minutes. Rho provides business banking, corporate cards, accounting integrations and more—built for startup teams moving fast.
Top Retail Angel Investors By Stage
Angel investors in the retail sector tend to invest during the pre-seed and seed stages, where their capital and experience can have the greatest impact.
Knowing who these key individuals are can help you focus your fundraising efforts more effectively.
Pre-seed Angel Investors in Retail
Pre-seed is the earliest funding stage, typically used to validate an idea and build an initial product. For retail startups at this point, investors like Jeff Pomeranz and Peter Kight are known to be active.
Seed Stage Angel Investors in Retail
The seed stage helps a company refine its product, establish market fit, and begin generating revenue. Some notable investors in the retail seed space include Brian Spaly, Alfred Lin, and Art Berliner.
Series A Angel Investors in Retail
Series A funding is for companies with a proven track record that need capital to scale their operations and user base. You might consider approaching investors such as Sim Blaustein and Mike Volpi when raising your Series A.
Series B Angel Investors in Retail
This later stage of funding is focused on expanding market reach and taking the business to the next level against competitors. In the retail sector, William Ford and Ravi Viswanathan are two investors who participate in Series B rounds.
It's also worth noting that some angel investors are active across multiple funding rounds, participating anywhere from pre-seed to later stages depending on the opportunity.
To help you find the right fit, we've gathered more information on leading angel investors in retail. You'll find details on their typical investment stages, industry interests, location, and what makes them a valuable connection for founders.
1. William Ford
William Ford is the Chairman and CEO of General Atlantic, a global growth equity firm. He typically invests in later-stage companies, participating in large funding rounds that are beyond the scope of most individual angel investors.
His investment activity centers on the Series B stage, with an interest in sectors like retail, fintech, and digital health. His participation in major deals, such as with Reliance Retail, indicates a focus on backing established companies ready for significant expansion.
Founders with a proven business model, strong market traction, and a need for substantial growth capital would be a good match. If you are raising a large Series B round to scale your operations, he is a key investor to have on your radar.
- Investment stages: Series B
- Industries of focus: Retail, Fashion, FinTech, Digital Health, Marketplaces
- Geographical presence: New York City
- Ideal investment range: $20.0M – $100.0M
- Notable investments: Reliance Retail, Reliance Jio
You can find more information about William Ford on his LinkedIn or the General Atlantic website.
2. Alfred Lin
Alfred Lin is a partner at Sequoia Capital who brings extensive operational experience to his role. He is widely recognized for his time as Chairman and COO of Zappos.com, where he helped guide the company to its acquisition by Amazon.
Lin focuses on seed and Series A investments in sectors like retail, fashion, and fintech. His background as an operator at companies like Zappos and Tellme Networks indicates he provides founders with practical support for scaling their businesses.
He is an excellent match for founders who are looking for an investor with firsthand experience in building a company. If you are raising a seed or Series A round and value hands-on guidance, his expertise could be a significant asset.
- Investment stages: Seed, Series A
- Industries of focus: Retail, Fashion, FinTech, Enterprise, SMB Software
- Geographical presence: San Francisco Bay Area
- Ideal investment range: $1.0M – $10.0M
- Notable investments: Kalshi, Formation Bio, Summer Health
You can find more information about Alfred Lin on his Sequoia profile or LinkedIn.
3. Mike Volpi
Mike Volpi is a partner at Index Ventures with significant operational experience, including his time as Chief Strategy Officer at Cisco. His background as a leader in major tech companies gives him a practical perspective on building and scaling a business.
He invests across seed, Series A, and Series B rounds, often in technically complex sectors like cloud infrastructure, AI, and data services. His portfolio, which includes companies like Kong and Temporal Technologies, shows an interest in backing foundational technology platforms.
Volpi is a good match for founders with deep technical expertise who are building products in enterprise software or infrastructure. If you are looking for a partner with strategic and operational experience to guide you through scaling, he is a valuable investor to know.
- Investment stages: Seed, Series A, Series B
- Industries of focus: Cloud Infrastructure, FinTech, AI, Retail, Data Services
- Geographical presence: San Francisco, California
- Ideal investment range: $100K – $2.0M
- Notable investments: Kong, Temporal Technologies, incident.io
You can find more information about Mike Volpi on his Index Ventures profile or LinkedIn.
4. Brian Spaly
Brian Spaly is a founder-turned-investor, best known for creating successful direct-to-consumer brands Bonobos and Trunk Club. He is now a partner at Brand Foundry Ventures, where he continues to back new companies.
He concentrates on seed-stage investments in consumer-focused sectors like fashion, e-commerce, and food and beverage. His background as an operator suggests he provides practical support for founders building consumer brands, with portfolio companies including Cann and Crown Affair.
Spaly is an ideal investor for early-stage founders in the CPG and retail space who are looking for a partner with direct experience. If you value guidance from someone who has successfully built and exited multiple companies, he could be a great fit.
- Investment stages: Seed
- Industries of focus: Fashion, Retail, E-commerce, Food and Beverage
- Geographical presence: Austin, Texas
- Ideal investment range: $100K – $10.0M
- Notable investments: Cann, Crown Affair, BriteCo
You can find more information about Brian Spaly on his LinkedIn or the Brand Foundry website.
5. Ravi Viswanathan
Ravi Viswanathan is a founder and managing partner at NewView Capital, with previous experience as a general partner at New Enterprise Associates. His background combines high-level finance roles at Goldman Sachs and McKinsey with a PhD in Chemical Engineering.
He concentrates on Series B investments in sectors like enterprise software, retail, and SaaS. His portfolio, which includes companies like Forter, Heap, and Human Interest, shows a pattern of backing established tech companies poised for major growth.
Founders with a proven business model raising a Series B round would be a good match. If you are looking for an investor with deep technical and financial expertise to help you scale, he is a key contact to consider.
- Investment stages: Series B
- Industries of focus: Enterprise, Retail, Consumer Internet, SaaS
- Geographical presence: San Francisco, California
- Ideal investment range: $100K – $10.0M
- Notable investments: Forter, Heap, Human Interest, Vendia
You can find more information about Ravi Viswanathan on his LinkedIn or the NewView Capital website.
6. Michael Driscoll
Michael Driscoll is an angel investor who participates in seed-stage funding. While he invests as an individual, his activity suggests an involvement in larger, syndicated deals within his sectors of interest.
He shows an interest in industries like biotech, analytics, and retail. His participation in significant funding rounds, such as for Artera, points to a focus on companies raising substantial capital early on.
Founders in his areas of focus who are preparing for a sizable seed round may find him to be a good fit. His portfolio suggests an appetite for businesses with high-growth potential from the outset.
- Investment stages: Seed
- Industries of focus: BioTech, Analytics, Retail, Media/Content
- Geographical presence: San Francisco, California
- Ideal investment range: $5.0M – $25.0M
- Notable investments: Artera
You can find more information about Michael Driscoll on his personal website or LinkedIn.
7. Peter Kight
Peter Kight is an angel investor and an advisor at Commerce Ventures, with a strong focus on the payments and fintech industries. His activity suggests he invests as an individual but brings the network and insight of a venture advisor to his portfolio companies.
He is active across a wide range of funding stages, from pre-seed to Series B, which is uncommon for a single angel. His typical investment size is small, indicating he often joins rounds to add value as a strategic advisor rather than as a lead investor.
Kight is a great match for founders in the fintech and retail sectors who are raising capital across early stages. If you're looking for a seasoned advisor to join your round with a smaller, strategic check, he is a valuable contact.
- Investment stages: Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Series B
- Industries of focus: Payments, Retail, FinTech
- Geographical presence: Scottsdale, Arizona
- Ideal investment range: $5K – $50K
- Notable investments: Grow Credit, BillGO, Urjanet
You can find more information about Peter Kight on his LinkedIn or Crunchbase profile.
8. Art Berliner
Art Berliner is an advisor and angel investor with a deep background in venture capital, having served as Managing Director at Walden Venture Capital for several decades. He now invests as an individual, bringing extensive experience from his long career in the industry.
He primarily invests in seed-stage companies within e-commerce, retail, and consumer internet. His investment range of $100K to $200K suggests he often participates as a strategic advisor in a round, rather than as a lead investor.
Berliner is a great match for founders in the consumer space who are looking for a seasoned investor with a strong VC network. If you need a strategic check from an experienced advisor for your seed round, he is a valuable contact to consider.
- Investment stages: Seed
- Industries of focus: E-commerce, Retail, Consumer Internet
- Geographical presence: San Francisco, California
- Ideal investment range: $100K – $200K
- Notable investments: MeUndies, TodayTix, Floyd
You can find more information about Art Berliner on his LinkedIn or Kapor Capital profile.
9. Jeff Pomeranz
Jeff Pomeranz is the Managing Director at Right Side Capital Management and an active angel investor. He focuses on pre-seed and seed-stage companies, investing both individually and through his firm.
His investment interests are notably broad, covering sectors from retail and food and beverage to ClimateTech and games. With a typical check size of $50K to $200K, he often participates as a strategic investor rather than leading rounds, as seen in his investment in TradingView.
Pomeranz is a good match for founders at the earliest stages who are looking for a strategic check to complete their round. His wide industry focus makes him a potential fit for many different types of businesses seeking pre-seed or seed funding.
- Investment stages: Pre-seed, Seed
- Industries of focus: Retail, Food and Beverage, ClimateTech, Games, Social Commerce, SMB Software
- Geographical presence: San Francisco, California
- Ideal investment range: $50K – $200K
- Notable investments: TradingView
You can find more information about Jeff Pomeranz on his LinkedIn or the Right Side Capital Management website.
10. Sim Blaustein
Sim Blaustein is a partner at Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments (BDMI), where he invests in early-stage companies. He is active in both seed and Series A rounds, participating in deals across a wide spectrum of industries.
A key aspect of his investment approach is its breadth, with interests ranging from games and retail to enterprise software and transportation tech. His portfolio includes companies like Suzy and tvScientific, and his investment range suggests he can participate in sizable rounds.
Blaustein is a good match for founders raising a seed or Series A round in one of his many focus areas. His position at BDMI makes him a valuable connection for founders seeking a strategic partner with the backing of a corporate venture fund.
- Investment stages: Seed, Series A
- Industries of focus: Games, Enterprise, Retail, Data Services, Marketplaces, Payments
- Geographical presence: New York
- Ideal investment range: $100K – $10.0M
- Notable investments: Suzy, tvScientific, Antenna
You can find more information about Sim Blaustein on his LinkedIn or the BDMI Fund website.
What Startup Founders Should Look for in a Retail Investor
When looking for a retail angel investor, it's important to look beyond the check. Consider their operational experience and whether their industry focus aligns with your specific niche, as an investor with a background in e-commerce or CPG can offer valuable guidance.
As the investors on our list show, many are based in major hubs like San Francisco and New York. Their interests often go beyond just retail, branching into areas like fintech and enterprise software, so look for alignment in their broader portfolio.
Finally, match your company's stage with the investor's preference. Some angels specialize in early validation with smaller checks, while others participate in larger growth rounds. Understanding this is a key part of finding the right investors for your startup.
Raise Confidently with Rho
Fundraising requires significant time and energy, so a focused list of relevant investors is invaluable. It helps you direct your efforts toward the people most likely to understand and support your vision.
If you’ve just raised, Rho can help you set up your financial stack in minutes. Our platform offers business banking, corporate cards, and automated bill pay, all built to help startups manage their new capital efficiently.
This integrated setup helps direct your angel investment toward growth and operations. You can spend less time on manual financial admin and more on building your business.
FAQs about Retail Angel Investors
Are there active retail angel investors in cities like Austin or Boston?
Yes, while New York and San Francisco are major hubs, cities like Austin and Boston have growing communities of angel investors. Many look for opportunities in consumer brands, e-commerce, and related tech outside of traditional centers.
Do retail angel investors also fund related sectors like fintech?
Yes, many retail investors have an interest in related sectors. They often back companies in financial services, SaaS, and supply chain management, especially when the technology supports the retail or e-commerce experience.
How do angels value a pre-revenue retail startup?
For pre-revenue companies, investors often focus on the team's experience, the market size, and the product's unique value. The valuation is typically based on future potential rather than current financials, often falling within established pre-seed or seed stage ranges.
What is the difference between an angel investor and an early-stage VC?
Angel investors are typically individuals investing their own money, often at the earliest stages. Early-stage VCs are firms that invest institutional funds, usually writing larger checks and taking a more formal role in governance.
How can Rho help after I secure angel investment?
Once you've raised capital, Rho helps you manage it effectively. Our platform combines banking, corporate cards, and expense management, allowing you to focus on growth. You can get started with Rho in minutes.