ABOUT XRC VENTURES

XRC Ventures is a venture capital firm and accelerator for the next generation of disruptors in the retail technology, consumer healthtech and consumer goods sectors.

 

 

XRC Accelerator Fund & Program

The Accelerator Fund invests in pre-Seed companies in retail technology and the consumer healthtech. XRC provides startups with capital, mentoring, operational support, and exclusive access to a prestigious network of entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders.

XRC selects startups that are positioned to create significant change in the retail or consumer goods industries. Startups receive capital, mentoring, operational support, and exclusive access to a prestigious network of entrepreneurs, investors, and seasoned industry leaders. They graduate from XRC Ventures with solid business plans and a priceless new network.


XRC Opportunity Fund

The XRC Opportunity Fund invests in post-Seed to Series A companies in the next generation of retail technology and consumer goods.

We co-invest alongside top venture capital funds and provide follow-on capital to select XRC Ventures alumni scaling their companies beyond product market fit and achieving exponential growth.


XRC Brand Capital Fund

The XRC Brand Capital Fund invests in Seed to Series A consumer product companies in Beauty, Personal Care, Home Goods, and Health and Wellness categories.  


Mission

Our mission is to foster companies and products that innovate the face of retail and consumer goods fulfillment in a rapidly changing marketplace using design thinking as a key driving process.


Vision

The XRC Ventures vision is to be at the forefront of change, disrupting the conventional systems, promoting the best experience for consumers and producers, and creating an ecosystem that matches partners for success.


At XRC We…

  • Embrace sustainability so the Earth we leave to future generations is a better place than when we inhabited it

  • Advocate for moderate consumption to promote a flight to quality and legacy — less is more, for a longer period of time

  • Endorse economic well-being that fosters a global improvement in the economic condition of participants in the global economy

  • Demand integrity, honesty, and fairness in our internal and external relationships

  • Recognize and nurture excellence in people, technology and products

  • Mentor the next generation of innovators

  • Share and exchange ideas in an open forum to generate new solutions

  • Encourage solutions from multiple sectors, applied to retail and consumer products


Why It Matters

Design really matters. Consumers are buying products and shopping at omnichannel stores that deliver a great experience. Disruptive companies are more likely to be founded by designers than by hard-core technologists.

Even though the retail world still dwarfs ecommerce in size it will be more and more influenced by software and great design. The old bricks vs. clicks question isn’t relevant anymore. Customers want a single, well-designed experience for the products they use and the shops they visit, both online and offline. The facts speak for themselves:

  • 71 percent of consumers want access to in-store inventory when shopping online

  • 50 percent of consumers expect to buy online and pick up in-store

  • Nearly 50 percent of in-store retail sales are influenced or start online, representing nearly $2 trillion in commerce

An omnichannel, ubiquitous, and well-designed experience is the new norm. As companies like Warby Parker, Bonobos, and Athleta demonstrate, an online experience is not sufficient for many customers. Customers expect a common, branded, and engaging experience, everywhere. The new rule is: one brand, one experience.

Despite the size of the opportunity, both building a brand online and selling to retail offline is really hard. The brand has to engage, resonate, and compel people to buy, immediately.

And yet the needs of each channel – online, mobile, offline – are very different. New entrants into consumer and retail markets need specialized expertise and light-speed innovation. Failing hyperfast and nanosecond reinvention are just table stakes.


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