Brit living in the Bay, VC @ Lightspeed & investor in beehiiv, Calm, Cameo, Character AI, Daybreak, Goop, Lady Gaga’s HAUS, Lightyear, Multiverse, Rothy’s, Zola
Every single company I've invested in since the pandemic has been outside Silicon Valley... LA, NY, Chicago, Miami, London, Singapore (& nomad!).
The democratization of investing is only just beginning.
1/ Thrilled to announce
@lightspeedvp
Series A round investment in
@lunchclubai
, the next-generation networking platform. Here's more on what makes Lunchclub so special:
What a difference a month makes!
Nov 3rd, I was told my Green Card would take a year & visas were being cancelled.
Post election, Government officials’ spirits lifted & my Green Card was approved.
Having an American husband, son & portfolio companies, this has made my year. 🇺🇸
Always marry to one who is your biggest fan ❤️
Always work for the firm who is your biggest fan ⭐️
Always pick the board member who is your biggest fan 📈
This is where the magic happens
Social is back!
Last year saw the rise of:
social shopping (Popshop),
social audio (Clubhouse),
social education (Outschool)
social meetings (Lunchclub)... what areas will be next to turn social?
Nearly 9 months pregnant and every visit my doctor says just 1 line: "How can I be helpful?"
I've never given birth before so I don't know what I don't know. 🤷♀️
Please tell us where you can help.
Advice for doctors and investors everywhere :)
When investors laugh at a sector, there is usually something interesting emerging.
Physical experiences are what the next generation are crying out for.
Topgolf will be the first to show real value here as they will reportedly IPO this year for $4bn ⭐️
1/5 What began as a guided meditation app has evolved into a Super App mental wellness experience now valued at $2bn. Today, I am thrilled to announce
@lightspeedvp
will invest again and lead the Series C in
@calm
.
.
@Calm
are the first mental health unicorn now with over 50m downloads. We are honored to invest in their Series B and support fellow Brits
@acton
and
@tewy
After enduring a 50-hour labor (!) I have a new-found appreciation for mothers across the world.
I'm back from maternity leave and wanted to share my views on the importance of equal maternity and paternity leave:
I just posted “Now is a great time to invest in media. Really.” Business models in media are evolving into community, subscription, commerce, experiences and more. We shouldn’t think of media as Ad revenue alone... it’s evolving! Would love your thoughts
Time to get curious.
After many years of excruciating stomach pains & troubles with fertility, I finally found out why.
I am 1 in 10 women who has
#endometriosis
. It takes 8 years on average to be diagnosed.
#EndometriosisAwarenessMonth
Get curious with yourself & loved ones.
2/10 Food:
China grocery delivery was +60% in Feb & recipe app usage +44%. Food delivery was down 50%, less than restaurants but in stark contrast to grocery.
Will this ignite a fire in the ovens of US homes?
@blueapron
+500% this week &
@Walmart
near all time highs suggest so.
Does anyone else have parents who never shopped online before Covid and now are every week?
a) this is driving a step change in eCom 📈
b) it's likely to be sticky afterwards as new customers build these habits 🤩
c) will this result in new startups targeted at boomers? 👵
The senior space is ripe for change and we are excited about companies building for "the Middlers" and seniors in: the loneliness economy, caring, smart homes, eCom, healthcare, death care, fintech and real estate tech.
7/10 Education:
Online education DAU +46% over the crisis to 127m in China.
Will the kitchen be the new classroom? Coronavirus may be a straw breaking the camel's back on education moving remote. China e-learning grew & stayed strong post peak (see below from Havas & iResearch)
When my husband corrects someone for saying “I need to man up” by saying “don’t man up, woman up - women are much stronger” I fall in love all over again
#womanup
@malscovil
1/4 It's official!
@paulbz
and
@rossmason
join the
@lightspeedvp
family as we expand in Europe with our permanent London office.
We've been investing in Europe since 2007 but why is now the time and why is this the team to help you? 👇
Is your company a true brand?
This is a function of:
1. NPS - do customers like it?
2. Repeat rate - do customers come back?
3. Referral rate - do customers tell others?
4. Organic % - is word of mouth driving growth?
5. Social media - how do people talk about it?
Thrilled for the Cameo $50m Series B fundraising, with
@ilyaf
joining the board. Here are the reasons why
@lightspeedvp
led the Series A last year and is so excited to be part of the Cameo Fameo:
Book a Cameo at and we are hiring!!
🦄 Cameo have built an all star team to really take the celebrity and connection economy to the next level. Today we’re announcing our $100m C round at >$1bn. Go
@Mr312
🤩🚀
10/10 FinTech:
Online insurance +10% this year in China.
Will anxiety turn to insurance? Both payments & insurance have been slower to move online in the US but should speed up now. Contactless service is key.
(Data from Havas & our China team)
🤔What other areas will change?
3/10 Mental Health:
Tencent Health's new program DAU grew from 330k before the outbreak to 36m after.
How high will the pandemic push our stress levels? In addition to typical recession stress, our health is also under threat. has some helpful resources.
Here is our blog on why
@lightspeedvp
invested in the Series A and why Cameo delights customers and is very quickly becoming a part of popular culture. Go Cameo on today's $50m Series B 🚀
4/10 Entertainment:
Daily internet usage per capita increased from 6.1 hrs before the crisis to to 7.3 hrs after. Short Video (Youtube equivalents) DAU grew from 492m to 569m.
Will we swap cinema to watching from home? People are going to
@netflix
and news + UGC apps instead.
My thoughts (and hopes!) for 2021:
* The year of mental health apps
* Social shopping becomes part of US pop culture
* Networking becomes virtual
* Consumers are the new creators
* The increasing pace of work
* B2B and B2C blur
The full 10 are here:
Excited to announce our partnership with Gwyneth Paltrow at Goop. Find out more with our blog on why Goop is the next true luxury brand and Podcast delving into Gwyneth's thoughts...
Podcast:
When a truly great product comes along that people can’t stop talking about, great things happen! That’s exactly what we saw 2 years ago when we 1st met the super star team at Rothy’s. Today is a milestone in what will be a long & brilliant journey ahead
1/6 -
@girlboss
has been acquired by Attention, a media group founded by some of the strongest execs in media from
@Snapchat
,
@Foxnews
&
@PalantirTech
.
@sophiaamoruso
will be a Founding Partner & continue to shape the media landscape through female entrepreneurship & empowerment.
Harry’s acquired for $1.37B - 5x revenue multiple for a business with 20% DTC and 80% wholesale. We continue to be excited about the intersection of on & offline brands as
@goop
,
@Sagely_Naturals
and
@oliver_bogner
at Brandable are doing! 🎉🎉
We have a new scout program at
@lightspeedvp
led by
@mercebent
"recruiting a class of 42 Black, Latino and Pacific Islander scouts"
Today's WSJ article shares more...
9/10 eCommerce:
eCom grew 5% this yr in China, mainly due to food & health. Ironically, makeup sales held up as Chinese consumers dressed up for video calls. The same is not being seen in the US (anyone else live in
@lululemon
?!)
China saw safety purchases stay strong post peak:
The best decisions get made with a diverse group of individuals around the table.
Our consumer team of
@mercebent
@ataussig
@jeremysliew
and I are looking to hire a new investor at
@Lightspeedvp
. We're excited to hear from you!
More details + apply here:
2 years ago today we signed the
@BookCameo
Series A and celebrated at the Chicago startup awards (pic below)! The amount this team has achieved in 2 years is incredible! What will we achieve in the next 2
@Mr312
?!
6/10 Gaming:
Online gaming DAU increased 30% during Chinese New Year 2020 vs. 2019. Daily usage increased 40% to 159 min.
Will games become permanent playgrounds? Games are keeping people entertained in these times & fitness "games" & apps at home may be the future of fitness.
Sunday morning with the Lightspeed Ambassadors. Inspiring undergrads from nine universities came together to brainstorm, learn and take action... with some cooking and sailing too!
#Lightspeed
#SundayFunday
5/10 Social:
Social Media DAU grew to 794m over Chinese New Year (+14m YoY) with overall usage +27%.
Will our online influence be our only influence?
@houseparty
is no longer just for Gen Z as they become new daily meeting places for kids & moms.
Investing when you're out of consensus and right is where the magic happens.
Exactly what
@sorayadarabi
did when she invested in
@wearfigs
at the seed round.... and FIGS are now the first female co-founders to take a company public. 1st of many more....
We at
@Lightspeedvp
are focused on meeting founders and innovators where they are making their mark. Our focus expands beyond Silicon Valley as the next big thing can come from anywhere.
#OneLightspeed
1/5 In my 2021 predictions, mental health was number 1. Today I am thrilled to announce that
@lightspeedvp
is leading the Series A round in
@join_real
, a mobile subscription service that makes mental healthcare accessible to all
8/10 Video communication:
China online video conferencing/collaboration DAU grew from 140m before to 152m after the outbreak.
Are in person meetings the new snail mail?
@zoom_us
speeds up our interactions (& the commute is better). Digital confs next? Will future of work = WFH?
Just 3.5 years ago
@rothys
launched their first pair of shoes 🥿15 pairs later, I can’t get enough!
Today, we launched bags! Authentic with the
@rothys
brand, all bags are sustainable and machine washable.
THE sustainable brand ❤️⭐️
Introducing The Bag Collection.
✔️Five essential silhouettes.
✔️Endless colors and patterns.
✔️Fully machine washable.
✔️Knit with our new sustainable material, marine plastic.
“Women-founded FinTechs have raised 1% of total FinTech investment in the last 10 years”
@TechCrunch
As a former FinTech startup founder & a current fintech investor, I’ve been on both sides of this 1% & I’m now working to increase it.
1/4 Today,
@lightspeedvp
is proud to announce our participation in
@Autograph
's $170M Series B. Autograph creates limited edition
#NFTs
of legendary athletes, celebs, and franchises, which fans can purchase, hold, or resell.
The combination of a terrific product, a strong brand and authentic celebrity involvement = 🏆
@calm
Authentic celebrity involvement is best when celebs:
a) Invest
b) Create content
c) Engage (💙 the product as
@Harry_Styles
does)
Just held a female founder brainstorm and we learnt that young people stay in their jobs IF:
1) they have a boss who supports their ideas
2) leadership is vulnerable and makes human connection
3) they have a best friend at work!
.
@BookCameo
mentioned not once but twice on the last SNL. Definitely part of the creator economy... and popular culture!
Need a last minute Christmas gift? You know where to go!🧑🎄
Whether it's among investors, or just friends across the interwebs, or even SNL -- one consumer startup I hear a *lot* more about organically now is
@BookCameo
. Props to
@Nik_Quinn
who saw that early! Interesting to see Cameo's opportunity as part of a broader "Creator Economy."
Loved speaking to
@Jason
on
@TWistartups
as we talked through:
- Founders who build virality into their product
@BookCameo
@calm
💙
- The power of influencers in all consumer businesses, from media to FinTech ⭐️
- Why voice may be the next major platform 🎙
🎤"Celebrities are a very good acquisition channel - scalable, repeatable acquisition channel - where it is far easier & far cheaper to turn a fan to a customer than to acquire a new customer."
-
@nik_quinn
on the benefits of celebrity founders 🔥
🎧
Put up your hand if your FB marketing stopped working over the summer? Gradually every hand goes up —— This has happened every time I ask this question. 1st moving FB spend to IG is more effective and 2nd, it’s time to think about more outdoor, influencer and experiential retail.
What a year so far... I've been investing across crypto, consumer and mental health. Given the rollercoaster ride 🎢🎮🚀that it is investing in crypto, we may need to all invest in mental health to stay sane.
I started using beehiiv & was blown away by the product. I recommend everyone try it!
@f_fatemi21
& I then met
@denk_tweets
& loved his execution style & huge vision. Today we announce the beehiiv Series A. The future is bright... & on newsletters!
When your brand becomes a verb, you know you’ve reached mass market consumer recognition, usually a pretty good indicator for value creation.
Some internet brands that are commonly used as verbs are
@Google
,
@Facebook
,
@Yelp
,
@Twitter
,
@Snapchat
,
@WhatsApp
@BookCameo
. What else?
Feeling better after a sober January? You're not alone. This is a trend for the long run as Gen Z are drinking 25% less than prior generations.
Lightspeed are excited to invest in the low/no alcohol company,
@CleanLiquor
with UK star
@SpencerMatthews
.
@mojism
advice to founders: “Stay close to your consumer. If you’re not obsessed with your consumer, if you’re not scouring comments, reviews and hashtags, you’re in the wrong business.” Listen to our convo on
@lightspeedvp
podcast for more insight:
My Partner
@jeremysliew
was an instant believer in the brilliant vision of Cheddar and lead their first round in Dec 2015. Never have I met a better networker than the fast moving fearless Cheddar leader
@jonsteinberg
Congratulations today!!
Imagine spending BILLIONS to promote your makeup...L’Oreal, Revlon 👀
Out of nowhere...
Shane Dawson dabbles in make-up & does:
- 100m+ ORGANIC views on a 6-part series/commercial 🔥
- Launch crashes Shopify 😬
- Will hit $20m in profit 💵
That’s real influence. 👊
"The most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.” – Kurt Vonnegut
Create a community... it's the future of joy, the future of social & the future of mental health.
The world is becoming more shareable and we need a place to buy, share and collect digital art. Metaverse startup
@flickplayapp
announce their fundraising today. Could not be more excited to Partner with CEO
@MerinoPierina
Terrific presentation by our Partner
@merci
today. She brings her experience as head of growth
@SlackHQ
, as an early gaming founder and as the founder of Women In Product to the stage!!
#Inspiring
Deeply inspired by
@ladygaga
in everything she does. Shallow is now the most awarded song in history with 32 awards including a Golden Globe... and now an Oscar! Congratulations Gaga! What’s next? 🌟
CHGG up 31% today... seems this is an inflection point for them and the whole sector.
Online education, food delivery & eCommerce were moving an incremental 1% online each year but this could be the step change that is sticky afterwards 📈
Thrilled to announce with pre-orders available worldwide on Monday!! We are proud to support
@ladygaga
's tremendous vision and the
@hauslabs
team with fearless leader Ben Jones
@keysersoze25
Takeaways from the new 20 Minute VC podcast with
@jeremysliew
: 1. VC is about finding the best company in 1k so you need to meet thousands to know, 2. Sourcing secrets (ty for the kind words Jeremy) & 3. How to know when your main channel is topping out
Covid has changed user behavior such that we moved apps like Uber, Lyft, airlines, etc off our home screen... creating home screen real estate for new apps.
Social founders... now is the time!
Brilliant interview on Zola by
@ataussig
at Lightspeed’s Leading Lights Event in NYC tonight.
@shanlynm
is a role models for us all and transforming the wedding industry 👰 🤵
.
@lunchclubai
is quickly becoming a home screen app. 📱Consumers want to create powerful connections and the algorithm finds the
#1
people for you to meet!
I enjoyed talking to Forbes in this article out today...
The YouTube revolt is starting...
Don't be surprised if platforms like
@BookCameo
continue to rise up to give creators more control and a greater share of revenue.
Great quote from
@Calm
co-CEO
@acton
"The world is not getting any less stressful...We are using and leveraging the power of celebrities and the ability of film, TV, and music to amplify a message"
Here is to being there for each other,
Here is to having the courage to ask for help,
Here is to knowing life is better as a team sport,
Here is to the help
@Calm
bring us every day in sleep & meditation,
Here is to awareness around our mental health ❤️
#WorldMentalHealthDay
The statistics show the customer love of the Topgolf brand: ❤️
- Huge social media following
- 20m customers
- 58 locations (4 international)
- $25m in rev per location p.a.
- Costs $18m on average to build
- >1bn golf balls hit each year 📈