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Josh Spear is a Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, a leading global venture capital firm. He is known for his expertise in consumer investments and his background as a trend forecaster and entrepreneur.
Josh Spear primarily invests in consumer-focused companies across various sectors, including next-generation commerce, marketplaces, social platforms, and new media. He seeks out innovative businesses that are shaping future consumer experiences.
Josh Spear works as a Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, a prominent venture capital firm with offices globally. He is based out of their operations, contributing to their consumer investment portfolio.
Josh Spear is a highly respected Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, a prominent global venture capital firm known for backing transformative companies. At Lightspeed, Josh spearheads consumer investments, focusing on identifying and nurturing startups that are poised to reshape the future of consumer experiences. His investment thesis centers on areas such as next-generation commerce, dynamic marketplaces, innovative social platforms, and emerging media companies.
Before joining Lightspeed, Josh Spear built an impressive career as a renowned trend forecaster, strategist, and entrepreneur. He founded Undercurrent, a pioneering trend forecasting and strategy firm, which was later acquired by WPP. This background provided him with a deep understanding of cultural shifts and consumer behavior, skills he now leverages to identify promising investment opportunities. His entrepreneurial spirit is also evident in his role as a co-founder of Thrive Market, a successful online marketplace for healthy living, demonstrating his ability to not only identify trends but also to build impactful businesses.
Josh's career is marked by a consistent focus on innovation and consumer-centric ventures. He was also a founding investor in Warby Parker, a company that revolutionized the eyewear industry with its direct-to-consumer model. His portfolio at Lightspeed includes a diverse range of successful companies that resonate with modern consumers. Notable investments and involvements include Calm, a leading meditation and sleep app; Allbirds, known for its sustainable footwear; Zola, a modern wedding registry and planning platform; Ruggable, an innovative washable rug company; and GoPuff, a rapid delivery service. He has also supported brands like Ritual, Daily Harvest, and Figment, all of which are disrupting traditional consumer categories.
Through his work at Lightspeed Venture Partners, Josh Spear continues to be a pivotal figure in the consumer technology landscape, backing founders who are building the next generation of beloved brands and essential services. His unique blend of strategic foresight, entrepreneurial experience, and investment acumen makes him a sought-after partner for startups aiming to make a significant impact on consumers worldwide.
Josh Spear is an independent entrepreneur, early-stage investor, and advisor based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He began his career by launching a trend-spotting publication at the University of Colorado before co-founding Undercurrent, a digital strategy consulting firm established in 2008 that advised Fortune 500 corporations until its acquisition in 2015. As an active angel investor, Spear has built a portfolio of dozens of early-stage companies, backing notable consumer technology and lifestyle brands such as Uber, Warby Parker, MakerBot, and Archer Aviation. He was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2009 and subsequently served as the Chairman of its Global Agenda Council on Social Media. Following executive education programs at the Harvard Kennedy School and Yale University, Spear maintains a current focus on strategic venture capital investments across the digital and consumer sectors.