Top DTC Startups to Watch (and Work for) in 2023

My Background

Hi, I'm Kieran! I worked in startups for five years at On Deck and Wefunder. Some of my favorite things that I've worked on during my career include:

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Wefunder Workaway: 12 founders working on a new idea, 7 days, 1 mansion in Hawaii. One of the teams we picked raised a Series A from Andreessen Horowitz, and two people who met during the trip got married...

On Deck: As employee #15, I contributed to the startup's growth from no revenue to a $20 million run rate in less than a year. I led the team that built the admission infrastructure to support and scale ~20 fellowships for founders, capital allocators, operators, and creators.

XX: Worked on a pre-YC accelerator program that invested $125K on an MFN SAFE into 8-10 teams per cohort.

ODX: Worked on a $100 million accelerator program that invested $125K for 7% into 100s of startups. We partnered with leaders like Flexport to build vertical industry tracks around supply chain & logistics, etc.

Ryan Marketing: Created an influencer marketing startup (2 million+ Instagram followers) during college with my twin brother and realized early that monetization for creators was broken. I learned a lot, and it paid enough to cover my schooling, rent, and meals.

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The Methodology

I considered several data points to arrive at the startups selected on this list, including company traction, funding raised, valuation, and investors. From my initial list, I then referenced each startup with my personal network to narrow down the list to the one you see below. I take my credibility seriously, so I do not take any money from startups who want to be included on this list to remain impartial. If you want to understand my analysis of startups and prefer long-form content, read my research on the top startups of 2023 afterward.

Glossier

A beauty community and product company.

Headquarters

New York, New York

Industry

Beauty, DTC

Founded

2014

Funding

$266.4 million

Valuation

$1.8 billion

Traction

As of June 2023, Glossier has 2.7 million Instagram followers, 420K Facebook followers, 578K TikTok followers, and 170K Youtube subscribers.

As of July 2021, Glossier has 5 million customers and 39 products.

In 2019, more than 1 million people visited Glossier’s two permanent locations and five temporary stores.

Full Profile

Outdoor Voices

Technical apparel for recreation.

Headquarters

Austin, Texas

Industry

DTC, Clothing

Founded

2013

Funding

$64.4 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

As of June 2023, Outdoor Voices has 496K Instagram followers, 133K Facebook followers, and 15.1K TikTok followers.

As of August 2022, Outdoor Voices reported projected sales of $90 million for 2022, up from $40 million pre-pandemic, with a 30% compound annual growth rate since 2017.

Full Profile

Birdies

Women’s shoes and stylish flats.

Headquarters

San Francisco, California

Industry

DTC

Founded

2015

Funding

$10.1 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

As of June 2023, Birdies has donated 54,000 pairs of shoes.

As of June 2023, Birdies has 223K Instagram followers, 69K Facebook followers, and 802 Twitter followers.

In April 2021, Birdies reported 300% YoY growth.

In 2018, Birdies had a waitlist of 30,000 people.

In 2015, Birdies sold 1,800 pairs of shoes to friends and family.

Full Profile

The Farmer’s Dog

Fresh human-grade dog food delivery company.

Headquarters

New York, New York

Industry

DTC, Pets

Founded

2015

Funding

$103.1 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

As of June 2023, The Farmer’s Dog has delivered 100 million meals to dogs.

As of June 2023, The Farmer’s Dog has rated 4.5/5 stars from 1,197 reviews on Trustpilot.

As of June 2023, The Farmer’s Dog has 300K Instagram followers and 155K Facebook followers.

Full Profile

Ritual

Daily multivitamin company.

Headquarters

Culver City, Los Angeles

Industry

DTC

Founded

2016

Funding

$40.5 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

As of June 2023, Ritual has 343K Instagram followers and 211K Facebook followers.

As of November 2020, Ritual has sold 1 million bottles of its vitamins.

As of February 2019, Ritual claims 12,000 scientific studies back its products.

Full Profile

Prose

Custom haircare.

Headquarters

New York, New York

Industry

Haircare, DTC

Founded

2017

Funding

$25 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

As of June 2023, Prose has 3.4 million+ customer profiles, 400K+ 5-star reviews, 84% of customers would recommend to a friend, and examine 85+ factors to create their customer formulas for its products.

As of June 2023, Prose has 288K Instagram followers and 50K Facebook followers.

As of August 2022, Prose has 250,000 active subscribers and is on pace for $100 million in sales in 2022.

As of November 2018, Prose has 135 data points on ~500,000 customer profiles.

As of November 2018, Prose’s proprietary manufacturing system can customize 10,000 products daily.

Full Profile

Nécessaire

A personal care company.

Headquarters

Los Angeles, California

Industry

DTC

Founded

2017

Funding

Undisclosed

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

As of June 2023, Nécessaire has 215K Instagram followers, 4.5K TikTok followers and 5.1K Twitter followers.

As of October 2022, Nécessaire was on pace for $35 million in retail sales from 1.5 million product units split 50/50 between DTC and retail.

Full Profile

Cotopaxi

Hiking and outdoor gear.

Headquarters

Salt Lake City, Utah

Industry

DTC

Founded

2014

Funding

$77.1 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

As of June 2023, Cotopaxi has 326K Instagram followers, 179K Facebook followers, 26.5K TikTok followers, and 10.7K Youtube subscribers.

As of September 2021, Cotopaxi has awarded 36 focused grants and assisted 822,000 impoverished individuals.

As of September 2021, Cotopaxi incorporated recycled product compounds into 94% of its products.

In 2020, Cotopaxi reported ~$30 million in revenue.

Full Profile

CUUP

Shop bras and underwear made to fit.

Headquarters

New York, New York

Industry

DTC

Founded

2017

Funding

$29.5 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

As of June 2023, CUUP has rated 4/5 stars from 3,258 reviews on its website.

As of June 2023, CUUP has 235K Instagram followers, 20K Facebook followers, and 874 Twitter followers.

In March and April 2020, CUUP YoY sales spiked by 322% and 700%, respectively.

Between August 2019 and August 2020, CUUP generated 4,200 customer posts, a 520% increase, on social media.

Full Profile

M.Gemi

Handcrafted women’s and men’s Italian shoes.

Headquarters

Boston, Massachusetts

Industry

DTC

Founded

2015

Funding

$81.5 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

As of June 2023, M.Gemi has 453 different material and color options, 118 hand stitches on every pair of moccasins, and launches 75+ styles annually.

As of June 2023, M.Gemi has 136K Instagram followers, 143K Facebook followers, and 434 TikTok followers.

Full Profile

Draper James

Southern heritage clothing company.

Headquarters

New York, New York

Industry

DTC, Clothing

Founded

2013

Funding

$10 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

As of June 2023, Draper James has 836K Instagram followers, 300K Facebook followers, and 20.8K Twitter followers.

In 2022, Draper James began selling its clothes in all 500 Kohl’s stores.

As of 2015, Draper James sold clothes in all 50 states and over 15 countries.

Full Profile

Homebound

Your new home starts here.

Headquarters

Santa Rosa, California

Industry

Real Estate, DTC, Construction

Founded

2018

Funding

$148 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

As of June 2023, Homebound operates in six markets: Houston, Dallas, Austin, Boulder Country, North Hollywood, and Santa Rosa.

Full Profile

Serena & Lily

A fresh approach to home.

Headquarters

Sausalito, California

Industry

DTC

Founded

2003

Funding

$69.9 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

As of June 2023, Serena & Lily has 1 million Instagram followers.

As of March 2022, Serena & Lily is seeking a US IPO.

Full Profile

Rockets of Awesome

Kids clothing company.

Headquarters

New York, New York

Industry

DTC, Clothing

Founded

2015

Funding

$49 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

As of June 2023, Rockets of Awesome has 58K Instagram followers and 90K Facebook followers.

As of March 2022, Rockets of Awesome is seeking a buyer.

Full Profile

Studs

A fresh take on ear piercings & earrings.

Headquarters

New York, New York

Industry

Consumer, E-commerce, Health & Beauty

Founded

2019

Funding

$30 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

As of May 2023, Studs has 19 ear-piercing studios.

As of October 2022, Studs reported 30x e-commerce growth since 2019.

Full Profile

KiwiCo

KiwiCo delivers kids' subscription boxes and STEM, STEAM, science and art kits that provide serious fun and hands-on learning.

Headquarters

Mountain View, California

Industry

Consumer, Edtech, DTC

Founded

2011

Funding

$10 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

As of May 2023, KiwiCo has shipped over 40 million Kiwi Crates.

As of May 2023, KiwiCo has designed 2,000 projects.

As of August 2021, KiwiCo has shipped more than 25 million Kiwi Crates to kids in 40 countries.

In 2018, KiwiCo was on track for $100 million in revenue.

Full Profile

The Black Tux

A men's online tuxedo and suit rental company.

Headquarters

Los Angeles, California

Industry

Consumer, Fashion, DTC

Founded

2013

Funding

$67.6 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

As of May 2023, The Black Tux has 31 showrooms across 18 states and 4 flagship locations in Chicago, Santa Monica, Dallas, and New York City.

Full Profile

Prime Hydration

Sports and energy drinks.

Headquarters

Louisville, Kentucky

Industry

Food & Beverage, DTC, Creators

Founded

2022

Funding

$21.1 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

In its first full year of operations, Prime Hydration reported $250 million in retail sales.

As of June 2023, Prime Hydration has 1.6 million Instagram followers, 14K Facebook followers, and 389.5K Twitter followers.

In June 2022, Prime Hydration reported $10 million worth of bottles in 2 months of operations.

Full Profile

nutpods

Dairy-free coffee creamer.

Headquarters

Bellevue, Washington

Industry

Food & Beverage, DTC

Founded

2013

Funding

$35.1 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

As of June 2023, nutpods has 137K Instagram followers, 34K Facebook followers, and 4.5K TikTok followers.

As of July 2019, nutpods was the #3 brand in the plant-based creamor category.

Between July 2018 and 2019, nutpods grew by 250% and expanded into 15,000 new retailers.

Full Profile

OLIPOP

A new kind of soda.

Headquarters

Oakland, California

Industry

Food & Beverage, DTC

Founded

2017

Funding

$55.4 million

Valuation

$200 million

Traction

As of June 2023, OLIPOP has rated 4.63/5 stars from 9,257 reviews on its website.

As of June 2023, OLIPOP has 221K Instagram followers, 17K Facebook followers, 4.3K Twitter followers, and 233.9K TikTok followers.

As of April 2023, OLIPOP is on pace to cross $200 million in annual sales this year.

As of April 2023, OLIPOP is in 20,000 retail locations, including Whole Foods, Walmart, Target, Sam’s Club, and Kroger.

Full Profile

Serenity Kids

Baby food company.

Headquarters

Austin, Texas

Industry

Food & Beverage, DTC

Founded

2016

Funding

$11.5 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

As of June 2023, Serenity Kids has rated 5/5 stars from 5,020 reviews on its website.

In 2020, Serenity Kids doubled its revenue over the previous year.

As of June 2021, Serenity Kids was on pace to increase its revenue by 150% over 2020.

Full Profile