Imaginary Ventures
Imaginary Ventures is a New York-based venture capital firm founded in 2018 by Net-A-Porter founder Natalie Massenet and 14W's Nick Brown, investing early-stage capital in consumer brands across fashion, beauty, wellness, food & beverage, and select enabling technology.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Imaginary Ventures does
Imaginary Ventures is a New York-based venture capital firm founded in 2018 by Natalie Massenet and Nick Brown. Massenet, the founder of Net-A-Porter (built to a $1B business with minimal external funding) and former non-executive Co-Chair of Farfetch, pairs with Brown, previously a Partner at 14W Venture Partners where he was an early investor in Glossier, Warby Parker, and The RealReal. The firm invests in early-stage consumer brands it characterizes as "iconic, generationally-defining" businesses, alongside a smaller allocation to enabling technology. Core technology for the firm itself is not applicable; the product is capital plus strategic guidance, brand-building expertise, and international expansion support.
The firm reports a portfolio of more than 50 companies spanning fashion and luxury (Skims, The Row, Glossier, The Reformation, Good American, Mejuri, Jacques Marie Mage, Danielle Frankel Studio, Universal Standard, Khy), beauty (Westman Atelier, Kosas, Half Magic Beauty, Reale Actives, Hawthorne, POV Beauty, Gloss Genius), wellness and health (Bathhouse, Hum Nutrition, Necessaire, Duos, Eon, Thirty Madison, Cerebelly), food and beverage (Alec's Ice Cream, BERO, Daily Harvest, Mila, Cann, Sweet Chemistry, Santo Taco, The Feed), home and lifestyle (Nordic Knots, Lore Bathing Club, Chachamatcha), pet care (Goose, Smalls, Safely, Sundays for Dogs), music and technology (Hook, Chord, Builder.io, Black Crow AI, ShiftSmart, Cafeteria), and e-commerce infrastructure (NuOrder, Pepper, Stripe). Investment cadence over 2024–2026 shows concentrated activity, including lead positions in Bathhouse ($35M, 2026), Nordic Knots (~$100M, 2026), and Alec's Ice Cream ($11M Series A, 2025), and co-investment in The Row (reaching $1B valuation, 2025), Westman Atelier ($15M, 2026), and Hook ($10M Series A, 2026).
The firm operates with a team of approximately 14 named investment and operations professionals led by Co-Founders Massenet and Brown, Partners Kelly Dill, Logan Langberg, and Andrew Maxman, plus CFO Scott Wilk, two VPs, and supporting associates and analysts. Revenue mechanics follow the standard venture model: management fees on committed capital (typically ~2%) plus performance-based carried interest (typically ~20% above hurdle). Specific fund sizes, AUM, and terms are not publicly disclosed; deal sourcing runs exclusively through founder networks and partner reputation rather than outbound sales or marketing channels.
Imaginary Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Imaginary Ventures
- Legal name
- Imaginary Ventures
- Website
- https://imaginary.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Imaginary Ventures is a New York-based venture capital firm founded in 2018 by Net-A-Porter founder Natalie Massenet and 14W's Nick Brown, investing early-stage capital in consumer brands across fashion, beauty, wellness, food & beverage, and select enabling technology.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Imaginary Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Media, Entertainment & Gaming Growth Equity (FSANACAI)
Keywords
Where Imaginary Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Imaginary Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Management Fees: VC firms typically charge 2% management fee on committed capital under management.
- Carried Interest (Carry): Performance-based carried interest from successful portfolio exits, typically 20% of profits above the hurdle rate.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Imaginary Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Imaginary Ventures is a New York-based venture capital firm that invests in and partners with iconic, early-stage consumer businesses and select enabling technology businesses. The firm provides capital investment, strategic guidance on brand building, international expansion expertise, and operational support to portfolio companies across fashion, beauty, wellness, food & beverage, home, and consumer-technology categories. It was founded in 2018 by Natalie Massenet and Nick Brown and manages a portfolio of 50+ companies.
Product overview
Imaginary Ventures is a venture capital firm that builds and partners with iconic consumer businesses and select enabling technology businesses. Founded in 2018 by Natalie Massenet and Nick Brown, the firm provides capital investment and strategic partnership to portfolio companies across diverse sectors including beauty, fashion, wellness, food & beverage, home textiles, and technology platforms. The investment platform focuses on identifying and scaling exceptional early-stage brands globally, offering portfolio companies access to operational expertise, industry connections, and growth capital.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Imaginary Ventures Investment Platform Venture capital fund that provides capital investment, strategic guidance, brand-building expertise, and international expansion support to early-stage founders building consumer businesses in fashion, beauty, wellness, food & beverage, and lifestyle, plus selective investments in enabling technology businesses. Customers are founders and companies seeking capital and operating partnership.
Quantifiable outcome
- Net-A-Porter grew to $1 billion business with minimal funding under Natalie Massenet's leadership
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Imaginary Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers52 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Imaginary Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Imaginary Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Imaginary Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lerer Hippeau: New York-based early-stage VC investing across consumer, media, and commerce. Comparable sector focus and stage, with similar fashion/beauty/lifestyle exposure.
- Plus Capital: Consumer-focused VC that co-invested with Imaginary Ventures in Bathhouse's $35M round. Direct comparable in consumer thesis and athlete/celebrity LP base.
- Silas Capital: Consumer-focused VC with portfolio spanning beauty, food, and lifestyle brands (e.g., Vital Proteins, Drunk Elephant historically). Comparable stage and category breadth.
- Female Founders Fund: Early-stage VC investing in consumer and enterprise tech with a strong consumer-brand lens. Comparable category focus and check size.
- Brand Foundry Ventures: Early-stage consumer investor that co-led Lucky Energy's Series A alongside Imaginary Ventures. Directly comparable in food/beverage and consumer brand focus.
- BBG Ventures: Early-stage fund focused on consumer and tech with female-founder lens. Overlaps Imaginary Ventures on consumer brand thesis.
- Forerunner Ventures: Consumer-focused early-stage VC firm with a portfolio spanning beauty, fashion, wellness, and digital commerce (e.g., Glossier, Ritual, Hims). Closest direct comparable to Imaginary Ventures in thesis, stage, and category mix.
- 14W Venture Partners: NYC consumer-focused VC where co-founder Nick Brown was previously a Partner. Direct comparable on thesis and prior portfolio overlap (Glossier, Warby Parker, The RealReal).
Emerging players
- True Beauty Ventures: Beauty-focused venture fund investing in emerging beauty brands. Overlaps with Imaginary Ventures' beauty thesis (Westman Atelier, Kosas, Half Magic, Reale Actives) but narrower category scope.
- Aria Growth Partners: Specialist consumer growth equity firm investing in premium brands. Adjacent at the growth stage of Imaginary Ventures' later-stage checks (e.g., Westman Atelier follow-on).
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Imaginary Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceImaginary Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Imaginary Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Imaginary Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Imaginary Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments99 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Imaginary Ventures
What does Imaginary Ventures do?
Imaginary Ventures is a New York-based venture capital firm that invests in and partners with iconic, early-stage consumer businesses and select enabling technology businesses. The firm provides capital investment, strategic guidance on brand building, international expansion expertise, and operational support to portfolio companies across fashion, beauty, wellness, food & beverage, home, and consumer-technology categories. It was founded in 2018 by Natalie Massenet and Nick Brown and manages a portfolio of 50+ companies.
Is Imaginary Ventures a public or private company?
Imaginary Ventures is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Imaginary Ventures founded?
Imaginary Ventures was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Imaginary Ventures based?
Imaginary Ventures is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Imaginary Ventures make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest (Carry).
Who are Imaginary Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lerer Hippeau, Plus Capital, Silas Capital, Female Founders Fund, Brand Foundry Ventures, BBG Ventures, Forerunner Ventures and 14W Venture Partners. Emerging players are True Beauty Ventures and Aria Growth Partners.
Does Imaginary Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Imaginary Ventures.
What industry is Imaginary Ventures in?
Imaginary Ventures's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAD, Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists), with a secondary code of FSANACAI, Media, Entertainment & Gaming Growth Equity. Its NAICS code is 5259.