Wildwood Ventures Expands Operations

August 17, 2023

Backed by VF Corporation, venture builder and investor announce a new investment, a new pitch competition, and the expansion to its advisory board

August 17, 2023 – Denver, Colo. /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ – Wildwood Ventures, a venture studio and early stage investor at the intersection of the outdoor and wellness economies, is pleased to announce several areas of expansion within the organization including its advisory board, a new and innovative start-up within its studio and a pitch competition designed to attract new organizations to work within its portfolio. Wildwood is backed by VF Corporation, one of the world’s leading owners of outdoor and active brands such as The North Face, Vans, and Timberland.

Founded in the spring of 2023, Wildwood Ventures, works on building and investing in consumer technology companies that make lives better while aiming to disrupt a $1 trillion U.S. outdoor and wellness market through new consumer tech businesses that deliver valuable human solutions to help people live healthier lives.

“Wildwood Ventures is thrilled to announce our rapid progress across many elements of our organization,” said David Wagner, Founder and Managing Partner. “Our team is passionate about supporting entrepreneurs, and to achieve this we’ve been working aggressively to expand our reach across the marketplace and fortify our internal team to ensure impact, deal flow, and momentum in 2023 and beyond.”

Wildwood launched with three early-stage companies, including Out & Back, Kinsa Active, and Roots.  The organization is excited to announce it has now added Chimani to its portfolio. Chimani is a consumer app that helps people maximize their experience and enjoyment of national and state parks across the United States.

Wildwood is also excited to announce it has partnered with Venture Fuel, the leading independent innovation advisory, helping the world’s best organizations commercialize innovation, to spearhead its new pitch competition. The competition is live and founders with big ideas interested in joining Wildwood’s studio are encouraged to investigate and participate. To learn more, simply use this link. “Partnering with Venture Fuel, a leader in innovation ecosystem development, will assist us in widening our net to meet more founders and we are thrilled to learn who applies for this program before its August 31^st deadline,” added Wagner.

In addition, Wildwood is extremely proud to add three new members to its advisory board:

• Kevin Bailey, Global Brand President for Vans
• Melanie Strong, Partner at Next Ventures
• Cassie Abel, Founder at Wild Rye

“We’re thrilled to have Cassie, Melanie, and Kevin join us. We’re confident their addition will accelerate our ability to serve founders well, build high-impact tech companies, and build a valuable portfolio for our investors,” said Jesse Marble, Founder and Partner.

Wildwood is backed by VF Corporation, a global leader in the market for outdoor and active lifestyles, whose portfolio includes marquee brands such as Vans, The North Face, Timberland, Dickies, Supreme, Altra, Smartwool, and Icebreaker. Wildwood leverages a unique venture studio model that allows it to both build and invest. Wildwood’s early-stage partnerships with start-ups provide hands-on skills in consumer insights, technology, and marketing to understand early product-market fit. The structure then allows for follow-on investments as start-ups build traction.