EP 108: Luxury DTC Founder Chris Wichert: Raising $20M, Surviving DTC Collapse & Turnaround Exit

Chris Wichert raised roughly $20M to build a modern luxury sneaker brand, pitching Koio as the “Louis Vuitton for millennials.” After business school, he moved to New York and secured investors, including the Winklevoss twins, Founders Fund, and the founder of Aldo, scaling through press, retail experiments, and premium positioning.Then COVID hit. Retail revenue disappeared. Demand for dress sneakers collapsed. By early 2023, Koio faced roughly -$3M EBITDA in a market where DTC multiples had compressed and fundraising slowed dramatically.In this episode, Chris shares how they reset the business: cutting 40% of SKUs, reducing headcount by 70%, going remote-first, closing most stores, and removing $3M in costs without sacrificing revenue, returning the company to profitability.He also breaks down their exit process: running 200+ buyer conversations, navigating last-minute tariff-related deal risk, and ultimately selling to a Miami family office.If you’re a founder navigating scale, crisis, or exit timing, this episode offers a candid look at capital strategy, cost discipline, and realistic decision-making.What you’ll learn:Why early fundraising is about vision, not just numbersHow retail experiments validated a luxury DTC brandWhat happens when DTC multiples collapseHow to cut millions in costs without shrinking revenueWhy founders delay tough restructuring decisionsHow to run a disciplined, proactive M&A processRaising capital?Get a list of vetted VCs for FREE here: https://web.thunder.vc/list-of-investors-vcs-for-founders?utm_source=Youtube&utm_medium=EP+108&utm_campaign=%24100M+ExitsGet the latest fundraising insights, news, and tips: https://blog.thunder.vc/funding-101?utm_source=Youtube&utm_medium=EP+108&utm_campaign=%24100M+ExitsHere's what you're in for:00:00 Meet Koio Founder00:59 Why Raise Early Capital04:43 Retail Growth Playbook08:55 COVID Shock and DTC Reset15:51 Turnaround and Investor Realignment29:19 Choosing a Full Sale30:24 Building the Buyer Universe33:26 Tariffs Shake the Deal39:43 Founder Realism Shift52:43 Capital Traps and Exit AdviceABOUT CHRIS WICHERTChris Wichert is an entrepreneur and operator best known as the founder of Koio, a digitally native luxury sneaker brand built on craftsmanship and modern positioning. After raising ~$20M in venture capital, he scaled the business through retail expansion and premium brand building before navigating COVID and the broader DTC market collapse. Facing compressed multiples and a shifting capital environment, Chris led a full operational reset — cutting costs, restructuring the team, and restoring profitability — before successfully exiting to a family office. He now speaks and advises on capital strategy, turnaround execution, and proactive exit planning.You can reach out to Chris through:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-wichert1/Website: https://ccatalyst.co/ABOUT JASON KIRBYJason Kirby is co-founder of Thunder, a tech-enabled investment bank helping founders reach ideal outcomes through capital strategy and M&A. He is a serial entrepreneur with four exits and decades of experience in fundraising, M&A, and business building, having coached hundreds of entrepreneurs and transacted over $135M personally; Thunder has transacted over $200M+.You can reach out to Jason through:Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/ABOUT $100M EXITSMy goal is simple: equip founders with knowledge, inspiration, and guidance to navigate capital strategy by interviewing founders and investors who’ve done it. For most, a $100M+ exit is a dream; for others, cash flow or IPO matters. Founders doing over $5M in revenue benefit the most from this podcast.Be sure to subscribe and let me know who you want me to interview next.