FirstLook

Brian Folmer is deeply passionate about helping founders secure the capital they need to build their dream companies. Recognizing the challenge consumer brands face in connecting with early-stage investors, Brian founded FirstLook and FirstLook Ventures to bridge that gap. FirstLook is a private, early-stage investor community that offers a unique, tangible experience: members receive a monthly box of emerging, high-growth consumer brands to test, experience, and then directly invest in—it's "Shark Tank in a box." Expanding on this vision, FirstLook Ventures is a syndicate group that focuses on later-stage, high-potential consumer brands, writing average checks of $500K in Series A and B rounds. Brian is actively redefining how investors discover and fund the next generation of breakout CPG companies. Inside the Episode: How the "Shark Tank in a box" concept for FirstLook was born to create a better investment discovery process. The differences between investing in early-stage consumer brands via the FirstLook community versus the later-stage FirstLook Ventures syndicate. What founders of emerging brands need to know when preparing to raise capital from unique investor groups like FirstLook. Connect here! This podcast episode was made possible by Hummingbirds — the go-to platform built for creator-powered retail activations—connecting everyday creators with CPG brands to spark shelf-level awareness, drive in-store momentum, and generate authentic content in the markets that matter most. Learn more! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Try it free for 30 days at tryglimpse.com/trial.