Please welcome Corro, a best-in-show source for equine supplies and equipment
Meet Corro, the latest addition to Lerer Hippeau’s portfolio.
HQ: New York, NY
Team: Sophie Stenbeck (Cofounder), Monica McCourt (Cofounder), Dave Altarescu (CEO), Drew Rudebusch (COO)
The problem: Two million people own horses in the U.S., of which two-thirds make $75,000 or less per year. Although $20 billion is spent annually, the shopping experience is still largely driven by brick-and-mortar stores and in-person sales representatives. Before now, there has not been an easy and affordable solution to shop for horse care products all in one place online.
Corro’s solution: Corro is the trusted source for equine supplies for every horse and rider. Corro’s e-commerce platform brings together horse supplies, equipment, and merchandise from small and medium-sized manufacturers that historically have had limited distribution and visibility online. The platform gives broad distribution to these brands and solves the consumer pain point of cross checking prices and shopping at multiple offline retailers.
Origin story: Long-time equestrians Sophie Stenbeck and Monica McCourt founded the company in 2019 when they realized they shared the same frustrations when shopping for supplies for their horses. Sophie has diverse experience as a General Partner at Max Ventures, philanthropist, and in media and politics, where she started her career. Monica brings a background in design and deep understanding of riding culture. In 2020, they brought on Dave Altarescu as CEO and Drew Rudebusch as COO. Before Corro, Dave focused on marketing at companies including Anchor and Spotify. Drew gained e-commerce expertise at Zulily and Chewy. They joined together to build a Corro as the go-to source for horse enthusiasts.
Why we’re betting on it: The equestrian market has been overlooked as a niche, but at $20 billion in the U.S, it’s large and has been underserved from a tech perspective. With the success of traditionally offline farm supply retailers like Tractor Supply Company, it is clear that there is an opportunity to bring this vertical online. Moreover, the pandemic has accelerated the timeline for digital transformation in industries that have typically been deeply rooted in offline commerce.
Our take: The pet market has long been identified as a great place to build direct-to-consumer brands and the equestrian segment is no different. Horse owners are just as passionate about their horses as dog and cat owners, but they are not being served by modern platforms. With investments in pet tech, including Fi, Ollie, One Health, Small Door Veterinary, and more, we are bullish about the opportunity to support next generation brands in overlooked and underserved markets in the pet and animal space.
Learn about careers at Corro.
