Forerunner Ventures
Forerunner Ventures is a venture capital firm that invested in Known, a dating app with a pay-per-date model.
Maintained by the High Intent newsroom. Last updated July 31, 2026. Led by founder and CEO Bill Alena, backed by a team of industry experts with over 100 years of online dating experience between them.
Forerunner Ventures: key facts
- Website
- forerunnerventures.com
What Forerunner Ventures does
Forerunner Ventures is a venture capital firm. The firm was a participant in a $10 million funding round for Known, a dating application. This investment supports Known's distinct revenue model, which charges users for confirmed first dates rather than through subscriptions. The investment highlights a focus on new approaches within the online dating market. Forerunner Ventures' backing of Known indicates an interest in companies that challenge established industry practices. Known's model charges users $15 only when a date is booked and accepted, which differs from the subscription-based revenue streams of many existing dating apps. This approach aims to align the app's success with users successfully meeting in person.
Questions operators ask about Forerunner Ventures
Forerunner Ventures invests in companies that innovate within their respective sectors. Their investment in Known suggests an interest in business models that disrupt traditional dating app revenue streams, such as the pay-per-confirmed-date approach, aligning success with user outcomes rather than prolonged app usage.
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