Corazon Capital
Corazon Capital is a Chicago-based early-stage venture capital firm investing at pre-seed, seed, and Series A in AI-native consumer companies; founded in 2013 by Sam Yagan and Steve Farsht, it closed Fund IV at $100 million in March 2026 and operates from four U.S. cities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Corazon Capital does
Corazon Capital (operating as Corazon Group LLC) is a Chicago-based venture capital firm founded in 2013 by Sam Yagan (co-founder of SparkNotes and OkCupid; former CEO of Match Group and ShopRunner) and Steve Farsht (former General Partner at Norwest Equity Partners). The firm invests at the pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages with an explicit emphasis on AI-native companies built around enduring human behaviors across how people learn, connect, transact, work, and live. Its primary product is its venture capital funds, most notably Fund IV which closed at $100 million on March 31, 2026, and it generates revenue through standard VC economics of management fees on committed capital and carried interest on fund returns.
The firm operates an operator-led model, pairing deep consumer-internet operating experience (Match Group, Tinder, OkCupid, ShopRunner, Grindr) with hands-on investing. Corazon maintains a four-city investor footprint across Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York, and its ~11-person team includes Managing Partners Sam Yagan and Phil Schwarz plus recently promoted Partners Greg Johnston, Smriti Jayaraman, and Alison Stillman. Its go-to-market is relationship-driven, sourcing deals through founder networks, partner referrals, industry events (TechCrunch Disrupt, Milestone Momentum Summit), and ecosystem partnerships such as the Illinois Growth and Innovation Fund.
The portfolio spans 100+ companies across consumer tech, emerging tech, marketplaces, and commerce enablement, including scaled unicorns (Telnyx, TradingView), market-leading consumer brands (SpotHero, PrettyLitter, Bonobos, Bluecore), and next-generation platforms (Brilliant, Noble Mobile, Nara Organics, Coast, AllFly, Cerca). The firm is a Registered Investment Adviser and its distribution model is exclusively direct founder outreach via website, email, and partner networks rather than through any third-party channel.
Corazon Capital firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Corazon Capital
- Legal name
- Corazon Group LLC
- Website
- https://corazon.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Corazon Capital is a Chicago-based early-stage venture capital firm investing at pre-seed, seed, and Series A in AI-native consumer companies; founded in 2013 by Sam Yagan and Steve Farsht, it closed Fund IV at $100 million in March 2026 and operates from four U.S. cities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Corazon Capital industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital Fund Management
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Late-Stage Venture Capital (Series C+) (FSANAAAC)
Keywords
Where Corazon Capital is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Corazon Capital business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Venture Capital Fund Management: Corazon Capital manages venture capital funds (Fund IV is the fourth fund). Revenue generated through standard VC economics: management fees on committed capital and carried interest on fund returns. The firm is a Registered Investment Adviser; additional important information including Form ADV is available at the SEC's adviserinfo website.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Corazon Capital product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Corazon Capital manages venture capital funds that deploy capital and operator-led counsel into early-stage technology companies. Fund IV, closed at $100 million in March 2026, invests at the pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages with an emphasis on AI-native companies built around enduring human behaviors. The firm sells limited-partnership interests to qualified investors and earns revenue through management fees and carried interest.
Product overview
Corazon Capital (Spanish for "heart") is a Chicago-based venture capital firm (operating as Corazon Group LLC) that provides capital and operating support to founders at the pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages. The firm's primary product is its venture capital funds — most notably its recently closed Fund IV at $100 million — through which it invests in technology companies that leverage innovation to transform how humans learn, connect, transact, work, and live, with a particular emphasis on AI-native consumer companies built around enduring human behaviors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Corazon Capital Fund IV A $100 million early-stage venture capital fund announced in March 2026 that invests at the pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages with an emphasis on AI-native companies built around enduring human behaviors. Sold as limited-partnership interests to qualified investors under SEC Registered Investment Adviser oversight.
Quantifiable outcome
- $100M Fund IV final close (March 2026)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Corazon Capital
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Corazon Capital technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Corazon Capital partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Y CombinatorminorCo-investor alongside Corazon Capital in BoldVoice's $21M Series A (January 2026). Also accelerator of record for several Corazon portfolio companies.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Corazon Capital competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lerer Hippeau: New York-based early-stage VC investing across consumer, media, and enterprise at seed and Series A. Comparable stage, consumer tilt, and operator-investor model (founded by Ben Lerer and Eric Hippeau with operating backgrounds).
- Red Sea Ventures: NYC-based early-stage VC investing across consumer, marketplaces, and commerce. Comparable stage, consumer/marketplace focus, and seed/Series A approach.
- Female Founders Fund: Early-stage VC investing in consumer, enterprise, and fintech at seed with focus on female founders. Comparable seed-stage consumer focus and portfolio profile.
- Cowboy Ventures: Early-stage VC led by Aileen Lee focused on consumer and enterprise seed-stage companies. Comparable stage, founder-led brand, and consumer/digital focus.
- Initialized Capital: Early-stage VC founded by Alexis Ohanian and Garry Tan investing at seed and Series A with focus on founders across consumer, crypto, and frontier tech. Comparable operator-founder pedigree and early-stage consumer emphasis.
- Brand New Ventures: Early-stage consumer-focused VC investing in brands, commerce, and consumer-tech. Comparable thesis on consumer-tech and seed-stage investing.
- Forerunner Ventures: Early-stage consumer-focused VC based in San Francisco investing across commerce, brands, and consumer-tech. Directly comparable to Corazon on stage, consumer focus, and operator-led brand — Forerunner is one of the most established consumer-seed funds in the U.S.
- Betaworks: NYC-based early-stage startup studio and investor focused on consumer internet, media, and applied AI at the earliest stages. Comparable thesis on consumer-tech and AI-native companies built around new behaviors.
- BBG Ventures: Seed-stage VC focused on consumer and enterprise companies with diverse founding teams. Comparable stage, consumer emphasis, and operator-led model.
- Primary Venture Partners: NYC-based seed-stage investor focused on consumer, commerce, and enterprise software. Comparable stage, consumer/digital emphasis, and operator-friendly thesis.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Corazon Capital social profiles
Digital presenceCorazon Capital financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Corazon Capital leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Corazon Capital funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Corazon Capital M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments111 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Corazon Capital
What does Corazon Capital do?
Corazon Capital manages venture capital funds that deploy capital and operator-led counsel into early-stage technology companies. Fund IV, closed at $100 million in March 2026, invests at the pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages with an emphasis on AI-native companies built around enduring human behaviors. The firm sells limited-partnership interests to qualified investors and earns revenue through management fees and carried interest.
Is Corazon Capital a public or private company?
Corazon Capital is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Corazon Capital founded?
Corazon Capital was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Corazon Capital based?
Corazon Capital is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Corazon Capital make money?
One revenue line is on record: venture Capital Fund Management.
Who are Corazon Capital's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lerer Hippeau, Red Sea Ventures, Female Founders Fund, Cowboy Ventures, Initialized Capital, Brand New Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, Betaworks, BBG Ventures and Primary Venture Partners.
Does Corazon Capital have an API?
No public API is recorded for Corazon Capital.
What industry is Corazon Capital in?
Corazon Capital's product category is Venture Capital Fund Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAA, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed), with a secondary code of FSANAAAC, Late-Stage Venture Capital (Series C+). Its NAICS code is 52394 and its SIC code is 6282.