Investor Profile: Corazon Capital — Thesis, Cheque Size & How to Apply

If you are looking for Corazon Capital funding, you are looking at one of Chicago's most operator-heavy early-stage firms. Corazon Capital — Spanish for "heart" — is a Chicago-based venture fund that backs founders at the pre-seed, seed and Series A stages, and learning how to get funding from Corazon Capital starts with understanding its unusual pitch: it pairs capital with the kind of pragmatic, hands-on counsel that only people who have actually run big consumer companies can give.

Corazon Capital funding: thesis and investment focus

Corazon invests in companies using technology to transform human behaviour — how people learn, connect, transact, work and live. Its newest vehicle sharpens that thesis for the AI era: the firm says it invests in founders who use AI to amplify human potential rather than replace it, and its fourth fund leans into AI-native companies built around enduring human behaviours. The firm invests nationally, with investors based in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.

Fund size and cheque size

In March 2026, Corazon Capital announced the final close of Fund IV at $100 million. The fund invests at the pre-seed, seed and Series A stages. A specific cheque size for Fund IV is not publicly disclosed, and the firm has not published a standard cheque range, so founders should treat early-stage rounds led or co-led by Corazon as the relevant frame rather than assuming a fixed ticket.

Notable portfolio companies

Corazon's portfolio spans consumer and software names that most founders will recognise. It backs ubiquitous, market-leading consumer companies such as SpotHero and PrettyLitter, scaled unicorns such as Telnyx and TradingView, and next-generation platforms including Brilliant and Noble Mobile. Earlier coverage also links the firm to Songfinch, whose seed round Corazon led.

Partners and team

Corazon was co-founded by Sam Yagan and Steve Farsht. Yagan co-founded SparkNotes, eDonkey and OkCupid, and later served as CEO of Match Group through its IPO and as CEO of ShopRunner. Farsht was a general partner at Norwest Equity Partners and later co-CEO of Techstars Chicago. Managing partner Phil Schwarz, the former chief marketing officer of Tinder, leads much of the firm's growth thinking. Alongside Fund IV, the firm promoted Greg Johnston and Smriti Jayaraman to partner and named Alison Stillman, formerly a founding partner at Serena Ventures, as partner.

Programs, credits and perks

Corazon does not run a public accelerator programme or publish a credits package, so founders should not expect a standardised perk bundle. What it offers instead is operating support: unusually pragmatic, actionable counsel from partners who have founded companies and run public companies. For an early-stage founder, that operating bench is the real perk.

How to apply for funding

Corazon does not publish an open application form. The realistic route is a warm introduction through a portfolio founder, a co-investor or someone in the Chicago ecosystem, or a direct approach through the firm's website at corazon.com — the firm lists [email protected] for media enquiries. Come with a clear story about the human behaviour your product changes, and why AI makes that behaviour newly winnable.