Corazon Capital is a Chicago-based venture capital firm founded in 2014 by Sam Yagan and Steve Farsht. The firm is built around a team that previously built and ran category-defining consumer platforms including SparkNotes, OkCupid, Match Group, Tinder, ShopRunner, and Grindr. Corazon invests in AI-native companies built around enduring human behaviors, with a particular emphasis on the consumer application layer where AI interacts directly with end users.
Corazon backs founders using AI to reinvent core human behaviors: communicating, working, learning, and transacting. Rather than chasing infrastructure or LLM platform plays, the firm concentrates on AI-native products built around behaviors that have existed for generations, applying its team's direct operating experience in consumer to evaluate product-market fit, distribution, and monetization at the earliest stages.
Corazon Capital closed Fund IV at $100 million on March 31, 2026, matching the size of the firm's prior fund. The fund invests at pre-seed, seed, and Series A with check sizes ranging from $250,000 to $1.5 million.
Alongside the close, Corazon promoted Greg Johnston and Smriti Jayaraman from principal to partner, and added Alison Stillman, formerly founding partner at Serena Ventures, as a new partner. The firm has expanded beyond Chicago, with partners now operating in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York. Roughly 25% of investments remain Chicago-based.
Leadership
Sam Yagan is Co-Founder and Managing Partner. He co-founded SparkNotes and OkCupid, served as CEO of Match Group through its 2015 IPO, and led ShopRunner to its acquisition by FedEx in 2020. He chairs the boards of SpotHero and Voltage Park and previously served as a lead director of Grindr through its 2022 IPO. Steve Farsht co-founded the firm alongside Yagan. Phil Schwarz serves as Managing Partner. Greg Johnston and Smriti Jayaraman were promoted to partner in 2026. Alison Stillman, formerly founding partner at Serena Ventures, joined the firm as partner.
Investment Strategy
Corazon writes checks between $250,000 and $1.5 million at pre-seed, seed, and Series A. The team applies direct operator experience from building and scaling consumer platforms to evaluate AI-native companies at the earliest stages, with particular depth in product, distribution, and monetization for consumer software. The firm does not restrict to any single sector but maintains a clear orientation toward consumer applications and AI-native software.
Notable Investments
Corazon's portfolio includes AI-native companies focused on consumer behavior and applications:
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