Chicago · Pre-Seed–Seed · 9 people tracked
Also known as CHINGONA VENTURES MANAGEMENT LLC
Find your way into Chingona Ventures
2,666 people in our graph share verified history with the Chingona Ventures team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Investment thesis
Chingona Ventures invests in the next generation of founders operating in industries undergoing massive change, particularly where a founder's background uniquely positions them to build in overlooked growth markets. The firm concentrates on financial technology, the future of work, the future of learning, and health technology. It primarily backs pre-seed companies raising their first institutional round of capital, writing initial checks of $250K to $2M.
Source: firm website, verified Sep 15, 2026.
Team · 9 people
from the firm's website & curated & public directories
Founder mafia
2 people who came through Chingona Ventures went on to found or lead other companies.
What they invest in
from 38 of 47 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×16SaaS ×16Fintech ×12EdTech ×8Consumer ×6Enterprise Software ×5Digital Health ×4Healthtech ×4
HQs:United States×28United Kingdom×1
Investments · 47 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 32025 · 22024 · 32023 · 32022 · 52021 · 42020 · 323 dated
Betterleave provides wrap-around caregiver support and bereavement services—including coaching, text-based support, and support groups—delivered through providers and employers to help caregivers navigate end-of-life decisions and grief.
Digital HealthMental HealthWellness & FitnessAustin, US
Cara Abbott(Founder)inAndy Ambrose(Director)inCara McCarty(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatSamara Mejia Hernandez· per SEC Form D
Co-investorsEverywhere VenturesBread And Butter Ventures, LlcCoyote VenturesThe Fund
Cartwheel provides a software platform for restaurant delivery and order management, serving independent restaurants and multi-unit brands through their own delivery networks.
B2B MarketplacesFoodTechLogistics & Supply ChainSaaSLos Angeles, US
Alexander Vasilin(Founder)Dan Zamylin(Founder)inMagdim Metshin(Founder)inAlex(Co-Founder, CEO)
Co-investorsAct One Ventures37 AngelsEudemian VenturesMoonshots Capital
SafeHill is a cybersecurity company that combines AI and human ethical hackers to help security teams identify and prioritize real security exposures and attack paths.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareFircrest, US
Mike Pena(CEO/Founder)inHector Monsegur(Chief Research Officer/Founder)inNicholas Gonzalez(Chief Revenue Officer/Founder)in
Co-investorsTechstarsMucker Capital
Agency built AI products; the company announced it is being acquired by Klaviyo and winding down on August 31, 2026, with its team joining Klaviyo.
AI & Machine Learning
Elias TorresinLuke
Co-investorsArtisanal VenturesFelicis VenturesHubSpot VenturesMenlo VenturesArray Ventures Management LlcDatabricks Ventures
Beni is a search and discovery platform that aggregates 300 million secondhand deals across resale marketplaces, allowing consumers to find used items from their favorite brands at lower prices through web, mobile app, and browser extension.
Circular EconomyConsumerMarketplacesBrooklyn, US
Katharine Sanner(Executive Officer)
Co-investorsBetter Ventures Central LlcBuoyant Ventures Management, LlcXYZ Venture Capital
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Boom operates a leasing platform connecting property managers and renters through the full leasing process, from inquiry to approved resident.
FintechPropTechSaaSAustin, US
Rob Whiting(Co-founder & CEO)in
Co-investorsBungalow CapitalClocktower VenturesMischiefStarting LineThe Fund
Cartwheel delivers evidence-based mental health and clinical care services to students and families through partnerships with school districts.
Digital HealthEdTechHealthtechMental HealthCambridge, US
Joe English(Co-Founder and CEO)inDaniel Tartakovsky(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardHolly Maloney(Director)inGreg Yap(Director)inSteve Kupfer(Director)in
Co-investorsAble PartnersCraft VenturesGeneral CatalystMenlo VenturesBoxGroupMoonshots Capital+2 more
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Cartwheel is a browser-based AI platform that turns text, video and motion libraries into editable, rigged 3D character animation.
Alex Vasilkin(Founder)in
Co-investorsAccelCraft VenturesTIRTA VenturesHuman VenturesMoonshots CapitalRunway+2 more
Cartwheel delivers evidence-based mental health and clinical care services to students and families through partnerships with school districts.
Digital HealthEdTechHealthtechMental Health
Joe English(Co-Founder and CEO)in
Co-investorsWorkshop Venture PartnersAble PartnersAccelBoxGroupCraft VenturesGeneral Catalyst+8 more
Co-investorsCherryrock CapitalHyde Park Venture Partners
Chord provides a unified data layer and AI agents for commerce brands, combining reliable data infrastructure with autonomous tools that operate across the full business stack.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureE-commerceMarketing Tech
Bryan Mahoney(CEO & Co-Founder)inHenry Davis(President & Chairman)in
Co-investorsAlleyCorpBright Pixel CapitalEqual VenturesIntercept VenturesRidge VenturesAlley Robotics Ventures+2 more
Ciphero provides a deterministic security layer that lets security teams observe, audit, and verify AI interactions across models, agents, and machines.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityDeveloper Tools
Rob Gross(Founder)inSen Tian(Founder)inSaoud Khalifah(Founder)in
Co-investorsEverywhere VenturesPropeller Inc.Sovereigns Capital Venture
FintechHealthtechInsurTechChicago, US
Co-investorsNew Age CapitalTechstarsPivotal Ventures
Crate builds a personalization layer for AI systems that learns user preferences and intent from content engagement, enabling AI to make more contextually relevant predictions and recommendations rather than relying on clicks or broad algorithms.
AI & Machine LearningSaaSTarzana, US
Dessy Levinson(Founder)inAnna Bofa(Founder)inAdam Levy(Executive Officer, Director)Joseph Iny(Director)
Co-investorsBase Venture Management, Inc.MaC Venture CapitalUpfront VenturesSlauson & Co.
Dame designs and engineers sexual wellness products, including vibrators and other sex toys, developed in-house with input from a clinical board.
Direct to ConsumerFemTechWellness & FitnessBrooklyn, US
Alexandra Fine(Co-founder)inJanet Lieberman(Co-founder)inBenjamin Aldridge(Executive Officer)
BoardRick Desai(Director)in
Co-investorsAssembled BrandsigniteXL VentureJoyance PartnersListen Ventures
EarlyBird offers UGMA custodial investment accounts that let parents and family members invest on behalf of a child, with funds usable for education, a home down payment, starting a business, or other purposes.
ConsumerFintechSaaS
Co-investorsChicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV)JourneyOne VenturesRareBreed VenturesResilienceVCAlumni VenturesFiat Ventures+1 more
Finix provides embedded payments infrastructure for software platforms, acting as an outsourced PayFac (PayFac-as-a-Service) with end-to-end payments technology, compliance and risk management, merchant onboarding, and reporting tools.
Data & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Richie Serna(Founder)inSean Donovan(Founder)in
Co-investorsInsight PartnersInspired CapitalLightspeed Venture PartnersAcrew CapitalCap Table CoalitionCiti Ventures+13 more
Optibot is an AI-powered code review platform that provides engineering managers and CTOs with real-time visibility into PR cycle time, DORA metrics, AI code adoption, and sprint health by analyzing GitHub and GitLab activity.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Co-investorsAct One VenturesMindshift Capital
heyC builds AI-powered training and real-time support tools that help employees learn and develop skills in their everyday workflow rather than through traditional workshops.
AI & Machine LearningEdTechHR Tech
Shaily Baranwal(Founder & CEO)in
Co-investorsCorazon Capital
Hologram provides global IoT connectivity solutions that simplify device management and reduce costs for businesses deploying internet-connected devices across multiple countries.
HardwareIoTSaaSChicago, US
Benjamin Forgan(Executive Officer, Director)inPatrick Wilbur(Executive Officer, Director)Anne Rosen(Executive Officer)
BoardNick Solaro(Director)in
Co-investorsBullpen CapitalCapital Midwest FundConvergeDrive CapitalFounders Circle CapitalGutbrain Ventures+9 more
Honey Homes pairs households with dedicated, vetted handymen to manage home maintenance and upgrades through a technology platform.
B2B MarketplacesConsumerPropTechSaaSOakland, US
Vishwas PrabhakarainAvantika PrabhakarainVanti Prabhakara
Co-investorsAngel Collective Opportunity FundEra VenturesFlybridge Capital PartnersGaruda VenturesKhosla VenturesRecall Capital+2 more
Hoop builds AI agents that help individuals and teams manage context, prioritize what matters, and follow through on work spread across email, chat, meetings, and documents.
AI & Machine LearningE-commerceFuture of WorkSaaSNew York City, US
Brian Schmidt(Co-founder, Operations, Finance & Legal)inJustin Gallagher(Co-founder, Product, Engineering & Design)inStella Garber(Co-founder, Go to Market)in
Co-investorsIndex VenturesOrigin VenturesDivergent CapitalVenture Guides Management, L.P.Y Combinator
iAsk AI is a free AI-powered search engine that answers user questions with instant, source-backed responses without storing user data.
AI & Machine LearningEdTechSaaS
Brad F.(Founder)in
Co-investorsChicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV)Corazon Capital
Innovare offers Inno, a strategic intelligence platform for schools that connects data sources such as attendance, assessment, and student support into one workspace.
AI & Machine LearningEdTechSaaSChicago, US
Fernando DeLeón(Founder)inNicholas Freeman(Executive Officer)Adrian DeLeon(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardMarcos Gonzalez(Director)in
Co-investorsCleveland AvenuePortfoliaPropellant VenturesTAWANI VenturesVamosVentures
Leaf Trade is a B2B marketplace platform connecting cannabis cultivators and dispensaries for wholesale transactions.
AgTechB2B MarketplacesFintechSaaS
Co-investorsArtemis Growth PartnersHyde Park AngelsLeaps by Bayer
Linker Finance provides an end-to-end digital account opening and onboarding platform for banks, handling KYC, fraud verification, core system account creation, funding, and customer communications.
FintechSaaS
Alejandro Corpeño(Founder)in
Co-investorsFf Venture Capital
Linker Finance provides digital banking technology for community financial institutions to enhance customer relationships and serve business customers.
Enterprise SoftwareFintechInsurTechSaaSPasadena, US
Jorge Garcia(Founder & CEO)in
Co-investorsTechstarsAudaz CapitalTenOneTen Ventures
Lirvana Labs offers Yeti (including Yeti Confetti Kids and an AI Co-Pilot), an AI-powered K-5 learning platform that personalizes instruction, supports bilingual/dual-language teaching, and provides progress data for teachers and administrators.
AI & Machine LearningEdTechSaaSMenlo Park, US
Christie Pang(Founder)
LuminX builds a visual AI layer for warehouse operations, using slim edge units that read every pallet as it moves to create a real-time digital twin of the dock.
AI & Machine LearningHardwareLogistics & Supply ChainRoboticsSan Francisco, US
OutRival is a no-code AI platform that enables non-technical customer experience teams to create and deploy AI solutions including chatbots, voice agents, and workflow automation for customer interactions.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareInsurTechSaaSMiami, US
Ruben A. Harris(CEO & Co-Founder)inTimur Meyster(Founder)in
Co-investorsY CombinatorInitialized CapitalBronze InvestmentsNecessary VenturesOpen Opportunity Fund
Scout provides financial advisory and wealth management services for college athletes, particularly those benefiting from NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) opportunities.
Fintech
Michael Haddix Jr(Founder)in
Co-investors125 VenturesAusum VenturesJ4 VenturesMoai CapitalOUTBOUND CAPITALSymphonic Capital+1 more
Sigo Seguros is a digital auto insurance agency that lets customers compare quotes from multiple insurers online and buy a policy in Spanish, with or without a US driver's license.
FintechInsurTech
Nestor Hugo Solari(Founder)in
Co-investorsKern Venture GroupNewlin VenturesRemarkable VenturesBlockchain Founders FundFiat VenturesListen Ventures+1 more
Suma Wealth provides AI-powered financial coaching through chatbot assistants that help users budget, track spending, and build savings with personalized advice available in English and Spanish.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerFintech
Beatriz Acevedo(Founder)in
Co-investors2045 VenturesBackstage CapitalFemale FoundersHow Women InvestPortfoliaRadicle Impact+5 more
Teal provides telehealth healthcare services for people assigned female at birth, offering virtual care without traditional in-office procedures.
Digital HealthFemTechHealthtech
Co-investorsFelicis VenturesHalogen Ventures Management Company LlcMetrodora VenturesSerena VenturesInflect HealthLerer Hippeau+2 more
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Tendrel is a manufacturing operations platform that connects existing plant systems (MES, CMMS, historians, quality systems) and uses AI to answer operational questions and flag production issues before they cost the business.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureSammamish, US
Esteban Reyes(Director)Karsten Kell(Executive Officer)Mark Keller(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardAkash Nandi(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsBread And Butter Ventures, LlcMoment Ventures, LlcSUPPLY CHANGE CAPITAL
Plasma is a financial technology company offering Plasma One, a stablecoin-based account and Visa card that supports USD₮ transfers, cashback, and yield through third-party DeFi protocols.
Crypto & Web3FintechLondon, GB
Co-investors1/1 Capital6th Man VenturesBeni Venture CapitalMercury FundMirana VenturesPharsalus Capital+9 more
A weekly podcast featuring deep dives into vertical AI, with founders and VCs discussing what it takes to build and scale such companies.
AI & Machine LearningMedia & Entertainment
Co-investorsEuclid Venture PartnersAlpha Square GroupAlumni VenturesAUDEO VENTURESEmergence Capital PartnersFIRST ORDER+8 more
Viva provides a resident benefits app that bundles services such as 24/7 telehealth, bilingual K-12 tutoring, high-yield savings, rent reporting for credit building, and homebuying grants for renters and households across the U.S.
ConsumerFintechPropTechEdinburg, US
Co-investorsAtlanta Technology AngelsRevUp CapitalTechstars
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
Papaya Tutoring ServicesSuma Wealth, Inc.BeaglelabsMeilitechnologiesSuma WealthViva
Rows marked “SEC filing” are inferred from directors named on the company's SEC Form D — public regulatory data, not a portfolio list published by the firm.
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Cartwheel · whig.com · Aug 27, 2026
Boom · commercialobserver.com · Aug 18, 2026
Scout · postandcourier.com · Aug 16, 2026
Chord · marketbeat.com · Jul 16, 2026
Linker Finance · infotechlead.com · Jul 15, 2026
Linker · finsmes.com · Jul 14, 2026
OutRival, Inc. · ycombinator.com · Jun 26, 2026
Leaf · upstream.ag · Jun 13, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Chingona Ventures made?
- Chingona Ventures has 47 tracked investments, 2 of which have exited, including 7 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Chingona Ventures invest at?
- Chingona Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What is Chingona Ventures's typical check size?
- Chingona Ventures typically writes checks of $250K – $2M.
- What sectors does Chingona Ventures focus on?
- Chingona Ventures focuses on Digital Health, EdTech, Fintech, Future of Work, Healthtech, Wellness & Fitness.
- Where is Chingona Ventures located?
- Chingona Ventures is headquartered in Chicago, US.
- Does Chingona Ventures lead rounds?
- Yes, Chingona Ventures leads investment rounds.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamStartup Superhero: Samara Mejia Hernandez, Founding Partner at Chingona Ventures | Stacklist
Samara Mejia Hernandez · stacklist.app
Chingona Ventures' Samara Mejia Hernandez
Startup Cuba · Samara Mejia Hernandez
Co-investors · 32
Techstars is a startup accelerator and early-stage investor that funds ambitious founders and provides capital, mentorship, and access to a global network of investors, operators, and corporate partners.
VamosVentures is a mission-driven venture firm backing early-stage founders building disruptive technology solutions, with an emphasis on diverse, Latinx, female, and immigrant/first-gen-led companies.
Everywhere Ventures is an early-stage venture firm, backed by a community of founders and operators as LPs, that writes early checks (including pre-seed) into startups across many sectors and geographies.
Backstage Capital is an investment firm focused on supporting underrepresented founders. It publishes a weekly newsletter, The Mixtape, sharing news, opportunities, and stories for these founders.
Female Founders Fund is a venture capital firm that invests in female-founded companies building category-defining businesses across sectors, backed by a strong founder community.
Listen Ventures is a consumer-focused venture capital firm founded in 2010 that partners with founders to build disruptive brands amid shifts in consumer behavior.
Sequoia Capital is a venture capital firm that partners with founders to build technology companies.
General Catalyst is a venture capital firm operating as a partnership focused on company building and accelerating the growth of the businesses it backs.
Index Ventures is a multi-stage venture capital firm that backs companies from Seed to IPO and beyond, including through its dedicated seed fund Index Origin.
Ulu Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm focused on finding and funding early-stage founder teams, emphasizing diversity and data-driven investment decisions.
Array Ventures is a pre-seed and early-stage venture capital firm that invests in founders building enterprise software and AI companies, offering hands-on support such as helping with business development and reaching a second wave of customers.
Hyde Park Venture Partners (HPVP) is an early-stage venture fund investing in AI, software, and tech-enabled services companies connected to the Midwest, Toronto, or the Southeast.
▶20 more co-investors
Origin VenturesDivergent CapitalSUPPLY CHANGE CAPITALZeal Capital PartnersAusum VenturesEudemian VenturesFundersClubC2 InvestmentsPareto HoldingsGaingelsPropeller VCConvictionLightShed Venturessuper{set}10x GenomicsANIMO VenturesGanas VenturesOVO FundVSC VenturesFirebrand Ventures
Firms observed investing alongside Chingona Ventures, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Chingona Ventures's recorded portfolio.
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