Listen Ventures
Venture capitalActively deployingChicago · Seed–Series A · 11 people tracked
Also known as LISTEN LLC
Investment thesis
Listen is a consumer-obsessed venture capital firm that backs founders building disruptive brands positioned at the tipping point of behavioral shifts. The firm emphasizes deep listening and consumer insight as central to identifying and supporting emerging brands and companies shaping the future of how people live and consume.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 11 people
from public directories
What they invest in
from 10 of 28 portfolio companiesWellness & Fitness ×4Consumer ×3Digital Health ×3Healthtech ×3Creator Economy ×2Fintech ×2AgTech ×1AI & Machine Learning ×1
HQs:United States×13
Investments · 28 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathCarol Stream, US
John Mikulich(Executive Officer)Nathan Laurell(Executive Officer, Director)William Besenhofer(Executive Officer, Director)Besar Xhelili(Director)
BoardLindsay Levin(Director)
Board seatJeff Cantalupo· per SEC Form D · $3M raise · filed Jan 2026
Cafeteria is a platform that connects teens with brands for paid conversations and content creation opportunities.
AI & Machine LearningB2B MarketplacesConsumerCreator EconomyMarketing TechSocialNew York, US
Rishi Malhotra(Chief Executive Officer of the Issuer.)in
Chicago, US
Dustin Netral(Director)Jeff Cantalupo(Director)Craig Ulliott(Executive Officer, Director)Adam Goldenberg(Director)
Board seatJeff Cantalupo· per SEC Form D · $10.3M raise · filed Jul 2018
Chicago, US
JEFF CANTALUPO(Director)KIT DIETZ(Director)KELLSI BOOTH(Executive Officer)Jeffery David(Executive Officer, Director)JASON PRITZKER(Director)Mark Hanson(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatJeff Cantalupo· per SEC Form D
Austin, US
Michael Apostal(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardKent Bains(Director)Vikas Patel(Director)Vipul Khanpara(Director)
Board seatJeff CantalupoRick Desai· per SEC Form D · $14.9M raise · filed Feb 2025
Chicago, US
Jeff Cantalupo(Director)Anthony Florence(Director)Jason Pritzker(Director)George D Bousis(Executive Officer, Director)Jeremy Levine(Director)
Board seatJeff Cantalupo· per SEC Form D · $818.3K raise · filed Jun 2016
AgTechChicago, US
Henry Adams(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
Board seatJeff Cantalupo· per SEC Form D
Spokane, US
Callie Christensen(Chief Brand Officer)Kelly Oriard(Chief Therapeutic Officer)Suzanne Kolb(Chief Executive Officer)Mark Schneider(Chief Financial Officer)Adam Dreiblatt(Director)
BoardEdith Dorsen(Director)
Board seatRick Desai· per SEC Form D
Calm is a mental health app offering guided meditations, sleep stories, soundscapes, and stress-relief tools designed to help users manage anxiety, improve sleep, and build healthy habits for overall wellness.
HealthtechMental HealthWellness & Fitness
David Ko(CEO)
Brooklyn, US
Benjamin Aldridge(Executive Officer)Alexandra Fine(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Rick Desai(Director)
Beverage company backed by Listen, described as the future of drinking.
Jolie manufactures shower water filters designed to remove impurities before water contacts skin and hair.
ConsumerWellness & FitnessLos Angeles, US
ANN HSING(Executive Officer)DAVE BERAN(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)MICHAEL SIMKIN(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)AARON SIMKIN(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
KiwiCo creates hands-on creative project kits for children, helping families spend time building, exploring, and creating together.
ConsumerCreator EconomyEdTech
Sandra
Modern Pediatrics offers membership-based virtual pediatric care through text messages and video visits, plus in-home visits billed to traditional health insurance.
Digital HealthHealthtechWellness & Fitness
Own Up is a mortgage advisory platform that uses technology to help homebuyers evaluate lenders, understand affordability, and compare loan offers.
FintechPropTechBoston, US
Patrick Boyaggi(Co-founder & CEO)Mike Tassone(Co-founder & COO)Brent Shields(Co-founder & CTO)Michael Tassone(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Brian Spaly(Director)Rick Desai(Director)
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
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.
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Listen Ventures invest at?
- Listen Ventures invests at the Seed, Series A stages.
- What is Listen Ventures's typical check size?
- Listen Ventures typically writes checks of $1M – $10M.
- What sectors does Listen Ventures focus on?
- Listen Ventures focuses on Consumer, Enterprise Software, FoodTech, Media & Entertainment, SaaS.
- Where is Listen Ventures located?
- Listen Ventures is headquartered in Chicago, US.
- Does Listen Ventures lead rounds?
- Yes, Listen Ventures leads investment rounds.
From the blog
visit blog ↗Listen has published research on three consumer behavior shifts: hemp-derived THC beverage occasions driven by diverse consumer motivations, the complex lived experiences of midlife women and investment opportunities in serving them, and the potential of food as preventive medicine against chronic disease. AI summary
Images
Co-investors · 25
Chingona Ventures is an early-stage venture firm backing founders building businesses in rapidly changing, often overlooked growth markets.
Brand Foundry Ventures is a consumer product-only seed investor that focuses exclusively on "things you can see, touch, feel, and interact with" rather than software, targeting sustainable $250M-$750M outcome brands instead of chasing billion-dollar unicorns. The firm was born from Andrew Mitchell's successful angel investments in Warby Parker, Birchbox, Harry's, and Peloton, and maintains an unusually hands-on approach through their "People/Product/Pipeline" framework that requires founders to think as deeply about supply chain and margins as they do about design and marketing.
Yes VC is an early-stage venture firm that invests in category-defining companies at the pre-seed and seed stages.
Bessemer Venture Partners is a venture capital firm that partners with entrepreneurs from early stages through every stage of growth, publishing investment roadmaps across multiple technology sectors.
Accel is a venture capital firm that partners with exceptional founding teams, positioning itself as a first partner to startups globally.
New Enterprise Associates (NEA) is a venture capital firm that invests in and provides long-term support to founders building new companies.
Alumni Ventures (AV) is a venture firm that gives accredited individual investors access to professionally managed, diversified venture portfolios by co-investing alongside leading lead VC firms. It offers annual funds, syndicate deal-by-deal investing, and various investor clubs.
Uncork Capital is a seed-stage venture firm that backs founders at the earliest stage, before their potential is widely recognized.
Mayfield Fund is a venture capital firm publishing perspectives on artificial intelligence, focusing on what it calls the Collaborative Intelligence era where humans and AI work together.
FundersClub is an online venture capital firm run by startup founders and VCs based in Silicon Valley, providing portfolio companies with software tools and a global network to support their growth.
▶13 more co-investors
Flybridge Capital PartnersRed Swan VenturesNextGen Venture PartnersRenegade PartnersMarch Capital PartnersScribble VenturesHyde Park Venture PartnersmParticle1/1 CapitalKeiretsu CapitalPeterson Venture PartnersMuse CapitalVice Ventures
Firms observed investing alongside Listen Ventures, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Listen Ventures's recorded portfolio.
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