Smriti Jayaraman Kekre

Early Stage Consumer Tech Investor and Advisor | Partner @ Corazon Capital | ex-Bain, Guild Capital, Evolv Ventures

📍 United States🔄 Updated September 2026💼 7 investments📅 7 years investing🗓 Last invested Sep 2024
VC🌍 United States
7
Total investments
1
Early stage
2
Mid stage
2
Late stage
7y
Years active

Portfolio

7 investments · sorted by recency
All investments
Early stage
Mid stage
Late stage
Board Observer
Sep 2024
Our mission is to strengthen the next generation by giving child care providers the support they need to succeed. Upkid supports child care providers by providing them with a network of licensed and background-checked substitutes to fill in for them when they need it most.
Board Observer
Jul 2024
Lifeforce was founded in Santa Monica, CA, by leaders in medicine, technology, science, entertainment, sport, and business, all united by a mission to improve the quality of midlife for ourselves and the people close to us. These chapters should be life at its best, with passions to pursue, goals to achieve, people to support, and places to explore. Yet, we’ve all struggled to find a single solution to understand how our bodies are changing, and get everything we need to keep feeling and performing at our best. We believe taking control of your life starts with taking control of your health, which is why we designed the first comprehensive proactive health program combining diagnostics, doctors, coaches, and science-backed therapies. You live your life. We manage your longevity.
Board Member
Aug 2023
Financial operating system for couples.
Board Observer
Oct 2022
Only USDA organic certified whole milk formula (no skim milk!)  Here to bring wholesome nutrition and delight to feeding.Pregnancy, baby & postpartum tracking with the Nara App.
Board Observer
Sep 2022
100,000+ custom songs delivered, 10,000+ 5-star reviews, and 1,000+ artists to choose from. Let’s turn your favorite memories and feelings into a radio-quality song. 🙌🤩
late stageMusicians
Investor
Jul 2022
Born out of a love for building startups and a passion for backing entrepreneurs with heart, Corazon Capital (Spanish for “heart”), a leading Chicago-based venture fund, brings a coastal approach to Seed and Series A investing. With a rare blend of investing experience and operating expertise, Corazon Capital provides unusually pragmatic, actionable counsel to the entrepreneurs it supports. Corazon Capital believes that the best entrepreneurs and the smartest VCs will intentionally solicit both financial and operating investors in their syndicates, with Corazon Capital recognized across geographies for its deep operating knowledge and reach inside and outside of Chicago.
Board Member
Oct 2019
Zippin is the leading expert in automating physical spaces through AI and computer vision. Our checkout-free technology powers more stores in sports and entertainment than all other providers combined. Premier events such as the Super Bowl, FIFA World Cup, NBA and MLB All-Star Games, and Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour have taken place at Zippin-powered sports venues. Zippin is consistently first to market with new checkout-free concepts such as Zippin Walk-Up, Zippin Lane, and Zippin Walk-Up Outdoor. We have the most flexible platform available, supporting multiple payment gateways, campus cards, mobile wallets, loyalty programs, and more. Our API framework lets retailers and partners extend our platform’s capabilities with unique experiences like self-serve draft beer. We help retailers reimagine their shopper experience by removing the friction of in-store shopping. We eliminate the checkout to give shoppers their time back and help retailers run their stores more efficiently with less demand for labor resources. Zippin is NOT self-checkout. Shoppers simply enter the store by swiping or tapping a credit card, take what they want, and zip out*. There’s no line, no kiosk, and no mobile app required. We are regularly recognized for our contributions, nominated in 2023 by Sports Business Journal for Venue Operations Tech of the Year and Tech Executive of the Year, recognized as an IDC Innovator for Computer Vision Automated Checkout, and winning SBJ’s 2022 Best Innovation award.
Experience · 11 entries
All (11)
Investments (7)
Board (6)
2024
Board Observer
Sep 2024
Our mission is to strengthen the next generation by giving child care providers the support they need to succeed. Upkid supports child care providers by providing them with a network of licensed and background-checked substitutes to fill in for them when they need it most.
Board Observer
Jul 2024
Lifeforce was founded in Santa Monica, CA, by leaders in medicine, technology, science, entertainment, sport, and business, all united by a mission to improve the quality of midlife for ourselves and the people close to us. These chapters should be life at its best, with passions to pursue, goals to achieve, people to support, and places to explore. Yet, we’ve all struggled to find a single solution to understand how our bodies are changing, and get everything we need to keep feeling and performing at our best. We believe taking control of your life starts with taking control of your health, which is why we designed the first comprehensive proactive health program combining diagnostics, doctors, coaches, and science-backed therapies. You live your life. We manage your longevity.
2023
Board Member
Aug 2023
Financial operating system for couples.
2022
Board Observer
Oct 2022
Only USDA organic certified whole milk formula (no skim milk!)  Here to bring wholesome nutrition and delight to feeding.Pregnancy, baby & postpartum tracking with the Nara App.
Board Observer
Sep 2022
100,000+ custom songs delivered, 10,000+ 5-star reviews, and 1,000+ artists to choose from. Let’s turn your favorite memories and feelings into a radio-quality song. 🙌🤩
late stageMusicians
Show all 11 entries ↓
Investment activity
2019–2024 · 7 investments
20191202232023120242
Recent (last 2 years)Earlier