Investing in commerce and consumer startups, Interview with Smriti Jayaraman Kekre Principal at Corazon Capital.
Welcome to another episode of the Retail Tech Podcast, featuring an interview with Smriti Jayaraman Kekre is a Principal at Corazon Capital, a Chicago-based venture capital firm focused on early-stage investments in technology-enabled consumer products and services, retail enablement, and marketplaces.
Smriti joined Corazon in 2022, bringing over a decade of experience in advising and investing in leading technology companies across the country.
Our conversation focuses on Corazan Ventures' investment strategy, particularly their focus on early-stage tech companies that impact the human experience, including consumer tech, commerce enablement, and emerging technologies like AI.
We explore the current landscape for raising funds in these sectors, highlighting the importance of relationship building and a "do more with less" attitude for founders. Finally, the interview touches upon the concept of a business moat, emphasizing proprietary data or a unique understanding of the user experience, and the increasing role of human interaction in the evolving retail and e-commerce space.
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