About Chicago Ventures
Chicago Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2012. It is primarily based out of Chicago, United States. As of Jul 2026, Chicago Ventures is an active investor, having invested in 111 companies, with 5 new investments in the last 12 months. It primarily invests in Seed round in United States based startups. Its investments are spread across a wide range of sectors from Enterprise Applications to Consumer and Retail. Most recently it participated in the $***** Series A round of Buildforce Overall, Chicago Ventures portfolio has seen 7 unicorns, 1 IPO and 31 acquisitions including key companies like Pluto TV, G2 and SpotHero. A lot of funds co-invest with Chicago Ventures, with names like Hyde Park Venture Partners sharing a substantial percentage of its portfolio. Chicago Ventures has team of 7 people including 3 partners.Key Metrics
Team Members
Portfolio Sectors
Portfolio Locations
Rounds of Entry
Seed, Series A & 5 more
Portfolio IPOs
Portfolio Soonicorns
Deals in last 12 months
Chicago Ventures' List of Top Investments
Chicago Ventures has a portfolio of 111 companies, including 7 unicorns. Their most notable investments are in PreparedHealth and Truss Holdings.Their portfolio spans across United States, Canada, Chile and 2 more locations. They have invested in Enterprise Applications, Consumer, Retail and 23 other sectors, across stages such as Seed, Series A and 5 more. Here is the list of top investments by Chicago Ventures:
1. Pluto TV
Provider of ad-supported video streaming platform. Provides live and on-demand VOD content under various categories including music videos, news reports, action sports, video game commentary, and more.
Key facts about Pluto TV
- Founded Year: 2013
- Location: Los Angeles (United States)
- Last Known Valuation: $*****
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $51.8M
- Employee Count: 670 as on Jun 30, 2026
- Investors: Luminari Capital, Scripps Networks Interactive and 16 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Oct 17, 2017, $*****
- Highlight: Acquired
2. G2
G2 provides a platform for users to share business software reviews. It allows users to collect and manage reviews based on various business insights. It enables users to manage live chat solutions, leverage crowd insights, and manage reviews from the customers.
Key facts about G2
- Founded Year: 2012
- Location: Chicago (United States)
- Valuation: $*****
- Stage: Series D
- Total Funding till date: $258M
- Employee Count: 1,507 as on Jun 30, 2026
- Investors: Emergence Capital, Chicago Ventures and 21 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series D, Jun 22, 2021, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
3. SpotHero
Provider of a platform for booking parking spots and related services. The platform allows users to search and reserve parking spaces. It offers options for hourly, daily, and monthly parking. The platform also provides booking capabilities through mobile applications and integration with vehicle dashboards.
Key facts about SpotHero
- Founded Year: 2011
- Location: Chicago (United States)
- Last Known Valuation: $*****
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $118M
- Employee Count: 296 as on Jun 30, 2026
- Investors: Union Grove Venture Partners, Insight Partners and 40 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series D, Aug 22, 2019, $*****
- Highlight: Acquired
4. Sunbit
Online platform for point of sale financing. It enables retailers to split a shopper's purchase into smaller payments. Customers get the option to choose from multiple repayment plans. It provides a tablet and a scanner for retailers/sales associates and provides training to store associates on its usage. Customers can keep track of the payments through the application.
Key facts about Sunbit
5. Project44
Provider of cloud-based cargo and supply chain visibility tracking solutions. It provides users with a platform that connects shippers and 3PLs to carriers through the integration of a transport management system. It enables users to pull carrier rate quotes, automate dispatch requests, track shipments, and pull images. It also offers visibility solutions such as carrier rating, workflow automation, tracking, and dynamic rate quotes. It provides solutions for industries such as retail, manufacturing, life sciences, food and beverage, and consumer goods.
Key facts about Project44
- Founded Year: 2014
- Location: Chicago (United States)
- Valuation: $*****
- Stage: Series G
- Total Funding till date: $912M
- Employee Count: 797 as on Jun 30, 2026
- Investors: Thoma Bravo, Sapphire Ventures and 26 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series G, Nov 03, 2022, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
Chicago Ventures' Year-on-Year Investment Trends
Chicago Ventures has invested in 111 companies over the last 14 years, with an average of 5 new investments annually in the last 10 years. In 2025, it made 4 investments, while as of Jul 2026, it has made 4 investments in this year. Its most recent first time investment was in Buildforce and most recent follow-on round was in GreenLite.Year | No. of Investments | ||
|---|---|---|---|
1st Round | Follow-on | Total | |
2026 (YTD) | 4 | 0 | 4 |
2025 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
2024 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
2023 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
2022 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
2021 | 8 | 5 | 13 |
2020 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
2019 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
2018 | 6 | 6 | 12 |
2017 | 9 | 3 | 12 |
Chicago Ventures' Investments by Stage
Chicago Ventures has made 52 investments in Seed stage with an average round size of $2.92M, 31 investments in Series A stage with an average round size of $6.49M and 5 investments in Series B stage with an average round size of $23M.Stage of entry | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Seed | 52 |
Series A | 31 |
Series B | 5 |
Unattributed | 2 |
Conventional Debt | 1 |
Others | 2 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Chicago Ventures' Investments by Sector
Chicago Ventures has a diverse portfolio, with companies operating in the Enterprise Applications, Consumer, Vertical SaaS, Retail and FinTech. Notably, it has invested in 100 Tech companies, 72 Enterprise (B2B) companies, 67 Software companies and at least 43 companies focusing on Consumer (B2C).Sector | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Enterprise Applications | 49 |
Consumer | 30 |
Vertical SaaS | 18 |
Retail | 12 |
FinTech | 11 |
Others | 82 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Chicago Ventures' Investments by Geography
Chicago Ventures has made most investments in United States (88), followed by Canada where it has made 2 investments.Country | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
United States | 88 |
Canada | 2 |
India | 1 |
United Kingdom | 1 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Chicago Ventures' recent investments
Chicago Ventures has made 4 investments in 2026 so far. Buildforce and Guthrie AI are the latest among them.Here are the most recent investments by Chicago Ventures:
Filter this listDate | Company | Location | Round Details | Round Amount | Co-Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jul 28, 2026 | United States | Series A | 1231 | ||
Jun 30, 2026 | United States | Seed | 9131 | - | |
May 05, 2026 | United States | Seed | 5804 | [+2] | |
Mar 06, 2026 | United Kingdom | Seed | 6749 | - | |
Nov 20, 2025 | - | Seed | 6230 |
Unicorns in Chicago Ventures' Portfolio
Chicago Ventures has 7 unicorns in its portfolio - Kin, Betterfly, M1 Finance and others. The most recent unicorn in their portfolio is Kin. It became a unicorn in 2023, 6 years after Chicago Ventures first invested in it.Here is a list of unicorns in Chicago Ventures' portfolio:
Tracxn Score | Company | Short Description | Founded year | Sector | Location | Company Stage | First Investment/ Acquisition Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
66 | Online platform for homeowner insurances for individuals | 2016 | Chicago | Series E | jxomvej | ||
62 | Platform offering employee health and well being solutions | 2018 | Santiago | Series C | fqapn{c | ||
73 | Provider of an investment and lending platform for securities | 2015 | Chicago | Series E | lqyevih | ||
79 | Platform for users to share business software reviews | 2012 | Chicago | Series D | bacwyqi | ||
75 | Provider of cloud-based cargo and supply chain visibility tracking solutions | 2014 | Chicago | Series G | ejylrxw |
IPOs and Publicly Listed companies in Chicago Ventures' Portfolio
1 of Chicago Ventures' portfolio company became public - Progressive Care. It got listed on the OTC Markets (OTCMKTS), in Mar 2011.Here are Chicago Ventures' portfolio companies that went public:
Company | IPO Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mar 28, 2011 | Jul 26, 2016 | Post IPO | 7518 |
Acquired companies in Chicago Ventures' Portfolio
31 companies from Chicago Ventures' portfolio have been acquired. The most recent acquisition was Dina in May 2026 by IHCS for $*****.Here are Chicago Ventures' portfolio companies that got acquired most recently:
Company | Acquisition Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
May 20, 2026 | 2017 | Seed | 6724 | |
Feb 23, 2026 | Aug 19, 2015 | Series B | 2754 | |
May 08, 2025 | Jul 11, 2016 | Series A | 2540 | |
Apr 09, 2025 | Aug 19, 2015 | Series A | 4530 | |
Feb 04, 2025 | Jun 14, 2012 | Seed | 4932 |
Team profile of Chicago Ventures
Chicago Ventures has a team of 7 members including 3 Partners and 2 Venture Partners located in United States. Chicago Ventures' team does not sit on the board of any company as of now.Here is a list of all team members in Chicago Ventures:
Name | Designation | Location | Board Memberships | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Partner | Chicago | - | - | |
Partner | Chicago | - | ||
Partner | Tiburon | - | - | |
Venture Partner | Chicago | - | - | |
Venture Partner | - | - |
Co-investors of Chicago Ventures
Over the past 14 years, 611 investors have co-invested in Chicago Ventures's portfolio companies. This includes funds and angels.
- Invested before Chicago Ventures: Techstars, Pritzker Group and 110 others have invested in rounds before Chicago Ventures. There are 5 companies where Techstars has invested before Chicago Ventures and 3 companies where Pritzker Group has invested before Chicago Ventures.
- Top Co-investors of Chicago Ventures: 212 investors entered a company along with Chicago Ventures. These include investors like Hyde Park Venture Partners (8 companies).
- Invested after Chicago Ventures: A total of 287 investors have invested in Chicago Ventures's portfolio after their investments. Top Investors include Pritzker Group (4 companies), Alumni Ventures (3 companies) and Insight Partners (2 companies).
Recent News related to Chicago Ventures
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Instaswitch Secures $4.7 Million in Seed Funding for Business Banking Activation InfrastructureGlobal Fintech Series•May 06, 2026•Chicago Ventures, , 8-Bit Capital, Better Tomorrow Ventures and 1 other
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Intelligent Legal Solutions Strikes $3M Seed FundingMassinvestor•Mar 10, 2026•Intelligent Legal Solutions, Chicago Ventures, Provision
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GreenLite Raises $49.5M Series B to Advance the Privatization of Construction Permitting with AI-Powered Solutionsintelligence360•Oct 04, 2025•Live Oak Ventures, Energize Capital, Insight Partners, Craft Ventures and 2 others
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GreenLite Raises $49.5M in Series B FundingFinSMEs•Sep 15, 2025•GreenLite, Live Oak Ventures, Energize Capital, Insight Partners and 2 others
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GoodShip Raises $25M to Accelerate the AI Era of Freight ManagementAccess Newswire•Aug 12, 2025•Greenfield Partners, GoodShip, FUSE, Ironspring Ventures and 4 others
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Entegrata Raises $4.5M To Further Its Mission To Transform Law Firm Data Analytics and Business IntelligenceLawnext•Mar 18, 2025•Entegrata, Chicago Ventures, , Relativity Technologies and 5 others
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OneRail Raises $42M in Series C FundingFinSMEs•Dec 04, 2024•OneRail, Aliment Capital, eGateway, Florida Opportunity Fund and 8 others
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OneRail raises $42 million backing for fulfillment orchestration techDC Velocity•Nov 22, 2024•OneRail, Aliment Capital, eGateway, Florida Opportunity Fund and 8 others
