Tech & Funding
Argentina Will Require Solvency Proof From Crypto Firms After FTX Debacle
Argentines are among the biggest adopters of crypto in the region, in part due to stringent currency controls and annual inflation of almost 100%
English
Colombia’s Rappi Refutes Rumors of Sale to DoorDash, Focuses on Profitability
The Colombian unicorn’s managing director tells Bloomberg Línea about the company’s plans and the backlash it has faced from some restaurants in the country
Startups
Rounds of the Week: Juvo, Yave and Transfeera Secure Funds
2022 was a record year for early-stage startups in Latin America, and in the first month of 2023 the ‘early’ investment trend looks set to continue
English
Brazil’s Lemann, Fellow Billionaires Worth $123 Billion Buy Stake In Kushner’s Thrive
The investment in Jared Kushner’s brother VC firm represents a collection of some of the richest people from across the globe
English
Colombian Startup KLYM Raises $27M, Targets Latin America Expansion
According to KPMG, global venture capital investment dropped for the fourth consecutive quarter between October and December of last year
English
Spanish Edtech Unicorn Domestika Downsizes Latin America Operations
The cuts have affected local production offices in Brazil, Peru, Chile and Argentina, Bloomberg Línea has found
English
Mexican Internet Association Names New Leadership Amidst Reports of Bad Management
Analí Díaz Infante takes on the role following controversy surrounding her predecessor’s exit, and which resulted in the resignation of most of the association’s advisory board members
Why We May Not See More Latin American Tech Companies Go Public this Year
Colombia’s Merqueo has begun proceedings before the SEC to launch an IPO, as the latest tech company from the region venturing into the NYSE, but going public may not always be the right path for a startup
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News in English
Rounds of the Week: Piwi, Scaleup, Typcal, BioEsol and Smart Break Raise Funds
Bloomberg Línea rounds up the Latin American startups that received funding this week
News in English
Why Microsoft Is Making a Strategic Bet on Supply Chains
Charles Lamanna, corporate VP of applications and business platforms at Microsoft, talked to Bloomberg Línea about the tech giant’s new product
News in English
Brazilian Unicorn Loft Denies Receiving Down Round
The Brazilian proptech is said to have received a fresh injection of funding from Andreessen Horowitz, and which allegedly reduced its valuation by 65% to $1 billion
Startups
Rounds of the Week: Talently, Flourish and Klavi Raise Funds
While late-stage enterprises are struggling with valuations and a shortage of capital, early-stage startups continue to capture investment
News in English
Ripio Lands in the US, Aims to Lure Latinos
The Argentine crypto exchange admits that the 'crypto winter' will last a while, but believes it has the tools to continue growing despite the headwinds
News in English
Exclusive: Argentina’s Lemon Cash Received Investment From Failed Crypto Exchange FTX
The crypto exchange that filed for bankruptcy in the US participated in an extension of the Argentine company’s Series A round, and Lemon Cash in turn invested in FTX, the fintech’s CEO Marcelo Cavazzoli has confirmed to Bloomberg Línea
Startups
Rounds of the Week: Early-Stage Rounds Keep Pushing LatAm’s Startup Segment
Tul, Fácil Consulta, Trii, Trully were some of the Latin American startups that received funding this week
News in English
Two Years Since Launching, Pix is the Most-Used Payment Method in Brazil
In February of this year, Pix overtook credit card payments and became the main type of payment in the South American country
News in English
Fintechs in Dominican Republic Set for Strong Growth, Seek to Create Regional Hub
Fintechs are behind the big strides in digitalization services being taken by the country’s banking sector
Startups
Rounds of the Week: N1co, Liti, Perfekto and Leapr Secure Funding
Fintech, healthtech, foodtech and metaverse are the industries that raised seed-stage capital in Latin America this week
News in English
LatAm Software, Payments Startups a Good Investment Option, dLocal’s Sergio Fogel Says
The co-founder of Uruguayan fintech unicorn dLocal sees opportunities to invest in Latin American startups providing business software and payments services even as capital becomes scarcer and more demanding
Startups
Rounds of the Week: Beep, Zerezes and Aerialoop Capture Capital
This year looks set to be a record year for seed-stage investment in Latin America, as the amount invested outpaces that of 2021
News in English
How a Quarter Bereft of Unicorns Bodes Badly for Latin American Startups
There are 47 “soonicorns” in the region that are awaiting more funding rounds to reach unicorn status
News in English
Brazil’s Origami Nails $30M Valuation With Bloomberg Beta-Led Seed Round
Rio de Janeiro-based co-founder Matt Voska says Origami wants to be the Y Combinator of decentralized autonomous organizations
News in English
Rounds of the Week: Franq, Faster, Vixtra and Nopalera Raise Funds
After a record 2021, venture capital investment in Latin America is “returning to pre-pandemic levels,” according to LAVCA
Startups
Brazilian Beef Giant Minerva’s VC Arm Extends Startup Liv Up’s Series D
On reopening the latest round for Minerva’s minority check, the total raised by the frozen food startup was about $48 million
Startups
Rounds of the Week: Kukun, Lara AI and Traive Among LatAm Startups to Raise Funds
Brazil and Mexico continue to attract more capital in the region, according to the latest report from Transactional Track Record
Startups
Artificial Intelligence Enters the Mainstream as More AI Startups Become Unicorns
Coatue invested in two newly minted AI unicorns this week: Stability AI, which makes digital art, and Jasper, which provides content through robots
Startups
India-based Startup Byju’s Raises $250M Following Losses, Layoffs
New capital injection aims to help India’s most valuable startup become profitable by March 2023 following financial losses and layoffs
Startups
Latin American Startups Face Risk of Unsustainable Valuations As Funds Get Tight
Analysts consulted by Bloomberg Línea foresee a drop in the rate of investment in startups in the region, but which is expected to bounce back when the capital markets recover
Startups
Rounds of the Week: VC Funding in Latin America Falls for Fifth Straight Quarter
Latin American startups received $1.1 billion in the third quarter; this week Arch, Zulu, Fidu, and Vozy raised rounds
News in English
Colombia’s Foodology Raises $50M With Funds from Maluma, Abu Dhabi’s Chimera
With around $185.4 million raised in recent years, foodtech is emerging as one of the most dynamic startup segments in Colombia
News in English
Rounds of the Week: Tipspace, Minteo and Solvento Secure Investment
Latin American startups in the gaming, NFT and fintech for logistics sectors raised their first millions this week
Startups
Rounds of the Week: Funding Still Flowing into Latin American Startups
Brazilian startups Ali and Cortex raised funds this week, with a Series A and a Series C
Startups
SoftBank Axes 18% of Vision Fund Staff in Latin America
Junior investors and staff from the operations team are being affected by the Japanese conglomerate’s cost-cutting policy in Latin America
English version
SoftBank Eager to Keep Investing in LatAm, But Startups Are Delaying Fundraising
Rodrigo Costa, a partner at the investment bank, says he hopes to announce new investments soon
English version
Why Are Latin American Unicorns Opting for Debt Over Venture Capital?
Clara, Clip, Kavak and Konfio are some of the billion-dollar companies that have resorted to contracting debt to spur their growth
English version
Rounds of the Week: Solfácil Secures $30M Series C Extension
Solfácil extended its Series C by $30 million, while startups such as Sugo Company, Heru and HelloSafe also raised rounds
English version
Why Has Kavak, Latin America’s Most Valuable Unicorn, Chosen the Debt Route?
The used-vehicle sales platform has signed loan agreements with HSBC, Goldman Sachs and Santander, which the startup says will be used to grow its inventory
Startups
Rounds of the Week: Vidia, Carvuk and DolarApp Raise Funds
Early-stage Latin American startups remain attractive to hedge funds and angel investors
English version
Mobile Banking Startup Majority, Serving Immigrants in US, Closes $37.5M Series B
The financing comes just nine months after the company’s Series A, bringing total capital raised so far to $83.5 million
English version
Wall Street Firms Boost Lending to Latin America Startups
Banks including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Citigroup Inc. are stepping in with loans as Latin American startups face shrinking public valuations that make equity sales less attractive
English version
EXCLUSIVE: Investors See End to IPO Drought in Brazil
Directors at JP Morgan and General Atlantic are optimistic that, with falling inflation next year, and once the elections are behind us, there will be a revival of primary and secondary offerings
Tech & Funding
Danish Startup Podimo Raises $59 Million to Expand Its Podcasts, Reach New Markets
The company already has a big presence in Europe and Latin America
Startups
Brazil’s Bravium Raises $19M from Bridge One in New Merger Structure
The B2B and B2C company is merging with Satelital and Atrus to grow commerce and loyalty programs in Latin America
English version
Why Fewer Colombian Startups Are Striving for Unicorn Status
Entrepreneurs were obsessed with large investment rounds and rapid growth for years before the startup segment received a cold shower of reality
Startups
Brazilian Former Central Bank Chief Invests in Gene Bank Startup
Armínio Fraga and Eduardo Mufarej, former CEO of Tarpon Investimentos, are putting $2 million into gen-t
Startups
Rounds of the Week: Healthtech, Foodtech and Fintech Capture Funds
Latin American early-stage startups that received investments this week include Cuéntame, b4waste, Magis5, Credix, Draftea and Haro
Startups
Wall Street Banks Funding More Startups in Latin America
Chile’s Xepelin has obtained a credit line of $140 million from Goldman Sachs, in a fundraising move similar to that received by other unicorns in the region
Tech & Funding
Fintech Xepelin Gets $140 from Goldman Sachs to Finance a Mexico Expansion
The company, which also operates in Chile and may expand to other nations, has a goal of reaching 1 million clients by 2025 from 15,000 now
Former SoftBank COO Marcelo Claure Invests in Credix’s Series A
Besides Claure, Itaú's president in Latin America, Ricardo Villela Marino, put his stake in the blockchain credit origination fintech
English version
Less Global Liquidity Impacts Investment in Argentine Startups
Argentina has seen a drop in the number and volume of transactions compared with the first half of 2021, while one-quarter of deals were in companies with a social impact
Startups
LatAm Fintech Challenger R2 Raises Series A Featuring Adam Neumann’s Family Office
Google’s Gradient Ventures and Adam Neumann’s family office are some investors backing the new fundraising that values R2 at $100 million
Tech & Funding
Rounds of the Week: Venture Capital Keeps Flowing into LatAm, Albeit More Slowly
Venture capital experts had already warned that investors will be more cautious, but this week they bet on Bankme, Medu Protection, Menta and Efinti.
English version
Impact for Latin America Unclear As SoftBank Plans Vision Fund Staff Cuts
The Vision Fund has around 500 staff, including in Latin America, but “nothing has been decided” about the impact on the region, the Japanese bank tells Bloomberg Línea
Tech & Funding
MercadoLibre Gets $193 Million in Sale of Brazil Real Estate Bonds
Latin American e-commerce retailer and fintech provider MercadoLibre Inc. has tapped Brazil’s local debt market as it seeks to fund its largest investment plan for the nation yet
Startups
Brazilian Corporate Benefits Startup Caju Captures $25M in Series B
Even in an adverse moment for startups, Caju said its valuation has increased over its Series A
English version
Pix-Based Fintech Pagaleve is Salesforce Ventures’ First Investment in Brazil
Pagaleve raised $25M in a Series A led by Salesforce’s venture capital arm, in addition to an undisclosed amount of debt