Stefan Krautwald

Venture Capital Mx - EFEX EFEX is a banking platform designed to meet the needs of businesses in Latin America engaged in cross-border trade with the United States. By focusing on partnering with fintechs and marketplaces that serve SMBs, EFEX addresses a significant gap in the financial infrastructure of Latin America, where companies face barriers in accessing the U.S. market due to the complexities of international banking.   EFEX provides services that enable these businesses to open bank accounts in multiple countries, hold funds in U.S. dollars, and move those funds into their local currencies with instant or forward payments. Full Article Link in Comments ⬇ Dimitri Zaninovich Santiago Bustamante Villa #startups #venturecapital #mexico

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If Latin America runs on WhatsApp, it’s fair to say Peru runs on Yape... Raimundo Morales is the CEO of Yape, the dominant fintech app in Peru and one of the biggest consumer fintechs in the world. For context, Yape has 16 million users in Peru, which represents 80% of the country’s total population. 65% of the country's adult population uses the app EVERY DAY. On average, they process 550+ million payments a month and are doubling in volume YoY. In this Fintech Leaders episode, we discuss: - The strategy that led them to onboard 65% of Peru’s adult population as daily active users in just eight years   - Yape was built within Credicorp (NYSE: BAP), a $14Bn company traded on the NYSE. How were they able to build a fintech disruptor within a large corporation?   - The road to building a super-app   - Why you should always set irrational goals; winning the war on cash… and a lot more! https://bit.ly/3XsISXy Special thanks to Gianfranco Ferrari, Francesca Raffo, and Milagros Cigueñas!

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After not being on a podcast for a few years, I’m happy to be back! It's also great that we discussed something I’m passionate about — venture capital. Breaking into VC is hard and people in the space (and those interested in the space) need to believe in the value of diverse experiences, networks, and skills to make better investment decisions and achieve better venture outcomes. So, check out my conversation with Sydney Wong, MBA, on her podcast about my journey, thoughts on the industry, and how to create opportunities as you grow professionally. Link in the comments and I would love to hear what was a highlight for you. #venturecapital #venturemindset #podcast

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Prometeo OpenBanking, a B2B Fintech providing digital infrastructure to digitize and automate cash transactions across Latin America, is led by co-CEOs, Ximena Aleman and Rodrigo Tumaián. These two are visionary founders attacking a $10B market opportunity that’s growing fast. At Angel Squad, we love founders who want to fundamentally change consumer behaviors and markets through their innovative technology. For Prometeo, this means “unblocking” the flow of money across Latin America, which can lead to explosive growth across small businesses, consumer purchasing activities, and capital markets. Sometimes it’s hard to understand a founder’s vision when they have big, hairy, audacious goals. Ximena and Rodrigo are uniquely skilled in communicating their vision for a better future, making it easier to bet on them and their team.

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✨ Breaking: Next Tier Ventures Announces New Fund.- Next Tier Ventures Next Tier GVC Gaesco S.C.R.S.A.: Launched in December 2024, this €50 million fund aims to invest in B2B AI startups across Europe, the United States, and Latin America. The fund plans to engage in 30–35 operations, focusing on enhancing industries through AI technology applications. https://nexttier.vc/ Please share to let other #Founders know For the ❤️ of Startups #Fusion42 #Startups #Venturecapital

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If you are curious to learn about angel funds, their difference to other angel investing models and how it reduces the risk of investing in startups, come listen to this episode of VC10X podcast. Here, Prashant Choubey and I talk about this and much more. Thank you Prashant for this conversation! #angelinvesting #startups #innovation #angels #angelfunds #coreangels

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📢 🔊 As many know, I had the incredible duty of strategizing and structuring Colombia Tech Week investors' agenda. 🚨 To access CTW Investors CRM Cheat Sheet developed by Catalina Mendez and Eduardo Pacheco click on the link 🚨 The core objective 🎯 was to include the full waterfall of capital while creating a three-way conversation between investors, founders & GPs. 👍 Inviting LPs who are already investing or eager to invest in GPs is the fountain that nourishes the capital cascade. 🥈 Including structured and venture debt professionals was crucial for supporting growth-stage lending and revenue-stable companies. Don't miss Kai Schmitz, Leila F. Search, Gordon Watson, Marcos Kantt, Felipe Gomez Herrera panel on the 29th at 12:15 pm at the #GoFest. 🥉 Bringing in alternative assets' professional investors with decades of experience was key to closing the virtuous cycle we aim to feed during the week. Two key growth and full-cycle investment panels are led by Riverwood Capital and SoftBank Investment Advisers. ⏳ Federico Storani is moderating the conversation about exponential growth in the region based on his +10 years of experience as an investor, accompanied by Oscar Ramos, Julián Melo, and Santiago Covelli. Book yourself the the 28th at 11:15 am. 🏔 Rodrigo Costa is leading a candid conversation about investing in a capital constraint market on Thursday the 29th of August at 10 am the #GoFest. What I love about this one is that he'd be the only investor, the other chairs are going to be filled by Camilo Sánchez, Sebastian Noguera Escallon, and last but not least Fabián Gómez Gutiérrez (Fancho). This is a unique chance to connect with leading investors from nearly every corner of the globe—from Cape Columbia in the northwest of Canada to Cape Froward in the southernmost tip of Latin America—who are eager to discover and back alternative investments. Special thanks to all the teams that made this happen: ColCapital - Asociación Colombiana de Capital Privado, Endeavor, Endeavor Catalyst, Invest in Bogota , Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá, Cámara de Comercio de Cali, and Colombia Fintech. Kudos to the Colombia Tech Week team for all the legwork and dedication. #ColombiaTechWeek #VentureCapital #Startups #Innovation #LATAM

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🔉 Arcanum Capital (a DraperU Ventures portco), invests early in Web3 startups. Their portfolio spans companies such as Arcana Network, Babylon Labs, Zircuit, Cross The Ages, Onomy Protocol, Bitget Wallet , Raiinmaker (etc) that involve notable co-investors such as Balaji Srinivasan, Polygon Ventures, KuCoin, Animoca Brands, Draper Dragon, Accel, etc. As the team of 4 founding partners move to Fund 2 in collaboration with Luganodes, I sat down with, Luchang ZHeng, (DU Alumni & Global Ambassador | Founding partner @ Arcanum Capital) to get all the scoops on: 🔸How 4 diverse strangers with very different backgrounds came to be the solid team that they are today. 🔸Originally a retirement plan, why Luchang decided to become a first time VC, like all partners in the fund. The challenges & doubts they faced & how they overcame those & landed their first checks ! 🔸 The genesis of Arcanum's Fund 1 & the role Tim Draper & Draper University played. 🔸 Key insights for anyone looking to break into VC or looking to start their own first fund. - This interview is part of Bridging the Gap - Women in Venture Capital Series: 👉For anyone aspiring to break into VC. 👉For entrepreneurs looking to gain valuable insights from investors. From evolving market trends to technology - These featured interviews bust preconceived notions, as we uncover important milestones & challenges faced in the journey to success & bring valuable insights from experts and influential individuals with a decade of experience. #InvestinginWeb3 #breakintoVC #venturecapital #womeninventurecapital #web3investments #emergingtechnology #heroesjourney

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LatAm Seed Stage Valuations Are Finally Coming Down – This is Good for Founders and VCs When the market correction started in early 2022 the first companies to see steep valuation declines were public equities, pre-IPO, and late-stage growth businesses. Over the following 18 months, valuation declines trickled down the alphabet until they seemed to hit a wall shielding pre-seed and seed companies whose valuations remained at 2021 levels. This is beginning to change. One of the main reasons for this change is that founders starting a business today are watching their peers who raised in 2021 struggle to sustain their valuations. Many 2021 businesses have resorted to internal bridge rounds, others are doing flat or down rounds, some have decreased burn significantly hoping to grow into their previous round’s high valuation, and yet others have had to fold. None of these scenarios is ideal. They tend to add a lot of stress to founders’ lives and in most cases lead to increased dilution. The business suffers as a consequence. Founders raising their Seed round today are noticing this trend and are adjusting valuations accordingly. This is the smart thing to do for a simple reason: Raising a Series A in 2024 is very different from 2021 In 2024 investors scrutinize traction at the A-round. They meticulously review KPIs, want to understand a path to profitability, double click on cash burn, and then look at what public market comps are trading at. None of that happened in 2021 where a strong team and a compelling vision for the business were enough. What does all this mean for 2024 Seed companies? The implication of raising at a very high valuation in 2024 is that you need to be very confident that you will be able to get enough traction in 24 months to defend a 2x or preferably 3x valuation increase from the previous round. This is easier to do if you start at $7m post vs. $20m post. Conservations between VCs and founders about valuation should focus on having an honest discussion about what needs to happen to raise the next round of financing and what traction and signs of product-market fit one needs to see to go out and raise successfully. Founders and VCs are finally taking note of these new market circumstances and both are better off for it. Disclaimer: There are always exceptions to the above. Some businesses truly require more capital at the early stages of the business in which case a higher valuation is warranted.

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Less then 3 weeks remain before the #GlobalStartupSymposium live virtual event begins. The 4-day conference, Dec 9, 10, 11, & 12 is Pismo Ventures' 12th consecutive event for startups at the stages of Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A - Life Science (Day 1), AI/ML (Day 2), DeepTech (Day 3), etc. (Day 4). The symposium offers a unique opportunity to connect startup founders with investors worldwide. 170+ investors have already registered to meet 150+ founders. Register today and take advantage of a 50% discount code: SPO50GSS24 https://lnkd.in/g6nZegSz Thank you to all of our sponsors and partners for making this event happen. Quan Nguyen | NGUYEN TARBET IP Law | TCA Venture Group Orange County | Startup Steroid - Deal Flow | SPVs | Demo Day Platform | TechCon SoCal | PeopleConnect Staffing | Orange County OC Startup Council | Keiretsu Forum | Berkeley Angel Network | New Mexico Angels, Inc. | Gao Family Office LLC | Ashton Capital | LabX Ventures®| Cross Ocean USSS Fund I (A) Del Feeder LP | Pasadena Angels | StrongHer - by Arise Ventures | CarbonN Venture Partners | The Healthcare Syndicate | Medina Ventures | Rhapsody Venture Partners | MAKR Venture Fund | Indigenous VC | 7BC Venture Capital | Kamay Ventures | FUJI Innovation Lab | Breakform Ventures | VU Venture Partners | E12 Ventures | Venture Diplomat | Fundie Ventures | BDev Ventures | Techstars | myeloma investment fund | Innopower | Anza Capital | q fund | Allstate Strategic Ventures | Binary Crypto | Breakform Ventures #Entrepreneurship #Startups #Founders #Angels #Investors #VentureCapital #TechLeadership #CommunityBuilder #FamilyOffices #PitchEvent #InvestorConference #StartupConference #PitchCompetition #Connect #Partners #Disrupt #Innovate #LifeScience #AI #ML #DeepTech #ClimateTech #Cybersecurity #Web3 #Blockchain #InnovativeLeadership #Networking #BusinessGrowth #Partner #BookAppointment #BookMeetings #Chat #Opportunities #DealFlow

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🚀 Deep Tech in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC): a model for global success 🌎 I recently read the report "Deep Tech: The New Wave" by Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo and found some fascinating insights about how startups in LAC are paving the way for success. 💡 Key elements of the emerging business model for deep tech startups in LAC include: • Global market strategy 🌍 LAC startups are focusing on international markets from the outset, aiming to scale beyond regional boundaries. This global approach allows them to tap into larger customer bases and attract global investors. • Impact-driven mentality, with an early drive to market ⚡ These startups are not only about technological innovation; they are mission-driven, aiming to solve significant global challenges. This impact-oriented approach is paired with a sense of urgency to bring products to market quickly. • R&D in LAC for talent cost arbitrage 🧠 By conducting research and development in LAC, these startups benefit from a pool of highly skilled talent at a lower cost compared to other regions. This strategic choice enhances their competitiveness on a global scale. • Founders living abroad or traveling to be close to clients and large investors 🌐 Many founders are either based abroad or frequently travel to key markets. This proximity to clients and investors helps them stay attuned to global trends and build stronger business relationships. • IP protection in global markets 🔒 To safeguard their innovations, LAC startups are prioritizing intellectual property protection in major global markets. This strategy not only secures their technology but also enhances their valuation and attractiveness to investors. • Holding company in a safe legal jurisdiction 🛡️ Establishing a holding company in a stable legal environment ensures better access to international funding, legal protections, and business continuity. This structure is critical for mitigating risks associated with operating in volatile markets This approach mirrors the success seen in Israel’s “Startup Nation” model. While there’s still room for growth, the current strategy is a powerful formula for driving innovation and scaling globally! Read the complete article: https://lnkd.in/dtKnrBhi Let’s make the #biorevolution together! 🌱⚗️

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MRR is probably the acronym I repeat most during any given day, driven by the rise of SaaS startups in Latam. While MRR is a straightforward metric in principle 📊, we spend quite some time understanding the MRR of the companies in our portfolio and pipeline. As a result, I decided to geek out a bit on the topic. Please find a brief deep-dive below. Looking forward to feedback from founders and VCs on the topic! 💬 #VentureCapital #Latam #MRR

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Ben Yoskovitz CEO - B2B Fintech Lending Startup About the job Highline Beta and Kolab Ventures are hiring a Founding CEO for a B2B fintech lending startup, currently being developed in our venture studios. The new startup is focused on providing greater access to capital for small and medium enterprises in Latin America. There are thousands of non-bank lenders seeking to enable growth of these SMEs, but it is too expensive or too difficult to reach profiles that fit their criteria. We are working on a solution to help SMBs understand their financial information, predict future needs, and connect to the right lenders to meet those needs. Our mission is to empower the next wave of SME growth in Latin America. We're aiming to launch in early 2025. Work has already begun on validating the opportunity, product scope, and more. This is a unique partnership between two venture studios: Kolab Ventures, a Mexico-based innovation and entrepreneurship lab for Grupo Koval, and Highline Beta, a venture studio and venture fund based in Toronto. As a Founding CEO, you will: Lead the company with a focus on go-to-market strategy, borrower/lender acquisition and partnerships. Kolab Ventures and Highline Beta will support with product development capabilities. You can be located anywhere, but will be required to travel to Mexico regularly. You will receive a salary and equity compensation (owning a significant portion of the company). Location: Anywhere (remote work), with frequent travel to Mexico Responsibilities Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement the company's vision, mission and overall strategy in alignment with our goal to empower SMBs. Marketing & Customer Acquisition: Drive customer acquisition strategies, leveraging your expertise in sales and partnerships to build a strong borrower and lender base. Stakeholder Management: Collaborate with Kolab Ventures and Highline Beta to ensure alignment and support in achieving our company milestones. Financial Management & Fundraising: Work closely with Kolab Ventures and Highline Beta to manage the company's financial health, including budgeting, forecasting and securing additional funding Qualifications B2B Fintech Experience: Proven track record in building, launching and scaling B2B fintech businesses; ideally from 0 to 1 and beyond. Ideally you've been a startup CEO before and/or helped grow an early stage startup to find strong product market fit. Sales Expertise: Strong background in direct B2B sales and partnerships, with demonstrable success in growing a customer base. Fluent in Spanish: This role will involve customer discovery and sales conversations in Spanish and interface with teams based in Mexico. Familiar with the Mexican Market: Ideally you have familiarity and/or experience in the Mexican market, which will be our first target geography. https://lnkd.in/diWrUSQ4

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Which VC firms have dry powder right now? These 7 firms just closed new capital and are actively deploying it into #startups 👇🏻 🔴 Pasadena based Freeflow Ventures raised $50M between its two funds. The funds will invest in science-driven solutions to human and planetary health challenges. 🔴 Madrid based Seaya raised €300M for its Seaya Andromeda fund. The fund will back startups across Europe and the UK that are working on solutions for energy and decarbonization, the circular economy, and the sustainable food value chain. 🔴 Menlo Park based The Westly Group raised its $100M seed fund to focus on entrepreneurs transforming the energy, mobility, building, and industrial sectors. 🔴 Boston based J2 Ventures raised its second $150M fund to invest in deep technology startups for the US government. 🔴 Menlo Park based Kleiner Perkins raised $825M for its twenty first early stage fund and $1.2B for its KP Select III fund. The funds will focus on enterprise software, consumer, healthcare, fintech, and hardtech. 🔴 Geneva based Forestay Capital closed its second $220M fund to invest in Israeli startups and help them expand in Europe. 🔴 San Francisco based Industry Ventures closed its $900M fund to support early stage technology emerging managers and companies. Follow Moves in VC and you'll get the full list every single week.

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When we set out to create the first specialized B2B Fintech fund for emerging markets, we had two overarching goals: to give back to the ecosystem where we spend our entire working lives and to treat founders the way we would have liked to be treated when we were in their shoes. This testimonial from Matias Umaschi, founder of Payana and our new partner, encapsulates our mission. Being Mati's mentor through Latitud's program and supporting him even before our investment is what Kiara Capital is all about. SMBs in Latin America account for over 50% of GDP and employ 75% of the labor force. Mati and his incredible team at Payana are offering innovative accounts receivables and accounts payable SaaS solutions to SMBs in Colombia, and more recently in Mexico. Their suite of solutions empowers SMBs to manage their treasury, improve payment and collection flows, automate accounting tasks, and streamline communication with customers, suppliers, and employees. We are thrilled to support Payana and look forward to continuing to help Mati and his team on their journey. #Payana #Fintech #EmergingMarkets

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Shhh…. We’re sharing the secrets s to startup longevity 🤫 Discover how building specialized teams, adding management structure, disciplined planning & forecasting, and sustaining your culture can make your startup thrive. Join ah! Ventures and dive into the action🤝🏻🔥 https://lnkd.in/dDafq24K . . . . . . . . #ahVentures #BusinessGrowth #StartupOwnership #StartupInvestment #VentureCapital #InvestmentOpportunity #StartupSupport #StartupEcosystem #VenturePartner #EntrepreneurialJourney #ProfessionalGrowth #StartupSuccess #startuplife #startuptips #startupbusiness

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What do Kitopi in the Midlde East 🇦🇪, Altruist in the US 🇺🇸 and Rappi in LatAm 🇨🇴, have in common apart from their 1B valuation 🦄? They are all second time companies for the serial founders behind them: Mohamad Ballout, Sebastian Mejia, Simón Borrero and Jason Wenk. At Endeavor we pride ourselves on selecting entrepreneurs versus companies. The companies they lead are obviously very important at the time of selection, but we’ve had some stellar cases where we selected the founder/s in company A and followed them to company B (or C) and we’ve seen that one become a major success. In the last few months I’ve spoken about Soy LuzIA, Kamina, Kitopi and Altruist (Europe, LatAm, Middle East and US), but we also have Mural, Cornershop, Xapo Bank, Latitud, NymCard, Kamino, Lucky ONE or VIDA Digital Identity, among many others. For us this is obviously another derivative of the “multiplier effect”, but also a consequence of our local offices (our 600+ colleagues worldwide) maintaining the relationship with entrepreneurs beyond their exits, departures, restructurings…. All this leads to the question: ➡️ Is second time the charm❓

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Wing Venture Capital is excited to unveil today the "Angels' Share 100", an exclusive list of the most active angel investors in the most promising startups in B2B technology. This project's mission is to serve as an information and relationship platform for the founder and angel community. Building a successful B2B technology company is hard work, and as early-stage investors and long-term company builders ourselves, we know we need all the help we can get! An important source of help has been the individual investors we work with. Individuals investing alongside us have consistently made powerful contributions to ultimate success. So we set out to study these “angels” in our midst. Who are they? Where did they come from? What allows them to make a difference? https://lnkd.in/gfFs4-bu

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Roxom raised $4.3 million in a Pre-Seed funding round led by Draper Associates with participation from top renowned investors.  Led by Borja Martel Seward , co-founder of Lemon—one of Latin America's most popular fintech apps with over 2.5 million users—this platform enables individuals to buy, trade, spend, and sell crypto assets. Roxom is the first exchange to price and denominate #stocks, #commodities, and #futures in #Bitcoin. The platform allows users to view global markets and conduct transactions using #Bitcoin. This innovative approach aims to integrate Bitcoin more deeply into the financial trading ecosystem, providing a unique service for those looking to trade in Bitcoin rather than traditional fiat currencies. #Latin #America founders continue to draw interest from international investors seeking access to a booming crypto region 🚀

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