Hey, it’s Yoel 👋 Back again with the 29th edition of Dealflow LatAm—your go-to source for all the deals, moves, and momentum in the region’s startup scene.

Beyond the headline investments, this week saw a strong wave of early-stage activity: Gopass secured $8M to take its mobility superapp to Mexico, Homelend raised $8M for housing credit in Brazil, and Agonalea Games pulled in $2M to launch its new tower defense game. We also tracked key M&A across fintech, edtech, and AI, plus fresh funds and accelerator news shaping the next generation of LatAm startups.

Plenty to break down—so let’s get into it 🚀

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Startup funding news 💸

Rounds of $10M+:

• 🇧🇷 Smart Compass raises $17M to expand its operations in the distressed assets market in Brazil. The round was led by Itajubá Capital through a strategic partnership.

• 🇧🇷 Mombak raises $17M from Fundo Clima and BNDES Finem to expand reforestation and carbon removal efforts in the Amazon. It’s the first investment from Brazil’s new Climate Fund.

Rounds $1M to $10M:

• 🇧🇷 Homelend raises $8M to scale its plug & play housing credit and construction model. The round, structured via a CRI with RBR Asset, avoids debt and equity dilution.

• 🇨🇴 Gopass raises $8M to expand its mobility superapp into Mexico. The round was led by Qualcomm Ventures and Kfund. Funds will support market entry and strengthen partnerships across the mobility sector.

• 🇦🇷 Agonalea Games raises $2M to develop and publish its hybrid-casual tower defense game Punko.io. The seed round was led by Mika Games.

• 🇨🇱 Soyio raises $1M to boost digital identity and data privacy solutions. The pre-seed round was led by Consorcio, with Platanus Ventures, Devlabs, and 99startups also participating.

Other rounds of funding:

• 🇧🇷 Beeviral raises $340K to grow its Member Get Member platform. The round included Anjos do Brasil, Curitiba Angels, and others.

• 🇧🇷 Festpay raises $300K to enhance cashless payment solutions in schools. The round was led by Investidores.vc, with funds going toward sales growth, branding, and AI-driven features.

• 🇧🇷 FindUP raises new funding from DOMO.VC and Gulf Capital to expand AI-based IT support. The company targets 80% growth and broader market reach in 2025.

M&A transactions 🎊

🇨🇴 Blend360 acquires Nuvu to establish Colombia as its AI hub in LatAm. The move strengthens regional operations and follows earlier expansion in Uruguay.

🇨🇴 Ticketmaster enters Colombia by acquiring eticket and La Tiquetera, integrating platforms to lead the ticketing market for concerts and sports events across the country.

🇧🇷 ROIT acquires TaxBook to strengthen SAP tax automation ahead of Brazil’s tax reform. Vinicius Zucchini joins as head of Tax Reform for SAP.

🇧🇷 CPV Educacional acquires ASF to integrate its AI-powered simulation tool into CPV's Alfred platform. The move enhances training in soft skills for university admissions and expands CPV’s digital education strategy.

🇧🇷 BS2 acquires Paag to boost its payment services and scale operations in Brazil. The deal includes full acquisition rights in three years, targeting the regulated betting market.

Investor & accelerator news 🚀

🇧🇷 Primus Ventures (ex-Catarina Capital) launches Sul Ventures, a $17M fund for early-stage startups in southern Brazil. Backers include Badesul and BRDE, with first deals expected in late 2025.

🇧🇷 Caroline Takita Levy, partner at Liv Up, to launch an early-stage climate tech fund at COP 30. The fund will back scalable climate solutions and support founders via a venture studio.

🇧🇷 Itaú Unibanco launches ICTi to drive fintech innovation with a focus on AI, quantum computing, and robotics, in partnership with global universities.

Opportunities & Deadlines 👀

• 🇵🇷 Parallel18 launches its 13th global startup cohort offering $40K, mentorship, and a 20-week accelerator in Puerto Rico. Applications are open until April 25.

• 🇦🇷 UNCUYO and Fundación Blockchain launch a Web3 incubator with a 10-week virtual program. Applications are open until April 28.

• 🇧🇷 Sebrae opens applications for the BRICS Women’s Startups Contest to highlight women-led ventures across six categories. Startups can apply until May 4.

• 🇧🇸🌍 Caribbean Venture Collective launches to back founders with Caribbean ties. Founded by Techstars alumni, it offers an equity-free fellowship and investor access, with applications open until June 16.

Startup news 💡

🇦🇷 Argentina

• 🇦🇷 Decrypto launches a P2P lending platform in Argentina, enabling USDT loans backed by Bitcoin collateral. The service offers liquidity without selling crypto.

• 🇦🇷 Ualá joins Google Wallet, allowing contactless payments with its prepaid card via Android devices.

🇧🇷 Brazil

• 🇧🇷 Nubank launches “Crédito del Trabajador,” a digital payroll loan for domestic workers, rural employees, and MEI workers in Brazil. The product can be accessed via the CTPS platform and finalized in the Nubank app.

• 🇧🇷 Neon, the BBVA-backed neobank in Brazil, reports its first profits at the end of 2024. The fintech, 30.9% owned by BBVA, is now operating with a positive margin and expects continued growth.

🇨🇱 Chile

• 🇨🇱 Mercado Pago launches Meli Dólar in Chile, a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, developed in partnership with Ripio. Users can buy, sell, or earn it as cashback, expanding the company's crypto offerings across LatAm.

• 🇨🇱 Midios expands into Chile as part of its LatAm growth strategy, aiming to offer independent, regionally tailored media solutions.

• 🇨🇱 AITAS launches COSMO One, Chile’s first autonomous AI robot, saving companies over $250K by automating complex business tasks across multiple sectors.

🇨🇴 Colombia

• 🇨🇴 ProColombia partners with Amazon to help 30 local companies sell on Amazon US. The program offers training and personalized support to boost their international e-commerce presence.

• 🇨🇴 Colombia Fintech appoints a new 15-member board for 2025–2026, featuring leaders from Nu, Movii, Bitso, and Mercado Pago to boost fintech and inclusion in the country.

🇲🇽 Mexico

• 🇲🇽 Leadsales named Meta’s WhatsApp Solution Partner for SMEs in LatAm. The CRM platform will enhance conversational commerce, offering integrated tools for ads, chats, and lead management via WhatsApp.

🇵🇪 Peru

• 🇵🇪 Preauth wins 2025 Fintech Americas Award for Financial Inclusion. Its AI tool Reevalúa has eased $13M in debt. A seed round is planned to expand into Colombia, Chile, and Mexico.

🌎 Other LatAm News

• 🇦🇷🤝🇧🇷 Brubank partners with Pismo to modernize credit card services across LatAm. The alliance enables enhanced digital features through Pismo’s cloud-based core banking platform.

Big company & policy news 💡

🇦🇷 Marcos Galperín announces a $2.6M investment by Mercado Libre in Argentina for 2025. The funds will expand infrastructure and add 2,000 jobs amid rising inflation and dollar volatility.

🇦🇷 Coinbase joins the Argentine Fintech Chamber with support from the CNV to boost its local presence and contribute to fintech development. The company is also in talks to acquire Deribit, aiming to expand its crypto derivatives offerings.

🇦🇷🇧🇷 Mercado Libre to invest $5.8B in Brazil in 2025 to expand its e-commerce and fintech operations. The funds will support logistics, tech, and 14,000 new hires in its top market.

🇲🇽 WhatsApp discloses 1,223 users were hacked with NSO Group’s Pegasus in 2019, mainly in Mexico (456 cases). The spyware targeted users across 51 countries in just two months. The data supports Meta’s ongoing lawsuit against NSO.

Interesting reads 💡

🇧🇷 The Economist explores how Pix, Brazil’s instant payment system launched during the pandemic, has revolutionized digital transactions—handling $4.5T in 2024 alone—while raising concerns about central bank control.

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