| Hey, it’s Yoel 👋 Back again with the 42nd edition of Dealflow LatAm—your go-to source for all the deals, moves, and momentum in the region’s startup scene. This week in LatAm was packed with activity, even though M&A deals were few and far between, expansions, funding rounds, and product launches kept the ecosystem buzzing. From major fintech raises to bold tech partnerships and innovative program launches, the region is gearing up for a powerful growth surge. Plenty to break down—so let’s get into it 🚀
🇧🇷 Neon raises $129.5M to expand its digital banking services and credit products. Backed by IFC, DEG, BBVA, and General Atlantic, it will enhance tech and grow its customer base in Brazil. 🇨🇴 Addi raises $35M from BBVA Spark to expand its BNPL services and reach profitability. The Colombian fintech also maintains $270M in credit lines from Goldman Sachs, Fasanara, and Victory Park Capital. 🇲🇽 Tulum Energy raises $27M to build a pilot plant for clean hydrogen production via methane pyrolysis. The round was led by TDK Ventures and CDP Venture Capital, with Doral Energy-Tech Ventures, MITO Tech Ventures, and TechEnergy Ventures participating. 🇦🇷 Unblock raises $13.5M to scale crypto mining with Vaca Muerta gas and expand into AI. The round was led by Goldcrest Capital and Collaborative Fund, with others including FJ Labs and NYDIG. 🇧🇷 Woba raises $13.5M from Bewater, Kaszek, and Valor Capital to scale its flexible office network across LatAm, investing in commercial growth and AI-driven operations. 🇨🇴 Avista raises $10M from Ninety One to expand pensioner lending in Colombia, boosting financial inclusion.
🇲🇽 Plenna raises $6M in a Series A round to scale its hybrid women’s health platform. Backed by Mazapil, Dalus Capital, New Ventures, and Karla Berman, it will open 13 new clinics and expand its tech infrastructure. 🇧🇷 Ursula AI raises $3.6M in seed round led by Village Global, with participation from Prosus Ventures and others, to develop emotionally aware AI digital characters for gaming and storytelling. 🇺🇸🇲🇽 KIRA raises $2M to scale its AI-driven fintech platform. With $3M in revenue, it operates in Mexico and is expanding into Colombia.
🇺🇾 Bookster raises $900K in pre-seed funding, including $300K from OurCrowd Latam Labs, to scale its gamified edtech platform across LatAm and the U.S. 🇧🇷 Musique raises funding from HiPartners to scale its AI-driven audio platform for retailers, boosting sales and cutting costs with smart in-store sound.
🇲🇽 Traxión acquires Solistica for $80M, expanding logistics infrastructure to 1.1M m² and over 1,500 clients, strengthening its asset-light model and leadership amid Mexico’s nearshoring boom. 🇧🇷 MMK Partners and Sure Plus announce a strategic alliance to offer hybrid funding models combining public grants and VC for innovation-driven companies in Brazil. 🇧🇷 XP Asset invests over $12M in Collective Liquidity’s LP Buyback fund to gain indirect exposure to unicorns via secondary purchase of stock options from startup founders and employees. 🇧🇴 IncubaUnión Tecnológico awards $7K in seed capital each to five Bolivian startups. Winners include Aqua Track, Jusnova, DocIA, EccoBionic, and Aurelia, tackling water monitoring, labor rights, healthcare, prosthetics, and cancer detection with AI. 🇨🇭🌎 SECO Startup Fund commits $6M to support early-stage and scaling startups in LatAm. Managed by iGravity and Seedstars, the fund offers flexible loans aligned with Swiss development goals. 🇺🇸 Propel Venture Partners raises $100M Fund V to invest in fintech infrastructure startups, backed by BBVA and focusing on LatAm and emerging tech like AI and crypto. 🚀 Decelera Ventures opens applications for Decelera México 2025, a 7-day immersive program in Riviera Maya for 20 impact startups offering mentorship, strategic validation, and investment opportunities up to $300K, with follow-on funding potential up to $2M. 📄 Read the full press release here.
🇲🇽 Bitso launches Hackathon MXNB with up to ~$7K for DeFi/payment projects using MXNB. Backed by Arbitrum, QED, Portal. Deadline: July 14. 🇪🇨 Beyond Summit Quito debuts July 2025 as a regional forum to rethink education in LatAm, led by Muyu Education with key local partners. 🇧🇷 South Summit announces its Climate & Bioeconomy edition in Belém, set for July 15–16, with a focus on innovation, sustainability, and COP30. 🇨🇷 Costa Rica Tech Week 2025 runs July 21–27 with 20+ decentralized events, spotlighting innovation, AI, and tech entrepreneurship. 🇧🇷 Indovinya opens applications for its agri-chemicals challenge on biodegradable dispersants. Deadline is July 27, 2025. 🇧🇷 Innovation Labs by V8.Tech opens submissions until July 31 for a hackathon focused on solving real business problems with AI. 🇲🇽 Daikin launches AirTech Challenge 2025 for HVAC startups. Winners pitch in Monterrey and win a trip to Japan. Deadline: July 31, 2025. 🇲🇽 VTEX CONNECT LATAM 2025 returns to Mexico on September 25 to unite digital commerce leaders for networking and innovation. 🇨🇱 Transbank and ChileConverge launch a new SME support cycle with free workshops and digital tools running through November 2025. 🇨🇱 NTT DATA Chile opens eAwards 2025 for tech startups creating positive impact. Applications open until end of 2025.
🇦🇷 Mercado Pago launches an integrated POS system for SMBs across LatAm, combining payments, inventory, and data insights to boost efficiency. 🇦🇷 Gran Berta uses AI-powered VFX for Netflix, Disney, and HBO, aiming to expand from ads to film and fiction. 🇦🇷 Larrosa uses AI and blockchain to modernize music royalties, works with 100 artists, and earns $2M/year. 🇦🇷 Ethix launches an AI platform to detect public tender irregularities, boosting transparency and automating procurement in Argentina. 🇦🇷🤝🇺🇸 Pomelo partners with FICO to bring Falcon’s AI-driven fraud protection to LatAm via BSafe, enabling secure, fast fintech integration.
🇧🇷 SL Tools gets CVM greenlight to launch Brazil’s first private bond exchange in 40 years, enabling real-time trading of fixed-income assets. 🇧🇷 Nekt launches MCP Server to help SMBs activate lakehouse data via AI agents and automations, boosting efficiency and insights. 🇧🇷 WiFeed joins WBA to launch OpenRoaming in Brazil, enabling seamless and secure Wi-Fi authentication without passwords or forms. 🇧🇷 Skyone invests $6M to accelerate AI and data products development, focusing on Skyone Studio and team training to drive digital transformation.
🇨🇱 Global66 invests $5M to launch a digital compensation account for Colombian SMBs, easing FX operations and boosting export potential. 🇨🇱 Mindsight launches AI-powered wellness app to improve sleep, blending mental health, nutrition, and gamified habits. 🇨🇱 ProntoPaga launches cross-border payments app YOL1, targeting 60M monthly transactions outside Brazil by 2025 with a $10M investment.
🇨🇴 Rappi processes 8M+ monthly orders, with 1.4M active users and full profitability, reinvesting all earnings into growth. 🇨🇴 Rappi partners with OpenAI to offer free ChatGPT Plus to Pro Black users from July, enhancing premium benefits with advanced AI features in LatAm. 🇨🇴 Merqueo shuts down its stores and app in Colombia after failing to raise capital, marking the end of its operations. 🇨🇴 Cobre enables 24/7 interoperable business payments via Bre-B, becoming the first indirect participant in Colombia. 🇨🇴 Vita Wallet targets 400K users and 1,500 companies by year-end, launching VitaCard and cross-border payments in 55+ markets. 🇨🇴 Bia Energy targets $500B+ COP in 2025 sales, serving 3,500+ clients with AI-driven energy solutions and plans regional growth post-Colombia consolidation. 🇨🇴🤝🇺🇸 Bink partners with Visa to launch a smart benefits card in Colombia, aiming to reach 1,000+ companies in its first year.
🇲🇽 Best Place to Live projects $500K+ revenue in 2026 as it expands its real estate certification platform across Mexico, up from $180K in 2025. 🇲🇽 Zuru Max launches an AI-driven cargo insurance platform in Mexico, offering real-time risk analysis, instant policies, and coverage up to $750K for SMEs. 🇲🇽🤝🇺🇾 ABC Capital partners with Ualá to offer personal loans up to $1k in Mexico, targeting middle-class and unbanked users with competitive digital rates. 🇲🇽🤝🇺🇸 Unlimit and Pagaloop partner to simplify credit card payments and cash flow management for Mexican SMBs, enabling flexible financing and growth.
🇵🇪 Tupay launches direct payment button with Yape to streamline and secure digital purchases in Peru. 🇦🇷 Mercado Libre opens a support center in Lima to help 5,000+ tech entrepreneurs grow with e-commerce tools, discounts, and training. 🇨🇱 Kupos expands to Peru with $10M to scale its intercity transport platform, aiming for 10K daily ticket sales. 🇨🇱 Kupos, Chilean ground transport startup, launches operations in Peru with 64 partners, targeting 8K–10K daily ticket sales and a $10M investment.
🇺🇾 dLocal gets UK FCA license to boost cross-border payments in LatAm, Africa, and Asia, leveraging niche APIs and local payment methods. 🇺🇾 dLocal launches 2025 Emerging Markets Payments Handbook with insights on payment trends and growth in Africa, Asia, and LatAm. 🇺🇾🇺🇸 ZirconTech reaches AWS Advanced Tier Partner status, boosting cloud innovation and AI-driven solutions across the Americas and Europe. 🇺🇾🤝🇺🇸 Prometeo and Jumio partner to launch unified biometric ID and bank validation solution to speed onboarding and cut fraud in LatAm fintechs.
🌎🇧🇷 Polkadot partners with Ripio to boost stablecoin and Web3 access with local currencies in LatAm. 🇬🇧🤝🇲🇽 Paysend partners with TelevisaUnivision to boost financial inclusion in LatAm via the Break Barriers campaign promoting cross-border payments.
🇦🇷 Mercado Libre earns global investment grade from S&P Global after boosting revenue, credit metrics, and market share across LatAm. 🇲🇽 Amazon Web Services urges collaboration between tech firms and government to foster Mexican startups and drive unicorn creation. 🌎 Accenture estimates generative AI could boost LatAm's GDP by $1T by 2038, with Brazil accounting for 40% of that growth. 🌎🇭🇳 Erick Brimen, CEO of Próspera, discusses how this Honduran startup city uses a unique regulatory model to boost entrepreneurship with clear rules, low taxes, and digital services. 🇪🇸 Ignacio Arriaga (ex-Acumba) wrote “Por qué la moda indie está matando a las empresas pequeñas”
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