Dealflow LatAm #34: Makasí raises $42M. Involves expands to Mexico. The heart behind DILA’s bet on Fillip.
- Yoel Rodriguez of Dealflow LatAm <dealflowlatam@substack.com>
- Hidden Recipient <hidden@emailshot.io>
Dealflow LatAm #34: Makasí raises $42M. Involves expands to Mexico. The heart behind DILA’s bet on Fillip.Welcome to the 34th edition of the Dealflow LatAm newsletter: a weekly summary of everything that happened in the LatAm startup and investment ecosystem.
Hey, it’s Yoel 👋 Back again with the 34th edition of Dealflow LatAm—your go-to source for all the deals, moves, and momentum in the region’s startup scene. It’s been a dynamic week across the region: capital is flowing through creative structures, AI and climate-focused initiatives are gaining steam, and cross-border moves continue to reshape the ecosystem. From fintech in Brazil to deeptech in Chile and sustainability in Colombia, the LatAm startup engine isn’t slowing down. Plenty to break down—so let’s get into it 🚀 Startup funding news 💸Rounds of $10M+:
Rounds $1M to $10M:
Other rounds of funding:
M&A transactions 🎊🇳🇱🤝🇦🇷 Prosus completes acquisition of Despegar for $19.50/share, strengthening its LatAm digital lifestyle ecosystem. 🇧🇷 Sankhya acquires Flowbiz to enhance its sales and marketing automation portfolio. The deal strengthens Sankhya’s ERP and CRM capabilities with integrated communication and GenAI-driven tools. 🇧🇷 Vórtx acquires Grafeno to expand its credit infrastructure and boost BaaS and CaaS offerings. The deal includes 15K accounts and adds Grafeno shareholders to Vórtx's cap table. 🇧🇷 Nuvini Group completes acquisition of Brazilian B2B SaaS platform Munddi, marking the first of four planned acquisitions in 2025 to expand its SaaS ecosystem across LatAm. 🇧🇷🤝🇲🇽 Involves acquires Datamind to expand its retail execution solutions in Mexico. The deal boosts its AI-driven platform with real-time data insights and strengthens its LatAm presence. 🇺🇸🤝🇨🇷 Avant Technologies enters acquisition talks to buy Ainnova Tech ahead of an FDA pre-submission for its Vision AI platform. The deal aims to unify efforts in AI-driven early disease detection. Investor & accelerator news 🚀🇧🇷 Start Growth launches $875K fund for AI and data startups. The VC seeks scalable B2B/B2C SaaS automating decisions via predictive analytics. 🇧🇷🇺🇸 Wayra Brasil backs Openlayer in Series A to scale its AI reliability platform. The round was led by Quiet Capital, with support from Y Combinator and others. 🇧🇷 Iaris Ventures opens selection for new batch, targeting 8–9 startups by year-end, with 90% of pipeline focused on AI. 🇧🇷 CVC Corp enters a new restructuring phase with 100+ projects, including a 15-year AI-driven tech deal with Amadeus to boost global competitiveness. 🇨🇱 BID Lab and Fundación Chile launch $400K debt fund to back climate-focused startups with up to $40K each, via ChileGlobal Ventures. 🇨🇱 IncubaUdeC launches Fueling The Change, a program to boost female leadership in cleantech through training, mentorship, and a community to close gender gaps in clean energy startups. 🇨🇱 BancoEstado plans to provide $50M in financing to startups and fintechs in 2025, supporting 70 companies and key programs like RutPay and Impacto +. 🇨🇴 BID Lab and Pantera Makers launch a $1M accelerator for 135 bio-businesses in the Colombian Amazon, focusing on sustainability and women-led ventures. Opportunities & Deadlines 👀
Startup news 💡🇦🇷 Argentina
🇧🇷 Brazil
🇨🇱 Chile
🇨🇴 Colombia
🇲🇽 Mexico
🇵🇪 Peru
🇺🇾 Uruguay
🌎 Other LatAm News
Big company & policy news 💡🇦🇷 Mercado Libre strengthens crypto holdings, now owning 570+ BTC valued over $58M, reinforcing its leading role in LatAm’s digital asset market. 🇨🇳🇦🇷 DiDi invests $160M to expand its mobility services across Argentina. The funds will support geographic growth, reward programs for drivers, and improve accessibility through AI-powered features. 🇧🇷 Méliuz becomes Brazil’s first public Bitcoin treasury firm, adding $28.4M in Bitcoin to its $33M holdings as a key business strategy. 🇺🇸🤝🇧🇷 Uber and iFood partner to integrate ride-hailing and delivery services in Brazil, with tests starting in late 2025 and plans for future loyalty program integration. 🇺🇸🇧🇷 Figma opens LatAm hub in São Paulo and launches its platform in Portuguese. The move deepens local operations and marks the start of regional expansion. 🇲🇽 Estadio Azteca becomes Estadio Banorte after a $123M sponsorship and financing deal with Banorte to fund its modernization. 🇦🇷 🇲🇽 Mercado Libre joins Mexico’s Plan México to boost national products, supporting thousands of local artisans and SMEs with digital tools an 🇷🇺🇲🇽 InDrive names Mexico its key market, offering drivers 90% of fares and instant payments, while letting passengers set prices. 🇺🇾 DLocal shares surge 15% after Q1 earnings beat expectations, with $8.1B payment volume and 57% EBITDA growth. Interesting reads 💡🇲🇽 Alejandro Diez Barroso, Managing Partner at DILA Capital, published “Why We Invested in Fillip — Betting on the Future of Latin American Sports and Entertainment”. He shares why they backed Fillip, a company turning iconic LatAm sports and entertainment IP into global cultural brands. |
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