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Welcome to another edition of 🔍 Startup Researcher - Latin America, your essential digest delivering the latest news and premium insights on startups and venture capital across the region 🌎️

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📰 Important News

• The Central Bank of Brazil has tightened Pix regulations, requiring financial institutions to ensure that Pix keys match names registered with the Federal Revenue.

• Kushki became an authorized payment service provider for cross-border acquiring in Chile, according to the Chilean Financial Market Commission.

• Méliuz acquired $41 million in Bitcoin for its treasury, adopting cryptocurrency as a strategy for asset diversification and financial sustainability.

• Mercado Libre announced a $3.4 billion investment in Mexico for 2025, focusing on logistics, fintech, and tech innovation, creating 10,000 new jobs.

• Bancolombia integrated its A la mano wallet with Nequi to enhance financial inclusion in Colombia, offering payments, credit, savings, and insurance.

💸 Top Funding Rounds

• Jusfy reached a $30 million valuation after a pre-Series A round led by SaaSHolic and MAYA Capital to develop new tools and solutions for lawyers.

• Loopia raised $640,000 in pre-seed funding to expand its AI-driven platform for e-commerce sellers.

• Plant-based protein startup Sunrize secured $430,000 from angel investor Di Ferrero and plans to expand with its Shakehouse franchise.

• Quill raised $430,000 to simplify real estate transactions in Brazil using AI, aiming to reduce paperwork, bureaucracy, and property irregularities.

• RueData secured seed financing led by Valor Ventures to its expand AI fleet optimization solution.

💰️ Notable Exits

• WiseTech Global has entered into an agreement to acquire Colombian company Opentecnología S.A. to enhance its logistics and customs software CargoWise in Latin America.

🚀 Startup of the Week

Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆

Jusfy

Brazilian legal tech startup Jusfy, founded by Rafael Saccol Bagolin in 2020, has reached a $30 million valuation following a pre-Series A funding round led by MAYA Capital, with participation from SaaSholic, Norte Ventures, FJLabs, and Legal Tech Fund. The raised capital will be used to develop new tools, including a billing system for lawyers and a credit assessment engine based on legal proceedings, aiming to optimize financial efficiency in the legal sector. Since its founding, Jusfy has rapidly grown, serving over 30,000 active clients, with plans to expand its customer base and double its revenue in 2025, positioning itself as a complete digital platform for the legal profession in Latin America.

💼 Investor of the Week

Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆

MAYA Capital

MAYA Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm based in São Paulo and co-founded in 2018 by Lara Lemann and Mônica Saggioro, focuses on supporting bold teams and leaders across Latin America. The firm led a pre-Series A investment round in Brazilian legal tech startup Jusfy, which reached a $30 million valuation. MAYA Capital is known for backing innovative startups with high growth potential, and its support for Jusfy highlights its commitment to transforming industries, particularly in Latin America's legal and financial sectors.

🤑 Opportunity Radar

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