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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

• Asaas is planning three acquisitions by the end of 2025, using funds from its latest raise to boost digital account services for small and medium businesses.

• Liquitech and Kredit Plus announced a strategic alliance to strengthen Colombia's financing market and credit asset origination.

• Brazilian Central Bank launched a consultation on regulations for digital wallet services from big techs, focusing on card tokenization and security.

• Pagsmile received Central Bank approval as a Payment Institution, while Neon received approval to become a Payment Initiator in Open Finance.

• Fintoc became the first payment company in Chile to earn the Carbon Neutral Service certification.

💸 Top Funding Rounds

• Merama closed a $215 million Series C round in equity and debt to expand its portfolio of e-commerce brands in Latin America.

• Addi secured $70 million in new credit lines from Goldman Sachs and Fasanara Capital, raising the total to $170 million to expand its BNPL services.

• Divibank raised $8.2 million to enhance Divibank Pay, aiming to improve approval rates, reduce fees, and boost security for Brazilian e-commerce.

• Tempo secured $4.5 million led by Maya Capital to expand its AI personal assistant offering services such as bill payments and medical scheduling.

• Jumpstart raised $491,000 to expand its AI-powered advisory services, offering financing for visas, courses, and more across countries.

💰️ Notable Exits

• Wireless Logic expanded to Latam by acquiring Arqia, enhancing its IoT connectivity and global reach with Arqia’s local expertise and infrastructure.

• Serasa S.A. acquired fraud prevention firm ClearSale, boosting its portfolio with AI-driven identity authentication and fraud prevention technologies.

• Cencosud acquired a majority stake in Vopero to expand into sustainable fashion and enhance its Paris brand's sustainability efforts in Chile.

• WiseTech Global acquired Editrade S.A. to expand its CargoWise customs capability in Chile, Ecuador, Panama, and Mexico.

🏦 About Investors

• Plug and Play launched a $50 million fund to support early-stage startups in Latam, focusing on Brazil with investments between $50,000 and $2 million.

• FIEMG launched the FIEMG Anjos program to connect angel investors with industrial startups, aiming to drive innovation in the sector.

🚀 Startup of the Week

Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆

Addi

Addi, a Colombian fintech founded in 2018 by Santiago Suárez, Daniel Vallejo, and Elmer Ortega, secured $70 million in new credit lines—$50 million from Goldman Sachs and $20 million in mezzanine financing from Fasanara Capital—bringing its total credit capacity with both firms to $170 million. Specializing in "Buy Now, Pay Later" (BNPL) services, Addi aims to expand its digital credit platform, merchant network of over 18,000 partners, and reach nearly two million users across Colombia. This marks the company’s first mezzanine financing and builds on a $100 million credit line from Victory Park Capital secured in November.

💼 Investor of the Week

Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆

Plug and Play

Plug and Play, a global innovation platform based in Silicon Valley, has launched a $50 million fund to support early-stage startups in Latin America, with a particular focus on Brazil. The fund aims to invest between $50,000 and $2 million in startups across sectors such as fintech, agritech, and energytech, with plans for 10 investments annually in Brazil. Operating since 2016 in Brazil, Plug and Play has invested in 39 Latin American startups, including notable Brazilian companies like Rappi and CloudWalk, and partnered with major corporations like Claro, BNP Paribas, and Volvo Penta. Founded in 2006, it connects startups, corporations, and investors globally, providing solutions in venture capital, corporate innovation, and startup acceleration. The new CEO of Plug and Play Brazil, Igor Mazaki, will lead this expansion, bringing his extensive experience in automotive innovation and investment.

🤑 Opportunity Radar

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