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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 Brazilian government is investing $523 million through BNDES and Finep to create and expand RD&I centers.

• Chilean startup UNK, specializing in cold chain technology, is expanding into Mexico, aiming to enhance efficiency and sustainability in the food industry.

• FitBank, Claro, Magalu, and Sem Parar secured approvals from Brazil's Central Bank to expand their financial offerings.

• Uruguayan startup OrderEAT has expanded to Chile, digitizing school cafeterias to streamline payments and reduce waste, with plans to enter Brazil.

• The Ministry of Justice and Public Security and Febraban launched an alliance against digital banking fraud to centralize reporting and enhance prevention.

💸 Top Funding Rounds

• Solfácil secured $174 million through a green FIDC to finance solar energy projects across Brazil, reinforcing its leadership in the sector.

• Azos raised $30.5 million in a Series B round led by Lightrock to expand its life insurance solutions, enhance technology, and grow its presence in Brazil.

• N5 closed a $20 million Series A round led by Alexia Ventures and Scale-Up Ventures to invest in AI agents aimed at enhancing banking operations.

• V360 raised $6.99 million in a Series A round to enhance its B2B payment management solutions and expand its operations in Brazil and internationally.

• Advolve.ai secured $5 million in a seed round led by Canary to expand internationally, targeting the U.S. and Europe with its marketing automation platform.

💰️ Notable Exits

• Entre Investimentos is expanding its ecosystem by acquiring fintech Acqio and planning Octa from the acquisition of a Direct Credit Company.

• Moove acquired Easy Carros, expanding its global presence across six continents while integrating Easy Carros' vehicle rental technology solutions.

• Capital Pacífico Fintech acquired 100% of Peruvian fintech TuSueldoYa to expand salary advance services for private sector workers.

• Yooga acquired Kuppi to enhance its food service platform by integrating WhatsApp ordering to help restaurants reduce reliance on iFood.

• Emerge Ventures acquired PetVi, appointing Rafael Marino as CEO and investing $3.49 million by the year end to expand sales and product lines.

🏦 About Investors

• BR Angels raised $870,000 to invest in Brazilian agtechs, providing funding, mentoring, and networking.

• Endeavor unveiled changes to its Scale-Up program, shifting from cohort models to tailored, continuous mentorship for scaling startups.

• Bossa Invest and INCO's indirect investment offer in SpaceX sold out in four minutes, reflecting strong Brazilian demand for global VC opportunities.

• Wayra and Vivo Ventures closed 2024 with $22.7 million in deals, marking 30% growth, and plan to focus on GenAI, financial services, healthcare, and agribusiness in 2025.

• Ânima Educação launched Titans Lab, a $520,000 program to invest in student-led startups, providing funding, mentorship, and resources.

📊 Investment Highlights

Explore how Colombian startups are defying the region's venture capital slowdown with significant funding rounds in 2024. From fintech to proptech, companies like Nu Colombia, Addi, and Yuno have secured major investments, highlighting Colombia’s resilience as a growing hub for innovation. These strategic funding successes reflect the country’s expanding role in Latin America’s entrepreneurial landscape. Delve into the full article to discover more about the startups leading the charge and how they’re positioning Colombia as a key player in the region.

🚀 Startup of the Week

Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆

Azos

Brazilian insurtech Azos has raised $30.5 million in a Series B funding round led by Lightrock, with participation from Kaszek Ventures, Prosus, Munich Re Ventures, Maya Capital, and early Facebook investor Kevin Efrusy. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in São Paulo, Azos specializes in life insurance solutions and aims to democratize financial protection in Brazil, where 82% of the population lacks active life insurance. The new funding will accelerate its growth, enhance proprietary technology, and expand its national presence, building on its rapid scale-up, which saw policy issuance more than double and premiums grow 2.5x in 2024.

💼 Investor of the Week

Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆

BR Angels

BR Angels, a Brazilian angel investment group founded in 2019 and led by Orlando Cintra, has launched its 7th investment round, allocating $870,000 to agtech startups—its first dedicated initiative for the agribusiness sector. With ticket sizes ranging from $170,000 to $260,000 per startup, the round aims to support scalable and disruptive agtechs through funding, mentorship, and networking, leveraging the expertise of 30 industry specialists. BR Angels, which receives over 3,000 startup applications annually, has previously invested in agtechs like iRancho and Inspectral, reinforcing its commitment to fostering innovation and sustainability in Brazilian agriculture.

🤑 Opportunity Radar

Call for Applications: Global Entrepreneurship Challenge 2025

Apply to the Global Entrepreneurship Challenge 2025 by March 4, 2025, for a chance to launch and scale your startup in Japan’s dynamic business ecosystem. Backed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, this program offers international entrepreneurs mentorship, networking with local businesses, and full travel support to Japan. Whether your innovation focuses on sustainability, digital transformation, education, or culture, this is your opportunity to establish your business in one of the world’s leading markets. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this global initiative—apply now and take your venture to the next level in Tokyo!