Hello there,

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 🌎️

If you haven't subscribed yet, now's the perfect time. Don't miss the opportunity to supercharge your understanding and stay ahead in this dynamic world.

Let's delve into the core sections of our weekly newsletter:

• 📰 Important News

• 💸 Top Funding Rounds

• 💰️ Notable Exits

• 🏦 About Investors

• 📈 Deep Dive Bites

• 🤝 Diversity Spotlight

• 🚀 Startup Of the Week

• 💼 Investor of the Week

• 🤑 Opportunity Radar

📰 Important News

• The Supreme Federal Court has authorized the return of social network X in Brazil after it met legal requirements.

• Brazilian fintech Jeitto has appointed four new executives to enhance its digital credit operations and support rapid growth.

• Wenia, Grupo Bancolombia’s crypto platform, is set to launch WeniaCard, enabling cryptocurrency payments at MasterCard-accepting stores.

• Brazilian fintech Delend has appointed Nic Marcondes as head of Open Finance to drive growth and innovation.

• Kavak is launching a 15-month trainee program in Brazil, offering a salary of R$8,200 plus benefits totaling over R$9,000, targeting recent graduates.

💸 Top Funding Rounds

• Barte has raised $8 million in a Series A round led by AlleyCorp, with plans to scale its B2B payments platform that automates reconciliation.

• Morada.ai has raised $1 million to enhance the property buying and renting experience through AI solutions.

• AuraPura has secured $550,000 in pre-seed funding from undisclosed angel investors to develop its holistic therapy platform.

• Intelijus has raised $510,000 in pre-seed funding to enhance its AI-powered legal assistant LIVIA.

• Tuna has raised $360,000 in a round led by ABSeed to hire new talent and prepare for its Series A round.

💰️ Notable Exits

• FEMSA sells part of Solistica’s logistics operations to Grupo Traxión for $208 million as part of its FEMSA Forward restructuring.

• Colombian bank Davivienda has acquired payment gateway ePayco to leverage the growing digital payments market in Colombia.

• Aleph acquires controlling interest in Localpayment to integrate payment processing with digital advertising capabilities.

• Grid Dynamics acquires Argentina-based Mobile Computing to enhance digital transformation capabilities in manufacturing, CPG, and financial services.

• FastGrid acquires Wisergy, enhancing expertise in high-voltage and substation design to deliver end-to-end renewable energy solutions globally.

📈 Deep Dive Bites

Explore Argentina's burgeoning venture capital landscape, where firms like 17Sigma, AIR Capital, and NXTP Ventures are empowering startups and driving innovation across diverse industries. This article delves into the leadership, notable investments, and impactful portfolio companies of these active VC firms that are reshaping the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Argentina. Discover how these investors are not only fueling growth locally but also influencing the wider Latin American market.

🚀 Startup Of the Week

Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆

Barte

Brazilian fintech Barte has successfully raised $8 million in a Series A funding round led by AlleyCorp to scale its B2B payments platform, which automates reconciliation and supports multiple payment methods, including Pix. Founded in 2022 by Portuguese entrepreneur Caetano Lacerda and Brazilian Raphael Dyxklay, Barte aims to expand its cash flow and payment solutions for medium and large companies across Brazil. The company specializes in providing innovative payment solutions through a multichannel payments platform and white-label infrastructure for various ecosystems, positioning itself to enhance the payment landscape in the region.

💼 Investor of the Week

Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆

ABSeed

Tuna Pagamentos has raised $2 million in a funding round led by ABSeed Ventures. ABSeed Ventures is a Brazilian VC firm specializing in early-stage B2B SaaS startups, founded in 2019 to boost innovation in Brazil and Latin America. With a focus on scalable growth and Go-to-market strategies, ABSeed supports SaaS founders aiming to simplify corporate solutions through software. Their team of SaaS experts helps navigate different business stages, positioning the firm to leverage growth opportunities in the resilient SaaS market.

🤑 Opportunity Radar

Call for Applications: YC W25

Apply to Y Combinator's Winter 2025 Batch by November 12th, 2024, to supercharge your startup journey. Gain access to a world-class ecosystem, resources, and networking opportunities in the heart of San Francisco. The YC program is designed for founders at all stages, from those with just an idea to companies with significant traction. Begin your application process today and join the ranks of successful startups like Airbnb, Stripe, and Reddit. The batch runs from January to March 2025, featuring weekly meetups, eminent speakers from the startup world, and dedicated support from experienced YC partners. Don't miss this chance to tap into YC's $600B combined valuation network and receive $500,000 in funding to kickstart your company's growth.