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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
- Stori expanded into Colombia with a $100 million investment to push inclusive finance, challenge banks, and set up a potential IPO.
- Revolut launched its first credit card in Mexico, deepening its LATAM banking push with perks like lounge access and app bundles.
- Now Seguros secured a full SUSEP license in Brazil, enabling nationwide expansion after proving its model in the Sandbox program.
- Littio launched a feature offering up to 12% annual rewards on digital dollar holdings, targeting stable savings amid currency volatility.
- Prezent appointed former GSK and Sanofi executive Marine Queniart Stojanovic to its senior executive board to scale healthcare and AI efforts.
💸 Top Funding Rounds
- VelaFi secured $20 million in Series B funding led by XVC and Ikuyo to scale its global stablecoin payment infrastructure.
- Magie raised $5 million from Lux Capital to pivot its strategy, focusing on providing white-label conversational financial solutions for businesses on WhatsApp.
- Brazilian startup Aliado secured a $2.6 million seed investment from Headline and Nestal to enhance its AI platform transforming physical retail.
- Jade Autism obtained a $1 million Zayed Sustainability Prize for its AI-driven platform revolutionizing neurodiverse care.
💰️ IPO and M&A Watch
- Grupo Omni acquired the collapsed digital supermarket Jüsto, injecting $100 million for its relaunch under entirely new management, aiming to restore its market presence and former $1 billion valuation.
- Brazilian digital bank Agibank filed for a U.S. IPO on the NYSE under AGBK to expand its digital banking services, backed by major global banks, showcasing strong financial performance and a unique hybrid model.
🏦 About Investors
- Brazilian VC Fabrica Ventures, based in Palo Alto, is benefiting from the U.S. IPO reopening as portfolio companies like Circle, Netskope, and CoreWeave listed, while planning exits for Anthropic.
🚀 Startup of the Week
Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆
VelaFi
Founded in 2020, VelaFi is a stablecoin-powered financial infrastructure startup building enterprise-grade payment rails that connect local banking systems, global transfers, and major stablecoin networks across Latin America, the U.S., and Asia. Led by CEO and co-founder Maggie Wu and operating under Galactic Holdings, the company targets enterprises facing settlement delays and liquidity inefficiencies in cross-border finance. VelaFi recently closed a $20 million Series B led by XVC and Ikuyo, with participation from Alibaba Investment, Planetree, and BAI Capital, bringing total funding to over $40 million. The new capital will support global expansion and regulatory-first scaling, positioning VelaFi as a core settlement layer for modern global commerce.
💼 Investor of the Week
Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆
Fabrica Ventures
Founded by Brazilians and headquartered in Palo Alto, Fabrica Ventures is a US-based venture capital firm quietly punching above its weight in late-stage B2B technology. Led by co-founder Alvaro Filpo, the firm backs category leaders such as Databricks, Anthropic, Circle, Netskope, and CoreWeave, benefiting from a renewed wave of US IPOs while staying active in M&A exits like Nvidia’s acquisition of Groq. Fabrica differentiates itself through a secondary-market-heavy strategy, acquiring stakes at attractive entry points rather than chasing mega rounds. With mostly Brazilian LPs and a disciplined, data-driven approach, Fabrica positions itself as a transatlantic bridge to Silicon Valley’s most valuable growth assets, focused on delivering top-decile returns with institutional rigor.
🤑 Opportunities Expiring Soon
E3 Accelerator – Riyadh Cycle
- 📢 Organizer: E3.Ventures
- 🗂️ Category: Funding, Accelerator
- 🪜 Target Stages: Pre-Seed, Seed
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: AI & Data, Finance & Insurance
- 📅 Application Deadline: January 20, 2026
Spring 2026 Cooperative Business Incubator
- 📢 Organizer: Start.coop
- 🗂️ Category: Incubator
- 🪜 Target Stages: Ideation, Pre-Seed
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Sector Agnostic
- 📅 Application Deadline: January 21, 2026
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