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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
- Belvo launched an AI-powered Intelligent Ecosystem and rebranded to become a decision-making partner for Latin American banks.
- PagoEfectivo integrated Yape for online checkout in Peru, enabling One-Shot and On-File recurring payments for faster digital purchases.
- XP, Stone, and Nubank founders launched B55 Institute to mentor and support Brazilian entrepreneurs scaling their ventures.
- Colombian paytech Zulu launched a unified portal enabling companies to collect, monetize, and pay globally from one platform.
- Zafiro Pay partnered with Pomelo to launch a prepaid card simplifying cross-border payments for Latin American firms.
💸 Top Funding Rounds
- Zippi secured a $42.3 million funding round to expand credit access for small and medium-sized businesses across Brazil.
- Brazilian fintech Avenia raised a $17 million Series A round to expand its cross-border payment and stablecoin infrastructure to LatAm and the U.S.
- BemAgro landed $5.8 million in a Series A round led by The Yield Lab LatAm to accelerate its artificial intelligence and computer vision solutions.
- Argentine proptech Lebane raised $4 million in a seed round co-led by Atlántico and Zacua Ventures to scale its digital property platform.
- Mova Protocol obtained $3 million in seed funding at a $34.5 million valuation to scale its vehicle telemetry and environmental tokenization platform.
💰️ IPO and M&A Watch
- BTG Pactual acquired a 48% stake in meutudo, valuing the fintech at $193 million, to expand its retail market footprint.
- Legrand acquired Brazilian data center solutions firm Green4T to strengthen its digital infrastructure portfolio and expand its presence in Latin America.
- Visma acquired Brazilian HR and payroll startup MaisMei to strengthen its presence in Latin America and expand digital solutions for MSEs.
- Financial infrastructure company Laqus acquired Estar Finance to strengthen its leadership in the growing private credit and digital asset markets.
🏦 About Investors
- SP Ventures launched its $100 million AgVentures III fund backed by IDB Lab and JICA to invest $1 million to $5 million in up to 22 early-stage agtech startups across Latin America.
- Venture capital firm ONEVC closed its third fund at a $50 million hard cap to invest in early-stage startups, particularly in AI, and announced the promotion of two key team members.
- Peruvian venture capital firm ADN.vc secured an initial $2 million for its first fund to invest in pre-seed fintech and proptech startups across Latin America while aiming to reach $4 million by 2026.
🚀 Startup of the Week
Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆
Zippi
Founded in 2021 in São Paulo, Zippi is a Brazilian fintech unlocking fast, flexible working capital for micro-entrepreneurs underserved by traditional banks. Led by CEO André Bernardes and CFO Bruno Lucas, the company leverages Pix and Open Finance data to deliver real-time credit aligned with merchants’ daily cash flows. Zippi recently secured a $42.3 million FIDC issuance, backed by Credit Saison, Itaú Asset, Itaú BBA, Bradesco BBI, and Valora Investimentos. With this new capital, the fintech is scaling nationwide, positioning itself as a key player in expanding data-driven credit access for Brazil’s 21 million micro-businesses.
💼 Investor of the Week
Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆
SP Ventures
Founded in 2007 in Brazil, SP Ventures is a leading Latin American venture capital firm focused on agribusiness and foodtech innovation. Led by Managing Partner Francisco Jardim, the firm backs early-stage startups tackling structural challenges across the agricultural value chain. Its latest move, the launch of AgVentures III targeting up to $100 million, is anchored by institutional commitments from IDB Lab and JICA, reinforcing its development-driven investment thesis. The fund plans to invest $1 million to $5 million in up to 22 startups focused on sustainability, traceability, and climate resilience. With deep regional expertise and strong DFI backing, SP Ventures positions itself as a catalyst for transforming Latin America’s agri-food ecosystem through technology and impact-driven capital.
🤑 Opportunities Expiring Soon
Scale Your Impact with Start it @KBC
- 📢 Organizer: KBC Group
- 🗂️ Category: Accelerator
- 🪜 Target Stages: Stage Agnostic
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Sector Agnostic
- 📅 Application Deadline: February 16, 2026
Google for Startups Accelerator: Brazil
- 📢 Organizer: Google for Startups
- 🗂️ Category: Accelerator, Training & Learning
- 🪜 Target Stages: Seed, Series A, Revenue-generating
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Sector Agnostic
- 📅 Application Deadline: February 20, 2026
RIOT Startup Accelerator
- 📢 Organizer: RIOT
- 🗂️ Category: Accelerator
- 🪜 Target Stages: Stage Agnostic
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Sector Agnostic
- 📅 Application Deadline: February 20, 2026
gBETA Electrify Nevada Spring 2026
- 📢 Organizer: gener8tor
- 🗂️ Category: Accelerator, Training & Learning
- 🪜 Target Stages: Ideation, Pre-seed, Seed
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Energy & Environment, DeepTech
- 📅 Application Deadline: February 22, 2026
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