Dealflow.la #12 - Zuckerberg 🇺🇸 invests in Beep Saude 🇧🇷's at home vaccines, Argentina VP Kirchner 🇦🇷 wants the judge investigating her fired, and John Kerry 🇺🇸 shakes Maduro's hand 🇻🇪.

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Nov 10, 2022

Funding

Eva People 🇧🇷 raised a $185,000 Pre-Seed round with funding from ACE Startups 🇧🇷 and Cotidiano 🇧🇷 to build a no-code workflow for human resources. Their platform organizes, improves, and automates the onboarding process for new employees.

VentiPay 🇨🇱 raised a $370,000 Pre-Seed round with funding from Unpopular Ventures 🇺🇸 and AddWise 🇨🇱 to allow small and medium enterprises offer customers an interest-free buy now pay later option.

Levannta 🇨🇱 raised a $2 Million Seed round with funding from Option Venture Studio 🇨🇱 to convert future cashflows into liquidity for companies with recurring revenue models. Levannta allows companies to receive their subscription's future cashflows upfront through an integrated platform based on their most valuable asset, recurring revenue.

Liti Saude 🇧🇷 raised a $4 Million Seed round with funding from Canary 🇧🇷, Eclipseon Ventures 🇧🇷, Grain 🇺🇸, Monashees 🇧🇷, Newtopia VC 🇦🇷, Notre Ventures 🇧🇷, North 🇨🇦, and The Fund 🇺🇸 to develop their fitness application intended to combine technology and science to create an effective way of losing weight. The company's application access the user's body measurements and prepare a personalized weight loss journey for them, with the help of advanced technology and data aggregation it also analyzes weight loss progress and finds the perfect routine for users, enabling users with a simple and user-friendly weight management application to keep track of their weight.

Mendel 🇲🇽 raised a $10 Million Early Stage venture round with funding from ALLVP 🇲🇽, Infinity Ventures 🇺🇸, Better Tomorrow Ventures 🇺🇸, and Industry Ventures 🇺🇸 to modernize the finances of large corporations in Mexico and gives them the necessary tools to create their own financial management rules through an expense control platform (SaaS) and a smart VISA credit card. Mendel’s purpose is to return agility to the corporate segment so that it simplifies its expense reporting processes and saves two of the most important resources in any organization: time and money.

Ping 🇦🇷 raised a $15 Million Seed round from Y Combinator 🇺🇸, Signum Capital 🇸🇬, Race Ventures 🇺🇸, Istari Ventures 🇺🇸, Goat Capital 🇺🇸, DHVC 🇺🇸, and BlockTower Capital 🇺🇸 to develop their financial platform designed to collect fees for remote workers. The company's platform allows people to create an international dollar account for free to accept payment globally in their local currency, wherever they are, both in fiat and crypto, enabling off-site workers to get paid easily.

Agrolend 🇧🇷 raised a $27 Million Series B round with funding from Yara Growth Ventures 🇳🇴, Valor Capital Group 🇺🇸, SP Ventures 🇧🇷, Provence Capital 🇧🇷, Mago Capital 🇧🇷, Lightrock 🇬🇧, Continental Grain Company 🇺🇸, and Barn Investments 🇧🇷 to revolutionize the agribusiness sector for small and medium-size farmers in Brazil, giving them access to sustainable credit that is needed to finance the development of their production and incentivize investment in equipment & technology. They help farmers to increase their productivity and profitability. Using cutting-edge technology and innovative credit analysis, Agrolend provides loans without any physical guarantees such as farms or grains. They seek to avoid the slowness of the traditional banking system as this is a major problem for farmers looking for additional credit.

Beep Saude 🇧🇷 raised an undisclosed amount in their Series C round led by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative 🇺🇸, Bank Bradesco 🇧🇷, Clifford Sobel 🇺🇸, David Vélez 🇵🇷, DNA Capital 🇧🇷, and Endeavor Catalyst 🇺🇸 to offer quality experiences in health services and simplify people's lives. The company's platform specializes in providing home vaccination services via its vaccine marketplace application where users can choose their vaccine and schedule an appointment, enabling patients or healthcare-seeking users to get vaccinated and receive medical care economically in the comfort of their homes.

Sociopolitical News

🇦🇷 Argentina

Argentina Vice President Cristina Kirchner on Thursday demanded the reclusion of a judge overseeing the investigation into an alleged attempt to murder her. The former president, 69, accused judge Maria Eugenia Capuchetti of failing to investigate her attackers' political connections. Kirchner, who is also implicated in several other corruption investigations, has always claimed to be the victim of political persecution. Prosecutors have requested that she be jailed for 12 years and banned from politics for life. A verdict is due at the end of the year. (France 24)
US senators recently discussed with Argentina’s Economy Minister Sergio Massa the possibility of him becoming a candidate to lead Latin America’s top development bank, with the American lawmakers saying they believed that he would have a good shot to win. (Bloomberg)
Argentina's government lets tourists tap a parallel FX rate to bring in dollars. Foreign tourists who use non-Argentine-issued credit and debit cards will be charged a financial exchange rate known in Spanish as the ‘Dólar MEP’ (Mercado Electrónico de Pagos) in Argentina, priced at about 291 pesos per dollar on Wednesday, according to the website ‘Rava.’ That’s much higher than the official rate of 158 pesos per dollar currently applied to foreign card purchases made in Argentina. (BA Times)
- Another perspective: Shock for visitors to Argentina who are still not receiving the more favorable exchange rate for credit and debit cards despite last week's government announcement. (ABC)

🇧🇴 Bolivia

Civic groups across Bolivia have threatened a national strike today unless the government promises to conduct a census in 2023. (Foreign Brief)

🇧🇷 Brazil

After Brazil's election, what’s next for Bolsonaro? In a deeply divided country, the outgoing president will not slink into the shadows, analysts say. (Al Jazeera)
Brazil armed forces' report on election finds no fraud. Brazil’s defense ministry has released a report highlighting flaws in electoral systems and proposing improvements. (ABC)

🇨🇴 Colombia

The Civil Aeronautics of Colombia objected to the integration of Avianca and Viva, as they believe that the merger represents risks for competition in the airline industry sector and the well-being of consumers. The study details that this integration would generate or reinforce the market power of Avianca, Viva, and Viva Air Peru considering that they operate in 59 domestic routes that mobilize 93.7% of the domestic traffic in Colombia, and that they overlap in 29 routes, and are the only operators in 16 routes. (Aviacionline)
The plunge in Colombia’s bonds and currency is calling into question the government’s planned transition away from fossil fuels, according to energy experts who spoke with Bloomberg. After nearly 100 days in office, the administration of President Gustavo Petro still hasn’t provided many details of how exactly it intends to phase out the nation’s biggest foreign currency earner. (Bloomberg)

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

At least six people have been killed after torrential rains caused havoc in the Dominican Republic. On Friday, some areas of the capital, Santo Domingo, saw twice the monthly average rainfall in one day. Meteorologists said that while they had been aware of heavy rains approaching, they had been surprised by the strength of the sudden downpour. Poor drainage meant that the water accumulated quickly, turning streets into quick-flowing torrents. (BBC)
The U.N.’s chief human rights agency is calling on the Dominican Republic to halt rising deportations of Haitian migrants at a time of turmoil in their country. “Unremitting armed violence and systematic human rights violations in Haiti do not currently allow for the safe, dignified and sustainable return of Haitians to the country,” U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a statement. He extended that call to other nations in the region. The United States also has also continued to crack down on Haitian migration despite the Biden administration expressing concern for Haiti’s humanitarian situation. (ABC News)

🇪🇨 Ecuador

Numerous attacks this week in the city of 2.8 million people have killed five police officers and a civilian and injured at least 17 members of the security forces. Officials say the attacks were a response by organized crime to an ongoing mass transfer of inmates from the infamous Guayas 1 prison in Guayaquil to other jails controlled by different gangs. On Friday, special police units oversaw the transfer of gang leaders even as journalists and concerned family members who were gathered outside could hear loud detonations coming from the jail. Even police live in fear in Guayaquil where gangs outgun law enforcement and everything from the port to the prisons are under criminal control. (VOA News)

🇸🇻 El Salvador

‘Thank God’ El Salvador doesn’t have any Bitcoin on FTX. (CoinTelegraph)
The country’s 2,381 Bitcoin are now worth $41.5 million at current prices, below the roughly $105 million the government paid to purchase them, based on calculations by Bloomberg using Tweets from President Nayib Bukele. Bitcoin rose on Thursday, paring Wednesday’s declines. (Bloomberg)

🇬🇹 Guatemala

A senior U.S. government official on Tuesday criticized what he described as troubling moves against Guatemalan judges and prosecutors who oversee corruption and human rights cases, criticism that Guatemala's government dismissed as ill-informed. The rebuke from U.S. Department of State spokesman Ned Price comes as the government of conservative Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei has jailed both anti-corruption judges and prosecutors, while still others have fled the Central American country. (Reuters/Yahoo)

🇲🇽 Mexico

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Thursday said the Mexican peso's strength is good for the economy but warned, hours before the central bank announces its monetary policy decision, that rising interest rates can hurt the economy. (Reuters)
The fans swarming Red Bull’s hospitality suite were careful enough to leave a walkway for Sergio Perez to exit. Clad in green, white and red for the Mexican flag or Perez’s gear, they desperately waited for their shot at a selfie, a signed program, just a split second of time with their Formula One hero. But the exuberance of his Mexican fanbase was overwhelming for Perez, one of the many drivers who felt the paddock was too crowded last week at his home Mexico City Grand Prix. Stefano Domenicali, president of F1, told the AP he did not think the Mexico City paddock was overcrowded and that the issues drivers are complaining about “are just the nature of the Latin people. They are very enthusiastic and can be very physical.” (AP)

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

Nicaragua’s Sandinista National Liberation Front has completed its political domination of the country by winning local elections decried as unfair in all 153 of the country’s municipalities. (ABC)
'Nicaragua will end up alone' as migrants flee. (France 24)

🇵🇪 Peru

Around 70 tourists in Peru have been transferred from a riverboat, having been detained by indigenous protesters since early on Thursday. "We demand that the government talks to the Cuninico community or face consequences - the ultimate responsibility lies with the President of the Republic [Pedro del Castillo]", their statement read. The community has been badly affected by a series of leaks from the 40-year-old Northern Peruvian Oil Pipeline. Known locally as the Norperuano, it travels 497 miles (800 km) from the Amazon region to the Pacific Coast. Speaking to a local TV station, Prime Minister Anibal Torres appeared to blame the Cuninico community itself for cutting the pipeline involved in the spill. (BBC)
Riot police used tear gas to disperse protesters in Peru's capital Lima, as thousands of people took part in anti-government marches across the country. Demonstrators want embattled President Pedro Castillo to resign over allegations of corruption. The left-wing leader, who unexpectedly won power last year, is the subject of six criminal investigations - but denies any wrongdoing. (BBC)
- Another perspective: ‘Must leave’: Thousands march for Peru president’s removal Peruvians hit the streets to call for the resignation of President Pedro Castillo over allegations of corruption. (Al Jazeera)

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

MakerDAO Co-founder Nikolai Mushegian drowns in Puerto Rico after tweeting that CIA and Mossad were after him: Family says no foul play...but friends are suspicious about his sudden death. (DailyMail)

🇺🇾 Uruguay

Sergio Fogel, a Co-Founder of Uruguayan fintech unicorn DLocal, sees opportunities to invest in Latin American startups providing business software and payments services even as capital becomes scarcer and more demanding. While there is a lot less capital available for B and pre-IPO funding rounds, investors are still providing early-stage funding but want to see revenues within three years and a clear path to profits, Fogel said in an interview in Punta del Este. One area of the startup landscape in the region that has particularly fallen out of favor is crypto, he said, as the price of crypto assets tumbled along with trading volumes. A serial entrepreneur, Fogel has invested in about 15 tech startups with a focus on young, talented founders. (Bloomberg)

🇻🇪 Venezuela

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro shook hands and exchanged words with US climate envoy John Kerry in a brief encounter at the COP27 summit in Cairo on Tuesday, drawing what appeared to be a “shame on you” gesture from the former US secretary of state. Maduro approached Kerry and the two spoke briefly through a translator, a short video released by Venezuela’s state television network showed. (Bloomberg)
Commercial flights between Colombia and Venezuela have resumed as relations improve between the South American neighbors following the election of Colombia’s first leftist president. (ABC)
The Venezuelan government and the political opposition are preparing to resume talks stalled for more than a year, people familiar with the process told The Associated Press on Friday. Three people — someone close to opposition leader Juan Guaidó and two people involved in negotiation preparations — said the delegations from the two sides might meet in Mexico City around mid-November. All three spoke on condition of anonymity. (ABC)

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