Dealflow.la #77 - NG.Cash 🇧🇷 Raises $10M for Gen Z, Publicis Groupe 🇫🇷 Acquires BR Media Group 🇧🇷, & JICA 🇯🇵 Fuels $1B for Sustainable Growth
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Funding
EcoTrove 🇲🇽 raised a $1.5 Million Pre Seed round with funding from Pear VC 🇺🇸 and e2vc 🇺🇸 to revolutionize energy billing through power-saving technology. The company replaces traditional utility bills with a flat-rate payment plan, guarantees cost savings, and profits only when customers save more than promised. Its platform helps households and businesses reduce energy expenses, achieve predictable billing, and prioritize sustainable practices that cut carbon emissions.
Advolve.ai 🇧🇷 raised a $5.3 Million Seed round with funding from Canary 🇧🇷, Valor Capital 🇧🇷, and Prosus Ventures 🇳🇱 to optimize data-driven marketing through AI-powered advertising automation. The company’s platform automates campaign creation, enables real-time experimentation across creatives, audiences, channels, and budgets, and generates AI-driven content, empowering businesses to maximize return on ad spend (ROAS) and scale performance marketing efficiently.
V360 🇧🇷 raised a $6.98 Million Early Stage Venture round with funding from Cloud9 Capital 🇧🇷 to provide an enterprise management system for automated invoice processing and financial document management. The company’s platform automates document capture from various sources, applies customizable validations, and integrates with ERP systems to streamline accounts payable, enabling businesses to enhance processing efficiency and reduce fines, interest, and errors in tax receipts.
NG.Cash 🇧🇷 raised a $10 Million round with funding from monashees 🇧🇷, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) 🇺🇸, 17Sigma 🇺🇸, Tekon 🇧🇷, and The Generalist 🇺🇸 to offer digital accounts to young people in Latin America. The company’s platform provides a comprehensive digital banking experience tailored to the needs of Generation Z, ensuring autonomy and innovation for millions of users.
Timbro 🇧🇷 raised a $17.44 Million Debt Financing round with funding from UBS BB 🇧🇷, One Corporate 🇧🇷, and Banco Daycoval 🇧🇷 to build a multisectoral global trade platform connecting businesses from farmers to governments with tailored solutions. With offices across all continents and over a decade of experience, Timbro combines adaptability, risk management, and a vast international network to drive sustainable growth for partners worldwide.
Acquisition News
Publicis Groupe 🇫🇷 acquired BR Media Group 🇧🇷, a Brazilian influence marketing consultancy connecting brands and influencers, to bolster its digital marketing and influencer strategy capabilities in Latin America, enhancing end-to-end advertising solutions for global clients.
BYX Capital 🇧🇷 acquired NVIO 🇲🇽, a licensed direct credit society formerly serving as Bitso’s payment platform in Brazil, to fortify its banking infrastructure—eliminating the need for third‐party banking-as-a-service providers—and to broaden its credit offerings beyond payroll loans into new financial markets.
Startup & VC News
JICA 🇯🇵 announced a $1 billion contribution to IDB Invest’s new fund aimed at financing sustainable growth across Latin America and the Caribbean to catalyze private investment, spur innovation, and help close the region’s critical $99 billion annual sustainable financing gap—with plans to potentially expand the fund to $1.5 billion over three years. This initiative, the largest private sector fund in the region and the first with IDB Invest, employs an “originate-to-share” strategy that seeds local investment opportunities and syndicates parts of them to other investors, enabling rapid reinvestment and amplified economic impact. (Reuters)
Mastercard 🇺🇸 announced the release of its whitepaper, “The New Era of Financial Inclusion in Latin America,” which reveals a 340% surge in fintech players—now over 3,000 operating across 26 countries—and key survey insights showing that 75% of consumers have reduced their cash reliance, with significant improvements in transaction efficiency, financial planning, and access to credit to demonstrate how digital financial solutions are transforming traditional banking, empowering underserved communities, and paving the way for a more inclusive financial ecosystem across Latin America and the Caribbean. (Mastercard Newsroom)
99 Startups 🇲🇽 announced the successful closing of its inaugural fund to boost startup growth in Latin America to empower emerging tech ventures with essential capital and strategic support, fueling innovation and regional market expansion. (Techla.Pro)
Sociopolitical News
🇦🇷 Argentina
Argentina streamlines fertilizer regulations to simplify operator registration and expedite agro-industrial imports. The government update under Decree 101/2025 eliminates registration expiration and replaces lengthy SENASA approvals with a simple prior notification for transporting ammonium nitrate, boosting international competitiveness. (3tres3 LATAM)
Argentina’s Senate has approved a law suspending primary elections, a move that could radically alter the nation’s electoral process amid intense political divisions. The measure, influenced by proposals from presidential candidate Javier Milei’s camp, has ignited fierce debates over democratic norms and electoral legitimacy. (France24)
Cryptocurrency adoption in Argentina has surged, signaling a major shift in financial behavior amid ongoing economic challenges. Statista’s graph highlights a dramatic increase from around 160,000 users in 2017 to significantly higher numbers in recent years, underlining the growing reliance on digital currencies as an alternative to traditional financial systems. (Statista)
🇧🇷 Brazil
Brazil’s Central Bank will adjust interest rates as necessary after March to respond to evolving economic conditions. The central bank’s decision, announced by its director, reflects a flexible monetary policy aimed at curbing inflation and safeguarding economic stability amid ongoing uncertainties. (Marketscreener)
Brazil’s Prosecutor’s Office has indicted former President Bolsonaro for his alleged role in a 2022 attempted coup, a landmark move in holding leaders accountable for undermining democracy. The charges reflect ongoing legal and political battles in Brazil, intensifying scrutiny over past undemocratic actions while deepening the nation’s political polarization. (Infobae)
Brazil’s decision to join OPEC+ marks a pivotal shift in its energy strategy, aligning the country with major oil-exporting nations ahead of the UN climate summit. The move, approved by Brazil’s National Energy Policy Council, is set to boost the nation’s oil sector while fueling debates over balancing fossil fuel production with environmental commitments. (Local10)
🇨🇱 Chile
Chile reaffirms support for Venezuela’s democratic transition by recognizing opposition leader Edmundo González as the legitimate president-elect, intensifying pressure on Maduro’s regime. Chile’s government announced new diplomatic measures that underscore its commitment to human rights and electoral transparency in Venezuela, signaling a clear break from Maduro’s contested rule. (EFE)
🇨🇴 Colombia
Cúcuta enforces a curfew after a spate of explosive attacks escalates violence along the Venezuelan border. Authorities declared a citywide curfew following a series of explosive incidents and armed attacks in key areas, raising urgent security concerns amid ongoing instability in the region. (CNN Español) (El País)
Colombian President Gustavo Petro warns that the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (TLC) harms Colombia’s agricultural sector and would welcome its termination. He argued that the trade deal has disproportionately benefited the United States while undermining local farmers and devaluing Colombian exports, and suggested that a unilateral U.S. exit from the agreement would be applauded. (Infobae)
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Costa Rica will act as a transit hub for migrants deported by the United States, a move that underscores the shifting dynamics of migration policy in the region. The German news outlet reports that Costa Rica has agreed to temporarily host migrants expelled by U.S. authorities, providing them with essential services and safe transit, while regional organizations monitor the human rights implications. (DW)
Costa Rica’s president warns that migrants deported from third party countries by the U.S. could be detained for up to six weeks, a decision that could reshape regional migration management. The announcement, made amid ongoing tensions over U.S. immigration policies and regional humanitarian challenges, reflects Costa Rica’s strategy to temporarily shelter and process deportees before returning them to their home countries. (Reuters)
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic capitalizes on strong investor demand by issuing new bonds, boosting its market credibility. The move is expected to enhance liquidity and attract additional international capital amid favorable economic conditions. (Bloomberg Línea)
🇪🇨 Ecuador
Ecuadorian Army’s demolition of two informal border bridges intensifies tensions and disrupts local livelihoods. The controlled destruction, aimed at curbing illegal mining and extortion, has sparked diplomatic protests from Colombia’s ambassador and condemnation from Cumbal’s mayor, who argue that the action undermines historic community ties and breaches international protocols. (Infobae)
Ecuador’s plan to enlist allied nations in its fight against drug trafficking marks a significant escalation in its battle against transnational organized crime. President Daniel Noboa’s government will request the deployment of special forces via diplomatic channels as part of its declared war on narcoterrorism, complementing existing maritime cooperation with the United States and recent police operations in Guayaquil. (DW)
🇸🇻 El Salvador
El Salvador pauses its daily Bitcoin purchases under an IMF loan agreement, marking a significant pivot in its crypto policy. The new agreement requires the country to scale back its Bitcoin initiatives and make Bitcoin acceptance voluntary for businesses, a move that may alter Bitcoin’s market dynamics by reducing a steady source of demand. (Blockchain.News)
🇬🇹 Guatemala
Guatemala’s President Bernardo Arévalo will travel to Uruguay for Yamandú Orsi’s investiture and meet with former leader José Mujica, marking a significant gesture in regional diplomacy. Arévalo announced his trip on February 19, planning to depart on February 28 to attend the investiture on March 1, and he may also engage with other regional leaders. (Prensa Libre)
🇭🇳 Honduras
Honduras acted as a humanitarian bridge by facilitating the safe transfer of 170 deported Venezuelans back to their country amid strict US immigration policies. The operation, conducted at the Soto Cano joint military base, involved coordinated efforts by Honduran, US, and Venezuelan officials, underscoring the region’s commitment to humane migration practices and diplomatic cooperation. (Prensa Latina)
India sends humanitarian aid to Honduras, underscoring its commitment to supporting the global South during crises. The aid, comprising essential supplies, reinforces India’s diplomatic outreach and leadership in humanitarian efforts, strengthening ties with developing nations. (India News Network)
Honduras has bolstered security measures by extending the state of exception to ensure safe and free participation in the upcoming primary elections. The move, which prolongs security efforts until April 5, aims to reduce violence and protect voters, reflecting the government’s commitment to maintaining public order and combating criminality during the electoral process. (Prensa Latina)
🇲🇽 Mexico
U.S. spy drones operate legally under Mexico’s request, highlighting a strategic security collaboration amid rising border tensions. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum clarified that the drones—used to monitor drug cartels and locate fentanyl labs—are deployed as part of a longstanding, legally sanctioned protocol between Mexico and the U.S., countering claims of unauthorized espionage. This assertion comes as Mexico reinforces its border security by deploying 10,000 National Guard personnel in a broader negotiation context with U.S. trade policies. (W Radio)
President Trump urged Apple CEO Tim Cook to relocate the company’s production from Mexico to the United States, signaling a push for domestic manufacturing. He criticized Mexico’s role in the supply chain and emphasized reshoring as a means to boost American jobs, reflecting his broader economic nationalist agenda. (La República)
Mexico launches diplomatic negotiations to counter potential 25% U.S. tariff hikes, safeguarding its economic interests. Following a letter by President Sheinbaum, Marcelo Ebrard held constructive talks with U.S. trade officials, aiming to secure concessions on illegal migration and fentanyl control before the March 4 deadline. (AS México)
🇳🇮 Nicaragua
Nicaragua’s army chief, despite U.S. sanctions, begins his fourth term, signaling a continued hardline military stance amid regional tensions. His reappointment underlines Nicaragua’s determination to uphold its military leadership despite international pressure, potentially deepening diplomatic rifts with the United States. (Swissinfo)
Nicaragua’s dictator Ortega enables the military and police to bypass public bidding for purchases, deepening concerns over unchecked power and misuse of state funds. The new law, passed unanimously by the National Assembly, exempts these institutions from standard procurement controls, raising alarm among opponents about potential corruption and lack of fiscal oversight. (Infobae)
🇵🇦 Panama
The Panama Canal allocates additional funds to boost water supply amid prolonged droughts, crucial for sustaining its operations and regional water security. The investment aims to mitigate the impact of recurring dry spells on the canal’s functionality, ensuring uninterrupted maritime trade and environmental stability in the region. (La República)
A migrant camp near the Darien Gap in Panama underscores the persisting humanitarian crisis driven by stringent U.S. immigration policies with roots in Trump’s hardline approach. The article details the perilous conditions faced by migrants on their journey toward the United States and highlights the broader regional instability and policy challenges that continue to affect Latin America. (The New York Times)
🇵🇾 Paraguay
Brazil and Paraguay will sign a new Itaipu energy agreement before May 30, ensuring continued stable power supply and favorable pricing for both nations. The pact, forged through intensive bilateral negotiations, aims to adjust contractual terms and reinforce energy security, highlighting the strategic importance of the Itaipu Dam in regional cooperation. (Voz de America)
Jorge Macri’s visit to Paraguay, where he met with President Santiago Peña and leading figures in the business sector, underscores the recent efforts to strengthen economic and political relations in the region. Macri, a seasoned Argentine politician and entrepreneur whose career has been intricately linked to the evolution of modern Buenos Aires politics, is regarded as a strategic figure in deepening bilateral cooperation and exploring new investment opportunities in the context of evolving regional dynamics. (Infobae)
🇵🇪 Peru
Peru rejects Mexico’s president support for imprisoned ex-leader Pedro Castillo, underlining the critical need for non-intervention and adherence to the rule of law. The Peruvian government denounced Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum for violating these principles by endorsing Castillo, who remains detained after his failed coup in December 2022. Sheinbaum, however, claimed she met with Castillo’s lawyer to secure embassy assistance for an international complaint regarding what she described as his “injustice.” (DW)
🇻🇪 Venezuela
The US deportation of 177 Venezuelan detainees from Guantanamo, later repatriated to Venezuela, marks a significant shift in the administration’s immigration enforcement strategy. While the third deportation flight this month has intensified human rights criticisms over Guantanamo’s conditions, Venezuelan officials—led by Diosdado Cabello—celebrated the migrants’ return and condemned the detention center as an “inferno.” (El País) (Infobae)
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