Dealflow.la #78 – Capim 🇧🇷 Raises $26.7M Series A, Brazil 🇧🇷 Launches New Fintech Regulations & Argentina’s President 🇦🇷 Bypasses Congress to Appoint Controversial Judges

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Funding

YaVendió 🇵🇪 raised a $850K Pre Seed Round with funding from Semilla Ventures 🇲🇽, Magma Partners 🇺🇸, and iThink VC 🇵🇾 to develop an AI-backed virtual seller platform designed for e-commerce businesses. The platform employs an AI-powered virtual seller assistant on WhatsApp to engage customers, answer their queries, and close sales around the clock, thereby boosting sales, conversions, and customer support.

Brick 🇧🇷 raised a $850K Seed round with funding from Honey Island by 4UM 🇧🇷, Broom Ventures 🇺🇸, and strategic angel investors to offer advanced profiling and fleet insurance tools. The company's platform identifies, prevents, and mitigates risks by providing real-time risk reports, enabling small and medium-sized car rental companies to avoid fraud and reduce claims while making fleet insurance more affordable.

Buser 🇧🇷 raised a $5M Later Stage VC round with funding from 4Equity Media Ventures 🇧🇷 to revolutionize bus travel in Brazil by offering a digital marketplace where travelers can join forces to charter buses together. The platform not only cuts travel costs but also fosters a community-driven experience, making group travel more accessible and efficient.

Malga 🇧🇷 raised a $5.44M Series A round with funding from TOTVS 🇧🇷, iDEXO 🇧🇷, and Costanoa Ventures 🇺🇸 to build a payments-as-a-service platform designed to integrate multiple payment channels. The platform routes transactions to optimize costs and acceptance rates, avoid lock-in, and ensure clients always work with the best provider on a transaction-to-transaction basis, making their payment processes more efficient.

Capim 🇧🇷 raised a $26.7M Series A round with funding from Valor Capital Group 🇺🇸, QED Investors 🇺🇸, and ONEVC 🇧🇷 to develop a financial management platform focused on healthcare and essential needs. The platform offers point-of-sale buy-now-pay-later options, tools for financing risk-free treatments, and invoice management solutions through partnerships with clinics and offices, enabling dentists to efficiently manage their practices and retain patients.

Acquisition News

• PaySecure 🇦🇺 acquired a stake of A55 🇧🇷, a developer of a financial platform offering revenue-backed credit lines by integrating bank accounts, escrow, billing, and payment data for SMEs, to expand its footprint in Latin America.

• Involves 🇧🇷 acquired Datamind 🇨🇱, a developer of a data analysis platform offering analytics and reports for commercial and marketing areas, to expand retail data intelligence in Latin America.

Startup & VC News

• Reversso 🇨🇱 announced its alliance with Blue Express and Uber Direct to launch an on-demand returns service to revolutionize the e-commerce post-sale experience by enabling express home pick-ups in under 20 minutes and reducing the environmental footprint across 25+ cities in Chile. (Startups Latam)

• Brazil's Banco Central 🇧🇷 announced a public consultation to restrict fintechs from using “banco” and “bank” in their names to enhance transparency in financial services by ensuring companies accurately represent their authorized operations and avoid misleading consumers about their status as banks. The consultation is open until May 31, 2025, inviting suggestions to refine these rules. (Finsiders Brasil)

• Itaú BBA 🇧🇷 announced its recognition as Investment Bank of the Year – Brazil to highlight its resilient performance in debt capital markets during a challenging equity market environment, driven by record-breaking DCM activity that boosted its market share to 16.2% and net revenue to $114M in 2024, solidifying its leadership in the Brazilian financial sector. (LatinFinance)

• Impact Ventures PSM & Impacta VC 🇲🇽 announced the launch of Impact Ventures PSM Seed, a US$5M seed fund aimed at financing up to 20 early-stage impact startups across sectors like education, health, agtech, and climate tech to bridge the critical early-stage funding gap in Latin America and empower scalable social and environmental innovations. (LATAM Republic)

Sociopolitical News

🇦🇷 Argentina

• Telefónica’s $1.25bn sale of its Argentine unit has spurred President Javier Milei to order an antitrust probe amid concerns over potential market monopolization. The deal, part of Telefónica’s strategic pullback from the region under its new leadership, has intensified scrutiny from Milei’s government as it seeks to safeguard competition in Argentina’s telecom sector. (FT) (Bloomberg)

• Argentina’s President Milei bypassed Congress to appoint two controversial Supreme Court judges by decree, raising concerns over judicial independence. The move, which he justified as necessary due to the court's limited capacity, has sparked fierce criticism from lawmakers and human rights groups who warn it undermines constitutional checks and balances. (AP News)

• Argentina deploys its military to protect sovereign Atlantic waters from a surge of foreign fishing vessels. The government’s action aims to curb potential illegal fishing and safeguard national marine resources amid increasing incursions by fleets from China, Spain, Korea, and Taiwan. (Newsweek)

🇧🇷 Brazil

• Brazil opts to rely on contracted growth and its established fiscal framework instead of introducing extraordinary economic measures. The government’s stance reflects a commitment to fiscal discipline and confidence in the resilience of current economic contracts, even as job creation remains strong and forecasts are tempered by high interest rates. (Reuters)

• Brazil's offshore oil production is under threat as regulators intensify their crackdown on drilling activities. The stricter oversight is set to enforce enhanced safety and environmental standards, potentially curtailing investment and impacting future production, which could have broader implications for the country's energy market. (Bloomberg)

• Brazil’s central bank urges caution as credit growth surges amid persistently high debt levels. The caution highlights concerns that unchecked lending could exacerbate financial risks and destabilize the economy, underscoring the need for a balanced credit expansion strategy. (Reuters)

🇨🇱 Chile

• Massive blackout in Chile forces emergency evacuations from Santiago’s metro, highlighting critical infrastructure vulnerabilities. The widespread power outage disrupted daily commutes and triggered urgent safety measures, underscoring the need for improved urban resilience and rapid emergency response systems. (Le Monde)

• Chilean voters reverting to moderate conservatism drives market gains ahead of key elections. The political shift—bolstered by a compromise pension reform—has spurred record highs in the Chilean stock market, signaling renewed investor confidence and a move toward centrist policies. (Reuters)

🇨🇴 Colombia

• New Labor Minister Antonio Sanguino warns that Colombia needs a second wave of reforms to deepen its transformational change. In an exclusive interview, he outlines his mandate to advance crucial labor and pension reforms while stressing that his appointment is a decision based on policy, not electoral bargaining. (El País América Colombia)

• Colombia’s inaugural offshore wind energy auction attracts global investment interest, marking a pivotal shift toward sustainable energy. The auction is set to accelerate the nation’s renewable energy transition by opening up opportunities for international developers to build offshore wind projects that diversify the country’s energy portfolio. (Reuters)

• Colombia secures a $700 million World Bank loan to bolster social programs and green investments. The funding, which complements a prior $750 million climate loan, aims to support inclusive and climate-resilient development by enhancing social spending for vulnerable groups and promoting sustainable projects. (LatinFinance)

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

• Costa Rica's abstention from a pivotal UN vote on condemning Russia's Ukraine invasion signals a marked shift in its traditional foreign policy stance. The unexpected reversal from its initial co-sponsorship has sparked domestic controversy, with former leaders decrying the decision as a betrayal of international law and the nation's core values. (Tico Times)

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

• Dominican Republic’s rapid demographic shifts—marked by high population growth, urbanization, and substantial emigration—are reshaping its socio-economic landscape. A youthful population and accelerated urban expansion, especially in cities like Santo Domingo, coupled with significant migration to the United States, have eased local resource pressures while bolstering family incomes through remittances. (Britannica)

🇪🇨 Ecuador

• Ecuadorian judge suspends Vice President Verónica Abad Rojas’ rights for two years, a move that underscores escalating institutional conflict ahead of pivotal elections. The decision highlights a growing judicial pushback against executive actions, potentially reshaping the nation’s political balance. (Bloomberg)

🇸🇻 El Salvador

• IMF approves a vital 40‑month Extended Fund Facility for El Salvador to reinforce fiscal stability and stimulate sustainable growth. The arrangement, valued at US$1.4 billion with an immediate disbursement of about US$113 million, aims to address macroeconomic imbalances, enhance fiscal governance, and mitigate Bitcoin-related risks while paving the way for additional multilateral support. (International Monetary Fund)

🇬🇹 Guatemala

• BAC Credomatic’s $140 million sustainable bond issuance in Guatemala marks a pivotal move towards expanding eco-friendly and social financing in the region. The deal, arranged by IDB Invest—with significant participation from LAGreen and Proparco—will fund green and social loans for SMEs as part of a broader $500 million bond program, reinforcing sustainable finance standards in Guatemala. (LatinFinance)

🇭🇳 Honduras

• Honduras restores nearly all power after a nationwide blackout disrupted energy supply. The blackout, confined to Honduras despite earlier regional failure reports, underscores vulnerabilities in the country's power infrastructure as officials continue investigating its cause. (Reuters)

🇲🇽 Mexico

• Tariff threats and intensified border security measures are reshaping North American trade and economic policy. Facing imminent U.S. tariffs and anti-drug imperatives, Canada and Mexico are coordinating on matching tariffs on Chinese goods and enhancing border controls, while Mexico sharpens its economic outlook amid a downgraded GDP forecast due to reduced consumption and investment. (Reuters) (El País)

• Mexico’s extradition of drug cartel leaders to the U.S. signals a pivotal recalibration in its fight against organized crime. The move is part of a broader strategy to dismantle powerful criminal networks amid escalating cross-border violence, though it also sparks debate over national sovereignty and judicial fairness. (Al Jazeera)

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

• UN report urges global action amid Nicaragua's deepening authoritarian repression. The report condemns President Daniel Ortega and co-president Rosario Murillo for dismantling institutional checks and consolidating power through expanded presidential authority, with human rights abuses reminiscent of past violent crackdowns. The call for legal measures against potential crimes against humanity signals mounting international concern over Nicaragua’s democratic erosion. (Reuters)

• Nicaragua withdraws from the UN Human Rights Council amid escalating global criticism over its human rights record. The move is seen as an attempt by the Ortega government to sidestep international scrutiny while facing mounting allegations of authoritarian repression, potentially further isolating the country on the world stage. (Reuters)

🇵🇦 Panama

• Panama formalizes a migrant boat route to manage reverse migration, marking a strategic response to a shift in asylum flows amid stricter U.S. immigration policies. The government is converting a long-used smuggling pathway into an organized system to return Venezuelan and Colombian migrants who have abandoned their U.S. asylum hopes, even as safety concerns rise after a boat capsized, claiming an 8-year-old girl's life. (AP News)

• Panama postpones a key decision on the Cobre Panama copper mine amid unresolved social security reforms, impacting both investor confidence and potential global copper supply. The delay underscores the government's priority to resolve domestic policy issues before addressing lucrative mining contracts, potentially affecting First Quantum Minerals’ arbitration and the export of 120,000 tons of copper concentrate. (Reuters)

🇵🇾 Paraguay

• Brazil and Paraguay settle decades-long disputes by redefining the Itaip energy deal, paving the way for more balanced and cooperative energy management. The updated agreement revises power distribution and financial terms to stabilize regional energy markets and strengthen bilateral ties. (news.az)

• Paraguay concludes its cash tender offer for existing bonds with robust acceptance results, marking a strategic milestone in its debt management efforts. The offer’s expiration and strong investor participation highlight the government's commitment to optimizing its debt portfolio and strengthening market confidence. (PR Newswire)

🇵🇪 Peru

• Peru's annual inflation cooling to 1.5% underscores its stable economic outlook amid easing price pressures. The inflation rate for February met forecasts, suggesting that effective monetary measures are keeping consumer prices in check despite external economic uncertainties. (Bloomberg)

🇻🇪 Venezuela

• Trump revokes Chevron’s oil license in Venezuela, intensifying U.S. pressure on Maduro’s regime over unmet electoral and migration commitments. The move cancels a Biden-era concession that allowed Chevron to export a significant share of Venezuela’s crude, aiming to cut off a major revenue stream for Maduro’s government and signal renewed U.S. insistence on democratic reforms. (Reuters) (AP) (Aljazeera).

🇺🇸 Miami

• SEC seeks regulatory changes to streamline capital formation and expand investor access. The proposals aim to lower compliance costs for startups and public companies while opening private markets to a broader range of retail investors, potentially fueling innovation and economic growth. (Latham & Watkins)

• Trump’s policy moves are raising alarms over U.S. economic growth and inflation, shaping investor strategies. At the CFA Society Miami Economic Outlook Dinner, experts warned that potential tariffs and fiscal policy shifts could slow GDP growth and pressure inflation, with forecasts of 4% returns for cash, 5% for bonds, and 6-7% for stocks amid uncertainty. (Funds Society)

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