Welcome to season three of the J Curve, a podcast about entrepreneurship in Latin America with me, Olga Maslikhova. My guests today are Andre Florence and Guilherme Azevedo , co-founders at Brazilian healthcare startup Alice backed by the likes of Softbank, ThornTree Capital Partners, Kaszek and Globo Ventures. Their latest Series C of $127m was the largest funding round raised by a healthtech in Latin America to date. Prior to co-founding Alice Andre was a CFO at Brazilian ride sharing company ...
May 07, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Welcome to Season 3 of The J Curve, a podcast about entrepreneurship in Latin America. My guest today is Thibaud Lecuyer , CEO at Loggi , Brazilian delivery company that has raised close to $500m over 6 rounds from the likes of Iporanga Ventures, Softbank, Monashees, GGV, CapSur Capital and Microsoft. Prior to that Thibaud was a co-founder at Brazilian online fashion retailer Dafiti. Together we explore Thibaud’s transition from finance and J.P. Morgan in Europe into entrepreneurship in Brazil. ...
Apr 30, 2024•55 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Welcome to Season 3 of The J Curve, a podcast about entrepreneurship in Latin America. My guest today is Joao Barbosa , co-founder at corporate wellness platform Gympass (now Wellhub), that has raised over $600M from the likes of EQT Growth, Softbank, General Atlantic and Valor Capital. In today's episode we will discuss: 1. The global leap: key challenges of scaling in different markets 2. The art of the pivot: how to find a business model that fits? 3. Building a winning team: how to hire and ...
Apr 16, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Welcome to Season 3 of The J Curve, a podcast about entrepreneurship in Latin America. My guest today is Vitor Torres , Endeavor entrepreneur and founder and CEO at Brazilian accounting platform Contabilizei , that has raised over $100m from the likes of SoftBank, Goldman Sachs, IFC, Kaszek and Endeavor Catalyst. In today's episode we will discuss: 1. The cultural moat: how Contabilizei has built corporate culture into competitive edge? 2. Responsible innovations: how to disrupt a regulated in...
Apr 02, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Welcome to Season 3 of The J Curve, a podcast about entrepreneurship in Latin America. My guest today is Michele Levy, the private equity investor and banker turned fashion entrepreneur behind the successful growth of the Melissa shoe brand in the USA as well as the premium beauty brand Costa Brazil. In today's episode we will discuss: 1. How to sell branded commodities? 2. The secret sauce to high-performing teams 3. Creative storytelling strategies for B2C businesses 4. How to find a good pro...
Mar 19, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Welcome to Season 3 of The J Curve, a podcast about entrepreneurship in Latin America. My guest today is Gaston Irigoyen , founder and CEO at Argentinian fintech infrastructure company Pomelo that has recently raised $40m in Series B from the likes of Kaszek, monashees, Index Ventures, Insight Partners, Endeavor Catalyst and Section 32. The latest financing brings the startup’s total raised since inception to $103 million. Gaston is a third-time founder, with two previous exits and former CEO of...
Mar 05, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Welcome to Season 3 of The J Curve, a podcast about entrepreneurship in Latin America. My guest today is Doug Storf , Endeavor entrepreneur and founder and CEO at Sao Paulo-based payment infrastructure company Swap that has raised ~$30M from the likes of Tiger Global, Endeavor, Global Founders Capital, ONEVC and Flourish Ventures. Prior to starting Swap, Doug was Head of Corporate Strategy at 99, Brazil's first known tech unicorn that was acquired by Chinese Didi in 2018. In today's episode we w...
Feb 20, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Welcome to Season 3 of The J Curve, a podcast about entrepreneurship in Latin America. My guest today is Martin Migoya founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board at Globant , NYSE-traded IT and software development company focused on reinventing businesses through innovative technology solutions. Globant powered digital transformation of the likes of FIFA, McDonald's, Nissan, and Novartis, and its most recent market cap is over $10B. Martin is a member of young president's organization and a board...
Feb 06, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Welcome to Season 3 of The J Curve, a podcast about entrepreneurship in Latin America. My guest today is Marcelo Sampaio , founder and CEO at Hashdex , Brazilian crypto asset manager backed by the likes of Coinbase Ventures, SoftBank and Valor Capital. Hashdex is the only LatAm spot bitcoin ETF among 11 ETFs recently cleared by the US Securities and Exchange Commission in the event that some called a watershed moment for crypto adoption. Please note, that this is a two-part conversation. The fir...
Jan 23, 2024•1 hr 35 min•Season 3Ep. 1
In this final episode of the year we are going through some growth metrics we've managed to achieve this year as well as taking a look back at top 10 most listened-to episodes of the year and sharing our favorite moments from each and every one of them. If you would like to get more insight from LatAm's leading tech founders and investors, please subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Spotify or Apple . That is the best way to support the show. Foll...
Dec 29, 2023•45 min•Season 2Ep. 26
Hi everyone and welcome to The J Curve. This time we have a very different format. In this episode, I answer the questions posed by the students of entrepreneurship class at Purdue University on entrepreneurship, early stage investing, tech in Latin America and so much more. We discuss: 1. How to stay on top of emerging tech trends? 2. What is preferred capital structure of the early stage startups? 3. What are the red flags for startup investors? 4. What are the big reasons to invest in Latin A...
Dec 21, 2023•39 min•Season 2Ep. 26
For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Gabriela Toribio , Managing Director at telco giant Telefonica’s Brazilian corporate venture capital arms Vivo Ventures and Wayra. Vivo Ventures and Wayra have invested in 30+ startups in Brazil including a low-code integration platform Digibee . Prior to joining Telefonica, Gabriela launched venture capital arms in Votorantim and Companhia Siderurgica Nacional, two large industrial corporations in Brazil. In today's episode we will discuss: 1....
Dec 12, 2023•43 min•Season 2Ep. 25
For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Roberto Dagnoni , an Endeavor Entrepreneur and the Executive Chairman and CEO at 2TM, a holding company of Mercado Bitcoin, the largest crypto exchange in Latin America that was valued at $2.1B after raising $200 million in Series B funding from the SoftBank Latin America Fund . Roberto has also invested in 60+ early stage startups including Brazilian digital bank Neon. In today's episode we will discuss: 1. From financial services to loyalty p...
Nov 28, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 24
For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Alec Oxenford , serial entrepreneur, managing partner at Myelin VC, co-founder at online marketplace platforms OLX (acquired by Naspers after raising capital from the likes of Founders Fund, Bessemer Venture Partners and General Catalyst) and letgo (merged with OfferUp). Alec is an important Argentinian contemporary art collector. In today's episode we will discuss: 1. Buying the dream: what venture capital and contemporary art have in common? ...
Nov 13, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Season 2Ep. 23
For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Fabio Carrara , founder and CEO at Brazilian renewable energy firm Solfacil , that has raised over $130m from the likes of QED, Fifth Wall, Softbank, VEF and Valor Capital. In today's episode we will discuss: 1. Window of opportunity: why market timing is everything? 2. The heat of the crowd: how to thrive in commoditized market? 3. Go slow to go fast: how to become an ecosystem player? 4. Solar space market in Brazil: market opportunity, key ...
Oct 30, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 22
For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Eduardo della Maggiora , founder and CEO at LatAm's first social unicorn Betterfly , that hit $1b valuation after raising $125m in a Series C funding round led by Glade Brook Capital and joined by Greycroft, Mundi Ventures, Lightrock, QED Investors and DST Global Partners. The list of Betterfly's prior backers also includes the likes of Valor Capital, Endeavor Catalyst and the SoftBank Latin America Fund. Eduardo has represented Chile in six oc...
Oct 16, 2023•57 min•Season 2Ep. 21
For this episode I am thrilled to welcome Patricia Moraes , Founder and Managing Partner at Unbox Capital , Sao Paulo-based venture capital firm that Patricia co-founded together with Luiza Trajano , Brazilian billionaire and the chairman of retailer Magazine Luiza. Unbox Capital portfolio includes the likes of Solinftec , Rock Content and Incognia . Prior to starting Unbox Capital, Patricia spent over 22 years as a Managing Director at J.P. Morgan. In today's episode we will discuss: 1. The sto...
Sep 28, 2023•54 min•Season 2Ep. 20
For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Lucas Vargas , CEO at Brazilian fintech Nomad , that has recently raised $61m in an investment round led by Tiger Global with participation from prior investors including Monashees , Stripes and Globo Ventures . Prior to joining Nomad, Lucas was CEO at Viva Real which he led through the merger with Grupo ZAP and acquisition by OLX , the leading marketplace group in Brazil. In today's episode we will discuss: 1. Raising growth capital during the...
Sep 14, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 19
For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Julio Vasconcellos , founding partner at Brazilian early stage venture capital firm Atlantico , founder at Canary , former Brazil country manager for Facebook and former entrepreneur-in-residence (EIR) at Benchmark. I am also thrilled to welcome Ana Clara Martins , partner at Atlantico and co-founder at Brazil at Silicon Valley , one of the largest annual conferences that connect entrepreneurs, executives and investors from Brazil with global t...
Aug 31, 2023•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 18
For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Veronica Serra , Founding Partner at Brazilian VC growth fund Innova Capital , whose current investments include Semantix AI and Clearsale . Veronica is a former board member and investor of Mercado Libre and Movile - iFood and current board member of Endeavor Global and Harvard Business School Latam Advisory Board. In today's episode we will discuss: 1. Endeavor flywheel: insider's look into the global entrepreneurship powerhouse 2. From Movi...
Aug 17, 2023•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 17
For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Diego Barreto , CFO & VP of Strategy at iFood , the largest food tech company in Latin America; author of the best seller “New Economy” ('Nova Economia') and mentor at Endeavor . Prior to that Diego was Director of Finance at Suzano , the largest paper and pulp company in Latin America. In today's episode we will discuss: 1. Garage to riches: the secret sauce of iFood success 2. Brazilian gig economy: what are the trends that will shape its...
Aug 16, 2023•53 min•Season 2Ep. 16
For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Gabriela Gonçalves , founder and managing partner at Namari Capital ; managing partner at Brasil Venture Debt , whose portfolio includes the likes of Exact Sales (acquired by RD Station ), Solfacil and Digibee . Prior to that Gabriela was a co-founder and managing director at Rocket Internet-backed Lazada (acquired by Alibaba). We hope to make in person recordings our new normal, so please do check out our new YouTube channel . In today's episo...
Jul 20, 2023•45 min
For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Pedro Sirotsky Melzer , partner at Patria Investments ; founding partner at Igah Ventures , whose portfolio includes the likes of Infra Commerce , Unico , Avenue Securities , Hashdex , Conexa Saude , CRM&Bonus and more. We hope to make in person recordings our new normal, so please do check out our new YouTube channel . In today's episode we will discuss: 1. Deconstructing VC decision making framework: how does Igah evaluate startups? 2. Fr...
Jun 29, 2023•39 min
For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Fersen Lambranho , Brazilian entrepreneur and investor; chairman of the board of GP Investments and G2D Investments , member of the board of Centauro , Spice Private Equity and The Craftory . Fersen is also the former CEO of Lojas Americanas and the current board member of several non-profits including São Paulo Museum of Art . Additionally, he actively invests in deep tech initiatives in the USA, UK and Brazil through his family office Volpini...
Jun 15, 2023•40 min
For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Cassio Bobsin , Endeavor entrepreneur and the founder and CEO at Zenvia . Zenvia is LatAm’s leading customer experience communications platform and the first Latam-based SaaS company to IPO on Nasdaq. Cassio is also the founder of WOW Accelerator , the largest independent startup accelerator in Brazil. We hope to make in person recordings our new normal, so please do check out our new YouTube channel . In today's episode we will discuss: 1. Cas...
Jun 01, 2023•38 min
For this in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Vander Corteze , founder and CEO at Brazil's leading at home healthcare company Beep Saude , backed by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) , Valor Capital Group , Banco Bradesco , DNA Capital and the founder of Nubank David Velez. Prior to that, Vander founded a Brazilian chain of occupational health clinics BR Med , and prior to that he served as an emergency doctor at a fire department in Rio de Janeiro. We hope to make in person recordings our ...
May 18, 2023•45 min
For our third in studio episode I am thrilled to welcome Gustavo Brigatto , founder and chief editor of Startups Brazil, a media platform that covers tech and venture capital in Latin America and beyond. Before becoming a founder, Gustavo spent 15 years as a business journalist, 12 of which were at Valor Economico , the largest economics, finance and business newspaper in Brazil. We hope to make in person recordings our new normal so please do check out our new YouTube channel . In today's episo...
May 09, 2023•34 min
April 27: For our second in studio episode, I am thrilled to welcome Talita Lacerda , CEO at Petlove , the largest pet e-commerce platform in Brazil and Latin America, that has raised over $225M+ from some of the best investors in Latin America including L Catterton , Riverwood Capital , SoftBank , Kaszek , Monashees , Globo Ventures , Porto Seguro and Tarpon . Petlove has recently announced its plan to go public within 2-3 years. We hope to make in person recordings our new normal so please do ...
Apr 27, 2023•32 min
April 18: For our first in person episode ever released I am thrilled to welcome Jose Renato Hopf , the serial entrepreneur and the founder of GetNet , which became one of the largest companies in Latin American was acquired by Santander in 2014 for just south of $500M. Jose Renato is also a founder of venture builder 4ALL and co-founder and president at South Summit Brazil , the leading tech summit in the South of Brazil that dragged over 22000 attendees, 900 speakers and over 3000 thousand sta...
Apr 18, 2023•32 min
March 21: For this episode of the J Curve I am thrilled to bring you my conversation with Bernardo Milesy , founder & managing partner at GLOCAL , the first certified B Corp agrifoodtech venture capital firm, whose portfolio includes the likes of Agrofy , Frizata and Kilimo In today's episode we will discuss: 1. Why impact investing is a lucrative business opportunity from venture capital standpoint? 2. Which agrifoodtech industries are ripe for unicorn production in Latin America? 3. What d...
Mar 21, 2023•33 min
