Participated · Seed · Apr 2022

Ribon operates a gamified platform that enables users to donate to vetted social projects and charities without paying out of pocket, with donation amounts financed by Promoters (people and companies). Founded in 2016, the startup connects institutional donors and individual givers and directs funds to high-impact organizations such as Evidence Action and Living Goods. Since inception more than 300,000 people have benefited from donations on the platform; Ribon reports over 50,000 active users, 1,000 sponsors, and a team of 21 employees (expected to reach 30 by year-end). The company was recognized by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as one of the 10 most innovative philanthropy solutions globally and was the only Latin American startup chosen. Ribon plans to expand into the crypto ecosystem, launching a governance token and moving to a DAO to manage the protocol later this year to support rapid internationalization. The startup aims to increase recurring donors worldwide and contribute to UN Sustainable Development Goal 1 (eradication of extreme poverty).

Participated · Seed · Feb 2022

Founded in 2021 and based in Brazil, Trace Finance provides regulated infrastructure that connects local banking rails, foreign exchange, compliance, and stablecoin settlement to enable institutional cross-border payments. It operates under licenses in the U.S. and Brazil and partners with banks in Mexico, Colombia, Europe, and Asia, and plans to pursue additional licenses in Singapore, the U.S., and APAC. Trace has processed more than $10 billion in institutional cross-border volume to date and serves as the main infrastructure provider for the top four global payment providers operating in Latin America, including dLocal. The company has expanded headcount from 25 employees at the start of the year to 48 and is developing new settlement products. Trace plans regional expansion across Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and later into Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.

Led · Seed · Oct 2021

Tropix operates a global marketplace for digital art and NFTs, led by founder Daniel Peres Chor. The platform currently runs 20 galleries in Brazil, including Zipper, Verve, and Leme, and has 250 launches planned featuring Brazilian artists such as Toz, Vini Naso, and Eduardo Kac. The company plans to build additional NFT solutions, grow its marketing operations and R&D, and expand its portfolio to feature dozens more galleries by the end of the year. Key team members include Bernardo Schucman, Guilherme Nigri, Zé Lima, and Alexandre Icaza. Tropix raised $2M in seed funding to support these initiatives.