Participated · Seed · Mar 2022

Onuu, based in Austin, Texas, targets roughly 166 million Americans of modest means who lack access to basic financial products. The company offers personalized life insurance, savings and credit card products alongside a digital guide and individualized financial literacy experiences at an affordable monthly price. Onuu plans to use AI- and machine-learning-driven approaches to deliver contextual, highly customized financial services within users' financial lives. The founding team—Felix W. Ortiz III and Ryan Wuerch—brings extensive fintech experience, and the company says the founders have over 100 years of combined financial technology experience. Onuu is majority Hispanic-owned, employs a 20-person team, and reports that 60% of staff are minorities or women. The company recently closed a $6 million Seed A round to accelerate product development and launch.

Led · Seed · Nov 2021

Cubbo operates a fulfillment and logistics platform that handles picking and same-day delivery of non-perishable items smaller than a shoebox, charging to fill postal-service gaps across Latin America. The startup empowers global brands to sell directly to consumers in the region and currently serves markets in Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, with plans to begin operations in Chile. It will use the new capital to expand physical capacity (including a planned 3,000 m2 warehouse in São Paulo and a 2,000 m2 site in Rio de Janeiro) and to grow local engineering, sales and operations teams. The company plans additional warehouse expansion in Colombian cities such as Bogotá, Barranquilla, Cali and Medellín, and to bolster engineering and sales in Mexico. Leadership expects the round to enable a threefold (300%) increase in gross revenue in the region by the end of 2022, and forecasts Brazil’s share of revenue to rise from about 10% to 30–40%. The CEO, Brian York, said 60% of the new capital will be deployed in Brazil, 30% in Colombia and 10% in Mexico to support that expansion. Cubbo provides urban e-commerce fulfillment services focused on non-perishable, shoebox-sized items such as cosmetics, consumer electronics and apparel, handling pick, pack and bundling while outsourcing last-mile delivery to partners. The company launched in Mexico earlier this year and began operations in Colombia this month, and it converted an abandoned Mexico City space into an urban fulfillment center. Cubbo can accept orders as late as 5 p.m. for same-day delivery within Mexico City, a service the founders say competitors struggle to match because their warehouses are outside the city. The startup grew to a team of 16 in Mexico and three in Colombia in a short period and plans to use new funding to round out its leadership. It reported its largest orders-per-day peak in November—about 600% higher than previous months—and expects to double revenue by the end of the year. Management plans to continue building out Mexican and Colombian operations, launch in Brazil, and raise a Series A early next year while targeting cash-flow positivity by Q2 2022.

Led · Seed · Aug 2021

Encellin develops an Encapsulated Cell Replacement Therapy (EnCRT) designed to isolate therapeutic cells from the immune system while allowing exchange of biomolecules to support cell function. The platform uses biocompatible, permeable nanofabricated membranes to create soft pouches that aim to enable implanted cells to act as living medicines. Preclinical data for its first candidate, ENC-201, showed no fibrosis or immune response while maintaining cell viability and function, and primary islets encapsulated in EnCRT may be able to reverse Type 1 Diabetes. The company plans to advance a Phase 1 clinical trial of subcutaneous transplantation of primary islets within EnCRT, with first-in-human data expected next year. Funding will also support team expansion and further development of the technology platform, which the company says can be applied across chronic endocrine disorders. Encellin’s technology is based on UCSF Desai lab research and its team includes experts in biomaterials, medical devices, and cell therapies with prior IPO and commercial experience. Encellin is a regenerative medicine company developing soft, nanoporous cell‑encapsulation devices (CEDs) that act as pouches to house therapeutic cells and release therapies as needed. Its platform combines novel cell encapsulation technology with functional cell therapies, initially targeting hypoglycemia in Type 1 diabetes and hypocalcemia in dialysis patients. The company plans to advance programs using readily available renewable cell sources and engineered cells to encapsulate varied cellular cargos. The new $5.9M seed financing will be used to advance the technology platform and programs, build out a laboratory, and expand the team. Encellin’s founding team from UCSF leads its work in nanotechnology and bioengineering, and the company is headquartered in San Francisco. Crystal Nyitray, Ph.D., serves as CEO and co‑founder.

Participated · Series A · Feb 2021

Jüsto is a vertically integrated, 100% online grocer that designs and deploys proprietary technology to manage assortment, inventory, operations, and logistics. Founded in 2019 by CEO Ricardo Weder, it operates in Mexico, Brazil, and Peru and positions itself as a sole first‑party grocer across Latin America. The company leverages AI and data analytics to forecast demand, reduce waste at micro‑fulfillment centers, and uses proprietary software to pick and deliver orders, achieving a 99% fill rate. By eliminating intermediaries and using vertical integration, Jüsto offers competitive prices, lower transaction costs, and reports growing purchase frequency and retention rates above pandemic levels. With a stated market potential exceeding USD $600 billion, the company plans to deploy new capital to accelerate growth—primarily in Mexico—enhance operational efficiencies, and explore new distribution avenues. The recent USD $70 million equity and debt package strengthens its balance sheet as it scales its full‑basket grocery experience and deepens supplier partnerships. Jüsto, founded in 2019, operates a digital full-basket grocery platform that enables customers to buy groceries via its website or app for delivery. Its assortment spans roughly 7,000–8,000 SKUs focused on fruits, vegetables, proteins and cleaning products, and it has launched complementary offerings like Ekonofresh and acquired Freshmart in Peru. The company has expanded across Mexico and into Peru and Brazil, opening a hybrid physical store in Lima and launching in São Paulo where it has seen 30–40% month-over-month growth. Jüsto reports more than 100,000 users in each market, grew five times in Mexico, achieved a 99.4% fulfillment rate over the past 12 months, and saw 2020 revenue increase 16-fold. Planned initiatives include expanding into roughly 20 additional Brazilian cities over several years, exploring entry into Colombia and Chile (directly or via acquisition), continuing product personalization by city, and sourcing more from small and medium farmers to improve sustainability and reduce waste. The company is prioritizing operational scaling and technology improvements to reach sound unit economics. Jüsto is an online supermarket based in Mexico City, founded in 2019 by Ricardo Weder, operating without physical stores and selling directly via its website and app. The company sources exclusively from local suppliers and emphasizes fresh produce, meats and fish alongside pantry staples, personal care, home and pet items. It operates micro-fulfillment centers and uses AI to forecast demand and reduce food waste, aiming to lower transaction costs by eliminating intermediaries. The model drove strong consumer adoption, with a 16-fold increase in revenue in 2020; the company has 425 employees, 40% of whom are female. Jüsto plans to use new capital to expand across Mexico and Latin America while enhancing last-mile logistics and marketing initiatives. After the latest round, the company has raised over $100 million to date. Jüsto operates a delivery-only, on-demand online grocery service that began in Mexico City and is expanding across Latin America. The company recently expanded beyond Mexico City to Querétaro and reported explosive growth there, with first-week sales equaling what took 200 days in Mexico City. Its core product is an e-grocery platform combined with delivery operations rather than physical retail stores. Jüsto plans to open operations in cities in Colombia, Peru and potentially Ecuador in the next year and may explore joint ventures with delivery services in other countries, though it is currently focused on growing independently. On the financing front, Jüsto has been actively raising capital to support expansion, including a recent top-up and an earlier bridge round. The article does not disclose revenue or user counts beyond the cited sales metric in Querétaro. Jüsto operates delivery-only grocery "dark stores" that pick and deliver groceries directly to consumers, offering categories such as fresh produce, dry goods, personal care, home and cleaning goods, beverages, organic food and pet supplies. The company emphasizes freshness and waste reduction by holding inventory in dark stores rather than on supermarket floors, and it says its prices are roughly equivalent to regular supermarkets. Delivery options include express, same-day and next-day fulfillment. Jüsto positions itself as a direct-to-consumer grocer building brand loyalty on top of urban fulfillment infrastructure. The company plans to expand to more Mexican cities and begin international expansion starting with Colombia. Financially, Jüsto has raised a total just over $20 million in less than a year, including a recent $12 million bridge round.

Led · Seed · Sep 2020

Oyster Financial is a neobank serving sole proprietors and small and medium-sized business owners from offices in Mexico City and San Francisco. The company provides fast business account setup (within three days), issues debit cards, and offers 24/7 customer support. It does not charge customers fees for bank transfers. Led by CEO Vilash Poovala, a co‑founder of Clip, Oyster targets improved access to financial services for businesses. The company intends to use its new funding to accelerate growth in Mexico. The article does not disclose revenue or user metrics.