Summary

In this conversation, Esteban Reyes shares his entrepreneurial journey, from his early days inspired by his grandfather's story to his experiences in building and scaling companies. He discusses the importance of understanding venture capital as a resource, the challenges of building tech-enabled services, and the investment thesis of Zenda Capital. Esteban also addresses the geopolitical challenges affecting investment opportunities in the Americas and highlights the potential in healthcare technology. He concludes with valuable advice for entrepreneurs on capital efficiency and partner selection.

Chapters

00:00 Intro
01:02 Background
01:30 Coal Miner Story
06:50 Why being VC backed isn't everything
09:48 Novascale & Flexiplan
11:36 The Challenges when Scaling "Service Businesses"
14:18 Zenda Capital's Inception
16:32 Why a Solo GP & Building a Strong Team
18:08 Zenda Capital's Thesis & Check Size
20:19 Portfolio Construction
20:54 Investing Across The America's & Thematic Investing
22:25 "Usually Great Founders Beget Other Great Founders"
23:50 Strength of Portco Founder Relationships
25:09 AI & Long Term Value
28:09 Landing Strategy: Forward Deployment w/ AI
29:27 Geopolitical Challenges
31:20 Opportunities in Healthtech Across the Americas
33:45 Advice for Founders Looking to Raise Capital
36:02 Final Thoughts
39:15 Outro

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Cut The Check w/ Mack Meyer is a podcast about venture capital, startups, and entrepreneurship in Latin America and beyond.

New episodes drop every week.

Subscribe on Spotify

Stay connected with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram,

Have a guest suggestion? Email us at team@venturecapitalmx.com

In this conversation, Mack Meyer and Jaime Tabachnik discuss the inception and growth of Solvento, a company focused on solving liquidity issues in the freight industry. Jaime shares his background in the logistics sector, the challenges faced in building relationships and securing funding, and the innovative solutions Solvento is implementing to address the fragmented nature of the carrier market in Mexico. They also touch on the importance of team dynamics and the lessons learned throughout the entrepreneurial journey.

Chapters

00:00
Intro

03:46
Inspiration for Solvento

06:49
Navigating Family Business Dynamics

08:03
How a Pitch Competition Launched Solvento

12:45
Has the Vision Changed since that Kellogg Pitch Event?

13:28
Solvento's First Customers

15:42
Challenges in Carrier Liquidity and Underwriting

18:56
The Role of Digitalization in Freight

20:55
The Freight Ecosystem

24:43
Future Growth and Product Development

25:00
Hyper Fragmentation: Freight Carriers in Mexico

26:30
Underwriting Through Carrier's Customer

29:48
Geopolitical Challenges & Domestic Freight Market

32:39
Solvento's Product & Growth Roadmap

34:25
Final Thoughts

38:18
Outro

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Cut The Check w/ Mack Meyer is a podcast about venture capital, startups, and entrepreneurship in Latin America and beyond.

New episodes drop every week.

Subscribe on Spotify

Stay connected with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram,

Have a guest suggestion? Email us at team@venturecapitalmx.com

In this conversation, Julian Roeoes shares his journey from investment banking at Credit Suisse to venture capital at Picus Capital. He discusses the investment strategies employed by Picus, the challenges and opportunities in Latin America, and the evolving landscape of AI and fintech. Julian emphasizes the importance of decisiveness in venture capital, the traits of successful founders, and reflects on his learnings and regrets in the industry.

CHAPTERS

00:00
Intro

04:24
In venture, "You want to say the right yes"

08:10
Picus Capital's Investment Thesis

10:00
Team Structure for Global Agnostic VC

12:13
Real Time Payments & Emerging Markets

13:10
Technology Leap Fogging in Emerging Markets

14:53
Evaluating Following On Opportunities

16:45
Niko Energy

19:12
Opportunities in LATAM

20:44
Generative AI & Long Term Value

23:32
Evaluating Enterprise vs. SME Investment Opportunities

25:33
Competitive Advantages for Founders in Latam

28:18
Key Traits of Successful Founders: Reflective Obsession

29:50
Lessons Learned as a Venture Investor

31:25
"In Person Actually Matters"

37:50
Outro

Send us a text

Cut The Check w/ Mack Meyer is a podcast about venture capital, startups, and entrepreneurship in Latin America and beyond.

New episodes drop every week.

Subscribe on Spotify

Stay connected with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram,

Have a guest suggestion? Email us at team@venturecapitalmx.com

In this conversation, Carlos shares his multicultural background and how it has influenced his career in fintech. He discusses his journey from sports to working at JP Morgan and eventually transitioning to Suyo, a company focused on empowering low-income families. Carlos highlights the importance of networking in Latin America and how it led him to discover the venture world. He elaborates on Fintech Collective's investment strategy, emphasizing the intersection of financial services and AI, and the significance of regulatory environments in fintech defensibility. The conversation also touches on portfolio construction, identifying venture-backable founders, and the importance of perseverance in entrepreneurship. Carlos shares insights on Minka, Simetrik, and Strike AI, showcasing their impact in the fintech landscape.

CHAPTERS:

00:00
Intro

03:43
Early Interests and Hobbies

07:10
Transition from JP Morgan Trading to Latam Startup

09:59
Wedge to LATAM Tech Ecosystem

11:23
Wharton & Path to Fintech Collective

13:11
FTC Internship

16:07
Fintech Collective Thesis

18:35
Nuances between Mature & Emerging Markets

19:23
Parallels between Latam & India

21:40
Defensibility in Fintech

23:16
FTC Portfolio Construction: Less Bets & High Conviction

24:41
Gaining Conviction: Founding Team

25:45
"Building a VC backed company is one of the most masochistic exercises someone can do"

27:15
Navigating Chaos: The Founder’s Journey

28:39
The Role of the CEO in Startups

30:44
Identifying Non-Obvious Signals in Founders

32:26
The Importance of Perseverance

33:07
Exploring FinTech Collective's Portfolio

35:02
Minka: Building Payment Infrastructure in Colombia

36:11
Simetrik: The Power of Team Alignment

39:18
Strike AI: Addressing Cybersecurity Needs

43:06
The Importance of Humility in VC

45:59
Lessons from the FinTech Collective

46:41
Time Management & Productivity

49:10
Final Thoughts

50:22
Outro

Send us a text

Cut The Check w/ Mack Meyer is a podcast about venture capital, startups, and entrepreneurship in Latin America and beyond.

New episodes drop every week.

Subscribe on Spotify

Stay connected with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram,

Have a guest suggestion? Email us at team@venturecapitalmx.com

Summary

In this conversation, Eric Schwartz shares his journey from growing up in New York City to establishing a career in the credit and debt space in Mexico. He discusses his educational background, experiences in the U.S. Embassy, and his transition to Payoneer, where he played a key role in building credit solutions for global SMBs. Eric reflects on his time at Covalto, a leading SME lending company in Mexico, and the unique challenges and opportunities in the Latin American market. He also delves into his foray into angel investing, emphasizing the importance of relationships and the evolving landscape of fintech in the region.

Chapters

00:00 Journey: From NYC to Mexico
04:04 Academic Pursuits: Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
06:50 Diplomatic Aspirations: Interning at the U.S. Embassy
08:46 Disparity in Nations: Relational vs. Formal Frameworks
09:49 Career Transition: From Diplomacy to Business
12:54 Payoneer Experience: Building a Global Credit Business
15:08 Early Days: Building Product at Payoneer
17:44 Team Building: Payoneer's Credit Team
18:48 Lessons Learned: Organizational Design and Strategy
22:02 Covalto: A New Opportunity in SME Lending
24:57 Understanding the Mexican Banking Landscape
25:38 Covalto's Product Offering & Customer Profile
28:11 Cavalto's Market Position and Competitive Landscape
28:37 The Journey to Mexico: Inspiration and Opportunity
31:04 Embracing Angel Investing in Latin America
31:39 Careers for Curiosity: VC & Consulting
33:52 Building Networks: The Importance of Relationships
34:15 Experience as LP with Gilgamesh Ventures
35:34 Building Deal Flow & Relationships across LATAM
38:12 Evolving Investment Thesis: Lessons Learned
41:41 Opportunities in Emerging Markets vs. Established Markets
55:05 Cut The Check Outro.mp3

Send us a text

Cut The Check w/ Mack Meyer is a podcast about venture capital, startups, and entrepreneurship in Latin America and beyond.

New episodes drop every week.

Subscribe on Spotify

Stay connected with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram,

Have a guest suggestion? Email us at team@venturecapitalmx.com

In this conversation, Hernan discusses the evolution of angel investing in Mexico, the growth of the startup ecosystem, and the transition from an angel network to fund management. He shares insights on investment strategies, the importance of relationships in Latin America, and the challenges of scaling businesses across different countries. Hernan also highlights current trends in fintech and the silver economy, while reflecting on the lessons learned throughout his journey in venture capital.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro: Hernan Fernandez, Managing Partner of Angel Ventures
00:59 The Evolution of Angel Ventures
01:44 Initial Reception and Challenges in Mexico
02:46 Feedback to a Angel Syndicate in Mexico in 2009
04:06 Value of MIT Network in Early Days
05:35 The Evolution of Mexico's Startup Ecosystem
08:42 "It's a 20 Million Fund Onwards or You're Not On"
09:38 Fund 1 Economics
10:28 Fund 1 Takeaways
12:17 Angel Ventures' Thesis
13:48 Latam's TAMs & Tailwinds
15:10 It's Not a One Size Fits All in Latam
17:04 Why Everything Flows into Mexico
18:37 Challenges of Expanding to the US
19:56 The Similarities Across The "Global South" Markets
20:45 When LATAM Startups Should Expand to the US?
22:07 Angel Ventures Target Ownership & Macro Challenges
23:32 Ensuring The Business Model is "VC Backable"
25:55 Emerging Trends in FinTech and Beyond
27:07 The Silver Economy: Consumers over 50 years old
27:49 Corporate Partnerships, Agtech, & Heathtech
29:07 How Do You Think of Moats & The Art of VC
31:15 Building a Supportive Ecosystem
32:39 What's the Role of VC?
33:51 Final Thoughts
38:29 Outro

Send us a text

Cut The Check w/ Mack Meyer is a podcast about venture capital, startups, and entrepreneurship in Latin America and beyond.

New episodes drop every week.

Subscribe on Spotify

Stay connected with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram,

Have a guest suggestion? Email us at team@venturecapitalmx.com

Summary

In this conversation, Lara Lemann and Samuel Veloso, of Maya Capital, discuss the inception of Maya Capital, their investment thesis, the importance of courage and grit in entrepreneurship, and the challenges they faced during fundraising. The conversation also delves into the differences in startup ecosystems across Latin America, how Lara approaches fundraising as they prepare for Fund 3, why implementing culture is uniquely challenging in VC, and much more.

Chapters

00:00 The Inception of Maya Capital
03:49 Maya's Investment Thesis
04:52 Value of "Boots on the Ground" & Gaining Conviction on an Investment
06:38 Maya's Mexican Investment Initiatives
07:55 Maya's Slogan: "Courage, Boldness, and True Grit"
09:36 Fundraising: "It's an Opportunity to Sit on the Other Side of the Table"
11:22 Balancing Investments in Brazil & Spanish-speaking Latam
15:26 Female Force: Empowering Women in Venture Capital
17:53 Cultural Differences in Latam's Startup Ecosystems
21:00 Maya's Approach to Portfolio Support
24:45 Maya's Portfolio Construction
26:13 Preparing for Fund 3
27:13 The Growth of Maya's Team from Inception to Today
28:31 Implementing a Culture is hard in VC
30:12 Emerging Opportunities in Fintech
32:39 Reflections and Future Aspirations
34:24 Outro

Send us a text

Cut The Check w/ Mack Meyer is a podcast about venture capital, startups, and entrepreneurship in Latin America and beyond.

New episodes drop every week.

Subscribe on Spotify

Stay connected with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram,

Have a guest suggestion? Email us at team@venturecapitalmx.com

Ryan Croft, few people have a background as diverse at the intersection of baseball and tech, from scouting baseball talent in the Dominican Republic to founding multiple tech companies. In 2013, Ryan co-founded TransitScreen, a mobility data platform that scaled across 40 plus cities in the United States.

Now he's back in the founder seat, building Pacto, an enterprise fintech startup in Mexico with backing from Dila Capital, Femsa Ventures, 500 Global, and several other prominent investors.

In our conversation, we'll explore the parallels between baseball scouting and startups, the challenges of building a company in Mexico as a foreigner, what it's like to be a second time founder, what's easier, harder, and why he wanted to build another company, and much more.

Chapters

00:00 Who is Ryan Croft?
00:46 Early Years
08:25 Parallels between MLB Scouting & Building a Startup
10:44 Building TransitScreen: The Intersection of Mobility and Technology
12:51 What is TransitScreen?
16:26 TransitScreens' Product Evolution
18:22 The TAM Wasn't Big Enough
19:17 Why Launch Another Startup? Why Mexico?
20:47 Pacto: The Toast / Square for LATAM?
22:02 Experience as a 1st vs. 2nd Time Founder
23:05 Nuances of Building in Mexico
25:09 Evolution of Leadership Style
26:07 Regulatory & Fx Challenges in Mexico
27:37 How do you Hire a Great Team?
29:03 Final Thoughts

Send us a text

Cut The Check w/ Mack Meyer is a podcast about venture capital, startups, and entrepreneurship in Latin America and beyond.

New episodes drop every week.

Subscribe on Spotify

Stay connected with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram,

Have a guest suggestion? Email us at team@venturecapitalmx.com