{"id":13799,"date":"2025-04-07T10:48:32","date_gmt":"2025-04-07T13:48:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.n5now.com\/las-startups-locales-con-bases-en-el-exterior-levantan-mas-financiamiento-que-en-el-pais\/"},"modified":"2025-04-07T11:26:39","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T14:26:39","slug":"las-startups-locales-con-bases-en-el-exterior-levantan-mas-financiamiento-que-en-el-pais","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.n5now.com\/en\/las-startups-locales-con-bases-en-el-exterior-levantan-mas-financiamiento-que-en-el-pais\/","title":{"rendered":"Local startups with operations abroad raise more funding than they do domestically."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The trend began to emerge in 2024 and solidified in the first months of this year. Investors are looking for business models that can scale and offer credible promises of profitability.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Technology startups founded by Argentinians in other Latin American countries secured more venture capital than those launched within our borders\u2014at least in the first two months of the year.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trend had already begun to emerge in the second half of last year. But this market shift seems to have intensified as investors tightened their criteria and now demand more traction before continuing to place bets. So, it\u2019s not that startups are unable to raise enough capital\u2014it\u2019s just taking them much longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, two biotech firms, two fintech startups, and an AI platform based in Argentina have been postponing investment round announcements that were practically closed<\/strong>, according to sources consulted by Pymes<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The decline in investment has led funds to adopt a more conservative stance, focusing on startups with sustainable business models and clear paths to profitability, rather than chasing unchecked growth,”<\/em> explained Leandro Pisaroni, partner at Kalei Ventures, which has invested in Belo, Wibond, and Moova.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There\u2019s a renewed focus on the fundamentals. The metrics haven\u2019t changed\u2014monthly or annual recurring revenue (MRR or ARR), growth rates, margins, customer acquisition cost versus lifetime value (CAC vs. LTV). But now, they\u2019re being taken seriously,”<\/em> he added with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This context may help explain why the largest investment secured by an Argentinian entrepreneur so far in 2025 has been that of N5<\/strong>\u2014a fintech founded in 2017 by Juli\u00e1n Colombo<\/em>, after three decades in the financial sector. N5 raised $20 million<\/strong> from Alexia Ventures and Scale-Up Ventures. The company\u2019s technology platform uses artificial intelligence to integrate customer relationship management software, business processes, incentives, and omnichannel strategies for institutions such as Ita\u00fa and Santander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ninety-six percent of N5\u2019s business is outside Argentina<\/strong>, although the country still provides over half of its executives and nearly 20% of its workforce. Just in the past year, the company expanded its operations to Peru, Chile, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“A bank needs to be able to start a conversation with a customer in a branch and continue it by phone or online\u2014without starting over. It also needs instant credit approval processes and secure account monitoring. Our solution addresses all of that with 34 independent yet integrated modules,”<\/em> Colombo explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the fresh injection of capital, N5 aims to accelerate the evolution of its AI capabilities and develop new solutions built with this technology for the financial sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We also plan to bring in new talent to our channels and partnerships team. The goal is to strengthen our network of strategic partners and expand N5\u2019s presence in Latin American markets where we don\u2019t yet operate\u2014as well as in Canada,”<\/em> Colombo added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Colombia to the Region<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Argentinian entrepreneurs Alex Robbio<\/strong> and Tom\u00e1s Gonz\u00e1lez Ruiz<\/strong>\u2014who previously founded and sold Belatrix Software and AvanTrip, respectively\u2014raised $3.47 million<\/strong> for their fintech venture, Glim<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tom\u00e1s<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tom\u00e1s Gonz\u00e1lez Ruiz and Alex Robbio, founders of Glim<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The investment round was led by Skandia<\/strong>, a pension management entity operating in Colombia and Mexico<\/strong>, where Glim is also active. It was joined by U.S.-based funds DCG<\/strong> and ParaFi<\/strong>, local investors MatterScale<\/strong>, Newtopia<\/strong>, and Wayra<\/strong>, along with a group of angel investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glim is a blockchain-powered fintech platform<\/strong> that helps companies enhance their human resources compensation strategies. It offers fiscally efficient salary structures<\/strong> that reduce payroll costs, alongside financial wellness tools<\/strong> such as multi-currency digital wallets and smart spending programs<\/strong> that extend employees\u2019 salaries through corporate discounts and crypto cashback rewards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Employees receive an app linked to their salary, where they can choose to get paid in dollars or local currency, and opt for payment throughout the month or at the end, based on days worked\u2014all in real time,”<\/em> explained Robbio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initiative, founded in 2022, has half of its staff based in Argentina<\/strong> and the other half in Colombia<\/strong>. \u201cThey can also allocate funds to saving, investing, or spending through a global debit card. In addition, Glim offers diagnostic tools and a financial education and support platform,\u201d<\/em> he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a region where 44% of workers in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico live paycheck to paycheck<\/strong>, according to the recent \u201cGlobal Benefits Attitude\u201d survey by WTW<\/strong>, Robbio argues the issue isn’t necessarily how much people earn\u2014but how they manage their money. That, he says, explains Glim’s rising demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far, the platform is being used by employees of the regional pet e-commerce platform Laika<\/strong>, Colombian software developer Sofka<\/strong>, and tech firm Blankfactor<\/strong>, which was recently acquired by Globant<\/strong>. According to Robbio, Glim\u2019s annualized transaction volume has reached $2 million<\/strong>, growing at a 20% monthly rate<\/strong> over the past six months. The latest funding will be used primarily to scale commercialization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quix<\/strong>, a corporate training startup, also recently closed a $350,000 pre-seed round<\/strong>, backed by Argentinian fund Mr. Pink<\/strong> and Venture.Do<\/strong> from the Dominican Republic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The founding team includes Argentinians Ignacio Barrea<\/strong> and Julia Ins\u00faa<\/strong>, along with Colombians Santiago G\u00f3mez<\/strong> and Carlos Alarc\u00f3n<\/strong>\u2014all seasoned professionals in the edtech sector, having held leadership roles in operations, finance, and AI at Digital House<\/strong> and Platzi<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Founded last year, Quix offers a corporate training platform powered by artificial intelligence<\/strong>, capable of generating customized training programs in just 48 hours<\/strong>. \u201cThe platform transforms internal documents, videos, and presentations into courses tailored to the needs of each company,\u201d<\/em> said Barrea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Quix focuses on must-have<\/strong> training\u2014not nice-to-have<\/strong>. Employees learn exactly what they need to perform their tasks, based on organizational requirements, without leaving the platforms they already use, and under the guidance of a virtual tutor. This has allowed us to reach course completion rates of up to 70%,”<\/em> he emphasized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their SaaS model<\/strong>, which charges companies $5 per employee per month<\/strong>, enabled the platform to train nearly 10,000 employees<\/strong> last year from clients such as Coca-Cola<\/strong>, real estate firm Acrecer<\/strong>, and textile group Grupo Crystal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Barrea, a significant portion of the new funding will go toward technology development and expanding the engineering team<\/strong>. \u201cWe\u2019re also eyeing expansion into large regional markets like Mexico<\/strong>,\u201d<\/em> he concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One Foot Here, One Foot There<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mauricio Kremer<\/strong>, co-founder of the startup Kig\u00fci<\/strong>, plans to use the $500,000<\/strong> investment he just raised to strengthen the company\u2019s presence in Mexico, Peru, and Argentina<\/strong>. The round was led by The Yield Lab<\/strong> fund, along with other investors from the U.S. and Argentina<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Kig\u00fci was launched in 2021<\/strong> as a consumer-facing app<\/strong> aimed at reducing food waste from expired products at retail points, the startup pivoted six months ago<\/strong> to a B2B model<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We found a more efficient way to tackle the problem at its root\u2014by digitizing the expiration dates of packaged goods,”<\/em> explained Kremer, who co-founded the company with Maximiliano Dicranian<\/strong>. \u201cWith that data, we can suggest actions to improve product turnover and prevent losses,\u201d<\/em> he emphasized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Gonzalo<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gonzalo Castro Pe\u00f1a, Nicol\u00e1s Ruberto, Mauricio Kremer, Diana de la Sancha, Maximiliano Dicranian and Octavio Bidegain, from the Kig\u00fci team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With its new business model, Kig\u00fci<\/strong> is already working with clients like Walmart in Mexico<\/strong> and Cencosud in Peru<\/strong>. Entrepreneur Mauricio Kremer<\/strong> noted that \u201c75% of products nearing expiration are detected in time. Of those, 80% are sold at discounted prices. Altogether, this reduces shrinkage by more than 30%.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ZEV Biotech<\/strong>, meanwhile, is a science-based startup that has been dedicated since 2017<\/strong> to the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of molecular diagnostic kits for humans<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We developed our own IRIS technology, based on PCR and microarray, which allows complex diagnostics to be carried out in any laboratory, hospital, or healthcare institution. It includes proprietary reagents, equipment, and software,”<\/em> explained Maximiliano Irisarri<\/strong>, PhD in Biology and founder of the company, which is headquartered at the Argentine Nanotechnology Foundation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specifically, its hereditary thrombophilia test<\/strong> has already been approved by ANMAT<\/strong> (Argentina\u2019s regulatory agency), and the startup expects to reach $100,000 in revenue in 2025<\/strong> from its commercialization. Recently, however, ZEV secured a $600,000 investment<\/strong> from a private equity group, alongside existing shareholder GridX<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this funding, the company plans to develop new diagnostic tools\u2014such as the first antimicrobial resistance test tailored for Latin America<\/strong>, created in collaboration with experts from the Invera Foundation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This is the most disruptive product in our portfolio\u2014designed to help combat the growing threat of antibiotic and antimicrobial-resistant infections. In fact, it has already drawn interest from experts in Brazil, where we\u2019ve opened a subsidiary and signed a partnership with the Federal University of S\u00e3o Paulo<\/strong>,”<\/em> added Gilberto Ugalde<\/strong>, CEO and investor at ZEV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As expected, the only startup with a strong focus on the local market (though with regional ambitions)<\/strong> to secure significant investment in the first two months of the year is one serving the agricultural sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That company is Calice<\/strong>, a biotech startup that just closed a funding round worth $1.5 million<\/strong>. The local fund Draper Cygnus<\/strong> led the round, joined by Xperiment Ventures<\/strong>, Air Capital<\/strong>, Innventure<\/strong>, and Australian agribusiness giant GrainCorp<\/strong> ventures<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Andr\u00e9s<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andr\u00e9s Rabinovich, Esteban Hernando, Pablo Romero and Ramiro Olivera, founders of Calice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Founded in 2022<\/strong> by Argentine scientists Ramiro Olivera<\/strong>, Esteban Hernando<\/strong>, and Andr\u00e9s Rabinovich<\/strong>, along with engineer Pablo Romero<\/strong>, Calice<\/strong> has headquarters in both Buenos Aires<\/strong> and San Francisco, United States<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There, the startup is working to transform agriculture<\/strong>, at least in part, through the virtualization of field trials<\/strong>, with the goal of accelerating the development of crops and biological products. \u201cWe\u2019ve developed a platform for virtual field trials that uses artificial intelligence and computational modeling,\u201d<\/em> said Olivera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The technology promises a significant reduction in both time and costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Specifically, we estimate we can cut the need for physical field trials by up to 80% and reduce development times by as much as 50%,”<\/em> the entrepreneur explained. Last year, Calice focused on validating this capability through proof-of-concept trials<\/strong> on crops like corn, barley, wheat, rice, and soy<\/strong>, in collaboration with Argentine and multinational companies\u2014whose names Olivera chose not to disclose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“After these validations, we\u2019re projecting to sign $800,000 in contracts in 2025 through licensing the platform,”<\/em> Olivera stated. The company\u2019s co-founders plan to allocate a significant portion of the $1.5 million<\/strong> just raised toward expanding their commercial reach<\/strong> in Argentina, Brazil, and the United States<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our business model is global\u2014virtual field trials don\u2019t have geographical barriers. This allows us to work with clients anywhere in the world, without being tied to local economic conditions,”<\/em> Olivera concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The trend began to emerge in 2024 and solidified in the first months of this year. Investors are looking for business models that can scale and offer credible promises of profitability. Technology startups founded by Argentinians in other Latin American countries secured more venture capital than those launched within our borders\u2014at least in the first […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":13796,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[214,203],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.n5now.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13799"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.n5now.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.n5now.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.n5now.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.n5now.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13799"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.n5now.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13799\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13806,"href":"https:\/\/blog.n5now.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13799\/revisions\/13806"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.n5now.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.n5now.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.n5now.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.n5now.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}