Redwood Ventures

We facilitate the growth of emerging companies by providing not only financial investment but also strategic guidance driving ideas to real businesses.

We believe the greatest opportunities will come from serving the unmet needs of the middle class, which will define the global economies in the century to come. We invest in extraordinary people. We view ourselves as relationship capital and true active partners whereby we take a tailored approach to creating value, considering the unique needs of our companies. We believe global connectivity is essential to unlocking value in emerging markets. At the same time, reverse innovation is driving efficiency in developed economies. Valor acts as a strategic bridge between the U.S. and LATAM, helping our portfolio companies navigate and capitalize on opportunities across both markets.

We are the Credicorp’s Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) with the challenge of choose, invest, and help the best Fintechs and Startups of Andean Region to growth. In every portfolio company we look for the balance between financial and strategic return, seeking the right strategy for each of them. We have a specialized team constantly searching new investment opportunities and disruptive growth with a strategic direction and portfolio management in Andean Region.

VII Ventures is a venture capital group investing in entrepreneurs that are accelerating a shift towards a more sustainable and circular economy. We have a proven track-record of nurturing companies and providing our investors with superior returns on their capital. Our strategy is built on putting together diversified portfolios of technology-based ventures led by winners in their segments and supporting those investments through to a successful exit. Our passion is finding those winning companies that focus on solving complex problems. This can be anything from leveraging technology in India’s grocery market through to the production of melanin to produce new energy sources. We help these start-ups by developing long-term strategies that support ambitious growth and create lasting value. Our global portfolio includes companies in the U.S, India, Canada and Europe. The firm has three General Partners and to date has invested in more than 14 leading start-ups. Our Model Invest in winners: Through our seasoned leadership team and robust due diligence, we identify and invest in those companies that have potential to become winners in their segments. Help them scale: We help these companies refine and productize their offering to expand into new markets. We advise Boards and CEOs on making key strategic decisions, defining growth strategies, and attracting other global investors. Successful exit: Every start-up is different, and an exit strategy will always depend highly on the situation. We will work with the company to identify the best exit event including mergers and acquisitions (M&A), initial public offering (IPO), and private offering (Secondary exits).

At Upfront, we like to come in at the earliest stages and stick with you as you grow. In today's world, that means we're your first check in at the seed (or even pre-seed) stage. And as you build and raise subsequent rounds, we can support that with our growth fund as well. Bottom line - we want to get to know you as early as possible and work together for a long time. With investment professionals in both LA and the Bay, we invest nationally and even globally for the right deal. Working With Upfront Some VCs have great networks. Some have great megaphones. Some VCs offer great counsel. We value all of those but most strongly believe in rolling up our sleeves and doing the hard work alongside you in your moments of need. When your company goes immediately up-and-to-the-right, everybody is your friend. When your company hits a bump in the road we’re there - even if that means telling you the tough messages others may not. The LA Advantage We invest nationally (sometimes internationally) but our entire team is in LA, giving our portfolio valuable leverage. How? Los Angeles is at the crossroads of Asia, Latin America, and North America, providing global perspective and a diverse talent pool to compete with any city in the world. As the country’s second largest city, LA graduates the most engineers of any US market, so we have the talent and resources to build world-changing companies. Of course, LA is also the world’s creative soul, home to the film, music, art and fashion industries as well as the influencers who set the trends and put companies on the map. Upfront Summit Every year, the Upfront Summit hosts more than 1,000 top investors, entrepreneurs, and thought-leaders for an invitation-only event in Los Angeles. With two days of compelling content and conversation, our Summit showcases the best of technology, innovation, and creativity – from established global brands to bleeding edge disruptors. We take on issues like race, gender, freedom of the press, and bullying, and we tackle the conflicts and contradictions of technology industry successes. And, of course, Upfront portfolio companies are center stage, helping you build your reputation and network. Diversity & Inclusion Upfront Ventures is dedicated to increasing equality, both on our own team and with the companies and founders that we fund. It’s the right thing to do - and diverse teams make better businesses.

Carao Ventures is an early-stage VC firm for small and medium sized markets in Latin America. We support entrepreneurs who have the technical skills and grit needed to disrupt industries. Where does Carao Ventures invest? Carao Ventures considers investments in every spanish-speaking country in Latin America. We have a particular interest in companies operating in Central America, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. What industries does Carao Ventures invest in? We view almost every industry in our region as uncompetitive and in severe need of an innovation overhaul, and we believe that early-stage venture funding for Latin America's talented entrepreneurs is a key component to addressing this. We invest with the goal of creating valuable and competitive companies across most industries. We do NOT invest in certain industries, including but not limited to weapons, alcohol, tobacco, and gambling. What stages does Carao Ventures invest in? Recognizing the shortcomings of nomenclature, Carao Ventures generally seeks to invest in companies that are in Pre-Seed, Seed, or Pre-Series A stages. There is more flexibility for companies run in the US by Latin American founders (reminder: these types of companies need to have a relevant portion of their operations based in Carao Ventures target geography). What does Carao Ventures tend to look for in the companies and teams it invests in? Other than geographical and business stage criteria, we favors companies with the following characteristics: Companies that are developing or making smart use of technologies or innovative business concepts that have the potential to transform the way a sizable industry or market operates, or to become a key driver within a whole new industry. Companies that have defined a value proposition that is scalable, have international market potential, and are preferably not capital intensive. Companies that have a value proposition derived from competitive advantages that are intrinsic to, or present in, LatAm (e.g. distinctive capabilities, a market gap, a specific sector’s recognition, access to a resource, etc.) Companies led by talented multi-disciplinary teams that are self-sufficient to the point that they can effectively design, produce, and sell their product or service; Companies that have not received multiple previous rounds of funding without reaching traction in the business. Companies that have favorable prospects for subsequent rounds of financing or future liquidity events, as well as a straightforward exit strategy. How much does Carao Ventures invest per ticket? Recognizing the shortcomings of nomenclature, ticket sizes for different investment rounds are generally as follows (all values in United States Dollars): Pre-seed: $25,000 to $100,000 Seed: $250,000 to $1,000,000 Pre-Series A/Series A: $500,000 to $1,750,000 What is the best way to contact Carao Ventures? We prefer you contact us via warm intros. We value the opinion of our relationships and a reference goes a long way. If you don’t have access to someone in our network, that is perfectly fine. You can apply through our contact form on this website and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. For questions related to press, partnerships, and other institutional enquiries, please send us an email to info@caraov.com. What can I expect for Carao Ventures investment process? The investment process is as follows: Step 1: Prospective startups apply through the website’s application form Step 2: Startups selected for an initial call will be contacted via e-mail Step 3: Startups are contacted within 2 weeks with an indication of next steps Step 4: Depending on the outcome of the previous step, startups enter deeper due diligence processes with Carao Ventures (e.g., additional interviews, questions, evaluations) Step 5: Depending on the outcome of the previous step, startups are presented to Carao Ventures Fund I’s Investment Committee that will ultimately determine whether or not a company will receive an investment. From start to finish, the investment evaluation process can take between 3 weeks to 3 months, with an expected average of 1.5 months. Does Carao Ventures sign NDAs? Carao Ventures does not sign NDAs unless the information being shared describes highly proprietary information relating to a novel technology that is core to a company’s competitive advantage and business strategy. Not signing NDAs is the norm in Venture Capital investing. For more information on why most VC investors do not sign NDAs, please refer to Brad Feld’s take on the matter here. Does Carao Ventures invest in competing companies? Carao considers competing companies on a case by case basis. We prefer when companies do not overlap in geographies, and always consider the opinion of our portfolio company founders before making a decision.