Redwood Ventures

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.

B Venture Capital was founded in 2014 with the aim of supporting Brazilian startups and contributing to the growth of a better ecosystem, creating an ideal situation for entrepreneurs to reach their maximum potential. Many startups receive support from angel investors and/or accelerators in very early stages. However, not all startups can make that "big leap" on their own by simply receiving larger investments from venture capital funds. B Venture Capital focuses on this decisive phase for the success of a business. We work together with entrepreneurs to reach potential clients, design growth strategies, develop financial plans for subsequent investment rounds, and help recruit new team members. Additionally, BVC's network offers the opportunity to expand operations to the US, Europe, and Asia. Our Investment ThesisFounderLong-term vision Clear plan to achieve the long-term vision Capabilities to execute the plan Strong motivational experience (why is he/she doing this) TeamRelevant skill and experience Well defined leadership and responsibilities Preferred Startup TopicsEmpowerment Digital consumer Digitization and Automation Business ModelGenuine value proposition Clear profit and direct contribution Well-defined monetization model and economic motivator Great potential market MomentumExpanding business Customer segment to be attacked well identified (at least hypothetically) Social trend (for example, regulation, change of technical platform...)

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.

We are here to help Latin American tech entrepreneurs build transcendental companies from an early stage. We want to accelerate the creation of value in our region by partnering with passionate founders, thus bringing new and better local opportunities. What are we looking for? We are looking for exceptional founders in Latin America that are currently at an early stage in their company.‍ Tech entrepreneurs that have the drive, product mindset and integrity to make a difference in the region. How can we help? We invest in early stage startups between $100k-$1M usd. In addition to funding, we provide our expertise to help you build and grow. We've helped build one of the largest tech companies in LatAm from scratch and we're here to help you too.

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

More than just a South East Asian country with a profoundly distinctive culture, Viet Nam itself is in the golden population period with increasing quality in manpower and an open economy that is always ready to take on new trends. Based on the above competitive advantages, we seek to partner with enterprises/startups in the early stage (Seeding, Pre-series A, Series A) with an investment ranging from 100 thousand to 1.5 million USD. Our only requirements for startups include either of the following: LOCAL SPECIALTIES: The value of local specialties, from the sustainable exploitation of material sources to the application of traditional and regionally characteristic techniques, must be highlighted comprehensively during the production and development process of startups. BREAK-THROUGH TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION: The core business model must be based on innovative ground-breaking technologies, can solve the society’s most urgent issues, keep up with trends and have future expansion plans into the international market. INVESTMENT THESIS Based on the above investment strategy, we evaluate the suitability of our partnered enterprise or startup via the following investment thesis: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (ESG): This is the first and also the core element that ITI takes into consideration in our evaluation process: Environmental Friendliness, Community – society development capability (Social), Optimal business management model (Governance). BUSINESS MODEL SERVING LARGE DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN MARKETS: Vietnam is considered a potential market, with a total population of nearly 100 million people, increasingly improving average GDP per capita of roughly 3,694 USD/person (2021) beside the middle class with the fastest growth rate in Southeast Asia (2020). At the same time, total export ranks 16 globally (2020), a growth rate of 16% in value (2021). These key factors prompt us to highly appreciate the attractiveness of both the domestic market and the country’s export capability. As can be observed from our early-stage investment strategy (Seeding, Pre-seeding), ITI Fund seeks elements beyond mere innovative products, services, or business models. We prioritize startups and projects that can satisfy both the domestic and international market HUMAN FACTOR: Human plays the most crucial role in the innovation part of any businesses, accordingly deciding the business’s existence. ITI will, therefore, only cooperate and invest in projects where co-founders have the required in-depth knowledge and practical hands-on experience in their specific field of operation. At the same time, founders must be sensitive and adaptable to market fluctuations, able to connect and coordinate with the company’s pivotal team and uphold the entrepreneurial spirit.