Musings from Mexico City #9
Welcome to the ninth edition of Musings from Mexico City. A personal newsletter on tech, community, and happenings in Mexico City & Latin America! Thank you for following along with me.
Data released by LAVCA illustrates that for the first time in Q3 2022, there was more VC activity in Mexico than Brazil. As Spanish-speaking Latam continues to grow we will see the rise of Mexico.
New trends in the region and cooling from 2021, brings an accretion of M&A. In the last quarter, we saw two acquisitions. Mexican unicorn Yaydoo acquires B2B payments platform Oyster (more here). Casai and Nomah merged to take on short-term rentals in the region (more here). This is just the beginning and could have many positive implications for the region.
Lastly, I am elated to announce the Latin America VC Job Board (powered on Pallet) that includes both investing and operating roles at VC funds in the region. I launched a beta job board 6 months and am excited to level up to support growing needs.
Now let’s get to the most recent updates, activity, and buzz in the region!
📈 Trends
LatAm venture funding falls for the fifth consecutive quarter by CB Insights (more here)
2022 Latin America Health Tech 50 by Holon IQ (more here)
How a Quarter Bereft of Unicorns Bodes Badly for Latin American Startups (more here)
📈 Big News
The 500 Latam promotes Regina Zurutuza and Damaris Mendoza to partner (more here)
Kaszek and DILA Capital led a $7.6M round for Cicada, a Mexican corporate and government bond investing platform (more here)
Ping wants to simplify global payments while helping Latin Americans embrace crypto (more here)
Getnet México and Pacto Announce Strategic Partnership to Launch Integrated Payments and POS at Restaurants Across Mexico (more here)
Mexican mortgage tech startup Yave raises $7.5M, led by Better Tomorrow Ventures and Metaprop (more here)
🚀 Startup Opportunities
Open-source coaching curriculum by Matt Mochary (more here)
Apply for eMerge Americas Startup Showcase 2023 (in Miami); the deadline to apply is December 20th (more here)
Upload Ventures launches VC for Founders: a program that offers entrepreneurs an insight into how the Venture Capital industry really works (more here)
Join START Global Fellowship to get a scholarship (all expenses covered) and full-access to the European startup ecosystem during a 4-month stay in Switzerland (more here)
📅🇲🇽 Upcoming Events in CDMX, Miami & Honduras
11/18-11/20: Prospera Fintech & DeFi Summit (RSVP here)
11/20: Mujeres en Tech by Women @ Google (RSVP here)
11/22-11/24: Open Finance 2020 (RSVP here)
11/23: WeInvest, EmprendedoraLAC & AWS Networking Event (RSVP here)
11/24: ¿Utilizas WhatsApp en tu Startup? (RSVP here)
11/25: Cube Ventures Demo Day (RSVP here)
11/29: Cometa Happy Hour (Invite Only)
11/30: Platanus Ventures Demo Day (RSVP here)
11/30: Marathon Happy Hour in CDMX (Invite Only)
12/1: Khora Holiday Party (Invite Only)
12/2: Cowork w/ Khora (RSVP here)
12/8: Building Web3 w/ Lens Protocol & Web3 Social (RSVP here)
12/13-12/14: Fintech Nexus Latam (RSVP here)
2/14-2/17: FINNOSUMMIT Connect 2023 in Cancun (RSVP here)
📚 What I’m Reading…
The Guide to Banking as a Service in Mexico by Zac Thomas (more here)
Musk lays off Twitter Mexico staff. The government rejoices (more here)
Mexican fintech Clara lays out strategy for going public (more here)
Mendel raises $60M to consolidate its offer in the Mexican market (more here)
Eight lessons from the first climate tech boom and bust by Bessemer Venture Partners (more here)
🎙️ What I’m Listening to…
Marc Andreessen on Elon Musk, how to think for yourself, good startup ideas and finding a co-founder (listen here)
Invierte, Impulsa y Evoluciona Ep. 28 Foodtech with Rodrigo Kuri, Co-Founder of Pacto (listen here)
Latitud Podcast Ep. #120 – Stori's story of becoming Mexico's 9th unicorn and a credit card giant: Marlene Garayzar (listen here)
👩💻 VC Firms & Startups Hiring
Fintech Investing Partner @ a16z (Apply & more details here)
General Counsel @ Addem Capital (Apply & more details here)
Associate @ IGNIA Partners (Apply & more details here)
Head of Merchant Success @ Pacto (Apply & more details here)
Head of Programming @ VC Familia (Apply & more details here)
🧘🏻♀️ Wellness
Yoga for Neck and Shoulder Relief by Yoga with Adrienne (more here)
Guided Non Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) Practice ~ 15 mins by Jonny Miller (more here)
Wheel of Life Exercise by Rachel Downey (more here)
🌟 Khora Community Perks
Glitzi: use code KHORA20 for 20% off on all at-home manis, pedis & haircuts and more
Open Finance 2020: use code SPEAKER20 for 20% off tickets
Dolar App: use code: KHORA_CARD for a free DolarCard ($4.99 USD value)
Dolar App: Use code KHORA_TRANSFERS for 1 free transfer per month from/to any US account (ACH or Wire)
Around: If you’re looking for new office space in CDMX, message me for a special promo for our community
Pomelo for Startups (more here)
Scape: use code KHORA25 for 25% off for at-home massages, facials, and beauty products
Trendi: use code KHORA for 20% off of digital education programs
🐶 Dogs of the Month: Sally!
Congratulations to Sally, pup of Month! She is a certified good-girl and a happy traveler. She is the lovely pup of Mafer Carrillo from Around, some our favorite community peeps in CDMX.
💜 Gratitude
Thank you to the many friends, peers, and mentors that have supported me in my Latam journey. A special shout out to Nick Spiller, Daniel Bronsoiler, Miguel Burger-Calderon, James Barlia, Jessica Spivack, Ryan Croft, and Eugenio Perea.
Abrazos,
Kate Kiewel
Kate, I enjoy reading your newsletter. Today I got the need of remembering why on earth am I an entrepreneur and your news and good vibe worked seamlessly. Thanks 😊
Kate, your "musings" are a great resource for those interested in economic trends and the tech landscape in Mexico. Thanks so much for providing this!