Tech Roundup: Latin America’s first dedicated fund for govtech startups

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Welcome to our Tech Roundup, where we bring you the biggest stories in technology and innovation in Brazil and Latin America. This week: The region’s first investment fund focused on govtechs exceeds BRL 80 million in available resources.

Latin America’s first dedicated fund for government-focused startups

Led by asset managers KPTL and Cedro Capital, the first fund in Latin America dedicated to startups focused on government and mass public services — in areas such as health, education, security, housing, and urbanism — is close to reaching half of its BRL 200 million (USD 40.2 million) fundraising goal.

State of play. The fund, officially called Brasil FIP Capital Semente, has begun raising money from private investors such as technology companies Positivo and Multilaser, which can redirect tax benefits from the country’s IT law earmarked for R&D to startups, as well as government research and innovation funding agencies such as Agerio from Rio de Janeiro and Badesul from Rio Grande do Sul.

In September, the KPTL fund was one of...

Fabiane Ziolla Menezes

Former editor-in-chief of LABS (Latin America Business Stories), Fabiane has more than 15 years of experience reporting on business, finance, innovation, and cities in Brazil. The latter recently took her back to the classroom and made her a Master in Urban Management from PUCPR. At TBR, she keeps an eye on economic policy, game-changing businesses, and people driving innovation in Latin America.