Tech Roundup: A fund to foster the Amazon bioeconomy

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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: A bioeconomy fund to foster tech-based businesses in the Amazon rainforest.

USD 30 million boost for the Amazon’s bioeconomy

The Brazilian asset manager KPTL (pronounced “capital”) has just launched its first international venture capital fund, targeting the bioeconomy across seven Latin American countries that make up the Amazon rainforest: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Guyana, and Suriname.

The fund, called Amazonia Regenerate Accelerator and Investment Fund, is a partnership with Kaeté, a private equity firm committed to sustainable investments targeting low-income communities.

Context. The fund emerged from a conversation two years ago between KPTL CEO Renato Ramalho and Kaeté founder Otávio Ottoni. “We realized we could take this off the ground by bringing Kaeté’s regional knowledge and KPTL’s VC expertise,” Mr. Ramalho tells The Brazilian Report.

Backdrop. Impact investing has long been part of KPTL’s DNA. With more than USD 1 billion under management, KPTL has managed the Environmental Innovation Fund (FIMA), created by Brazil’s National Development Bank (BDNES), since 2013.

In 2022, KPTL also partnered with mining company Vale to...

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.