Vagabond VC: Recent Episodes
Zeb Hastings
Salum Awadh is the Founder and CEO of SSC Capital, a corporate advisory and investment banking firm based in Dar es Salaam. He is also the founder of the Tanzania Venture Capital Network. Salum talks about his journey into venture capital, building the Mbadala Impact Fund, and the current challenges and opportunities for Tanzania’s startups and venture funding ecosystem.
Reach out to Salum: sawadh@ssc.co.tz
For more information on SSC Capital, head to: http://www.ssc.co.tz/
Check out Salum’s website and follow him on Twitter
Jumanne Mtambalike is the Founder and CEO of Sahara Ventures, an ecosystem enabler based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania focused on events, consulting, and acceleration. Jumanne talks about his journey into working with startups, Sahara Venture’s history and unique role in the ecosystem, and the current challenges and opportunities for Tanzania’s startups.
Reach out to Jumanne: ceo@saharaventures.com
For more information on Sahara Ventures, head to: https://saharaventures.com
Check out Jumanne’s website, follow him on Twitter, and read his blog posts on Medium
Andrea Böhmert is a Partner at Knife Capital, a venture capital firm based in Cape Town, South Africa. Andrea discusses her journey into VC, Knife Capital's investment focus, Grindstone Accelerator, and some of the opportunities in South Africa's startup ecosystem.
Reach out to Andrea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaboehmert/
For more information on Knife Capital, head to: https://knifecap.com
Bongani Sithole is the Managing Director and Chief Scale Officer of Founders Factory Africa, a venture builder, accelerator, and investor focused on backing early-stage founders of Fintech, Healthtech, Agritech & Logistics startups. Bongani talks about his journey into startups, Founders Factory Africa's programs, and some of the opportunities in the startup ecosystem in Africa.
Reach out to Bongani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bongani-sithole-7112527/
For more information on Founders Factory Africa, head to: https://www.foundersfactory.africa
Clive Butkow is the Founder and CEO of Kalon Venture Partners, a venture capital company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. Clive describes his journey from a salesman to building companies and starting his firm, Kalon's focus and investment approach, and provides his perspective on the South African startup ecosystem.
For more information on Kalon Venture Partners, head to: https://www.kalonvp.com
Justin Schwartz is the Managing Director of Impaqto, an impact-focused accelerator, co-working space, consulting firm, and venture fund located in Ecuador. Justin talks about how the firm defines the impact that drives their activities, raising Impaqto's first fund, and the current trends in Ecuador's startup and venture capital ecosystem.
Reach out to Justin: justin@impaqto.net
For more information on Impaqto, head to: https://www.impaqto.net
Damián Alcedo is a Senior Director at Polymath Ventures, a venture builder based in Colombia. Damián talks about how he got involved in entrepreneurship, Polymath’s process from ideation to company building, and the recent trends in the Colombian startup ecosystem.
Reach out to Damián: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damianalcedooverbosch/
For more information on Polymath Ventures, head to: https://polymathv.com
Carlos Gutiérrez is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Simma Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Colombia. Carlos talks about how he got involved in entrepreneurship and venture investing, raising a fund during the pandemic, and the recent trends in the Colombian startup ecosystem.
Reach out to Carlos: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-felipe-gutierrez-camacho/
For more information on Simma Capital, head to: https://www.simmacapital.com
Laura Maria González is an associate at InQLab, a venture builder and investor based in Colombia. Laura talks about how her entrepreneurial and financial background led to venture capital, InQLab's investment strategy, and the changing dynamics in Colombia's startup ecosystem.
Reach out to Laura: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-m-gonzález-b1312176/
For more information on InQLab, head to: http://inqlab.co
Doménica Obando is the CEO of Peru-based Talently, which has built a program for software developers in LATAM to help train them with the 21st century digital skills necessary for today's startups. Doménica discusses her startup, the opportunity for digital skills development in LATAM, and why mindset is critical for expanding a company in the region.
Reach out to Doménica: domenica@talently.tech
For more information on Talently, head to: https://talently.tech
Meghan Stevenson-Krausz is a Director at Inca Ventures, an early-stage venture firm focused on investing in Fintech startups in the Andean region in South America. Meghan is also a board president at PECAP, Peru's venture capital association. Meghan and I discuss her journey into VC and some of the challenges and opportunities facing Peru's startup ecosystem.
Reach out to Meghan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghansk/
For more information on Inca Ventures, head to https://incaventures.com
For more information on PECAP, head to https://pecap.pe
Luis Narro is a Venture Partner at Alaya Capital, supporting the fund's portfolio companies starting operations in Peru, and the recent Executive Director at PECAP. Luis and I discuss Alaya's role in the country, Peru's recently launched Fund of Funds, and challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurship and venture funding in the region.
Reach out to Luis: luis.narro@alaya-capital.com
For more information on Alaya Capital, head to https://alaya-capital.com
For more information on PECAP, head to https://pecap.pe
Martín Aspillaga is the Founder & Managing Director of Salkantay Ventures, a venture capital firm based in Peru and investing in the LATAM region. Martín talks about how his previous experience in private equity eventually led to VC, the investment strategy of his firm, and the evolving trends in Peru’s startup ecosystem.
Reach out to Martín: maspillaga@salkantay.vc
Follow Martín on Twitter: @martinaspillaga
For more information on Salkantay Ventures, head to https://salkantay.vc
Javier Cárdenas Ibarra is the Founder & CEO of Rotamundos, a hospitality startup based in Mexico focusing on travel and experiences in rural areas and ethnic cultures. Javier talks about how he came up with the idea for Rotamundos, how the company values of conscious travel and sustainable tourism drive their mission, and how the Covid-19 pandemic counterintuitively grew his business.
Follow Javier on Twitter: @JavierCardenasI
For more information on Rotamundos, head to https://www.rotamundos.com
Bernardo Cordero is the Co-Founder of Flat, a PropTech startup based in Mexico and a YC S'20 graduate. Bernardo talks about how his company innovates in the real estate market in LATAM, how they view competition, and how his background as a previous founder and FinTech investor gives him a unique perspective on running Flat.
Follow Bernardo on Twitter: @berncordero
For more information on Flat, head to https://flat.mx
Check out Bernardo's portfolio with Startegy: https://startegyvb.com
Cristobal Perdomo is the Co-Founder & General Partner of Jaguar Ventures, a venture capital firm based in Mexico and investing in the LATAM region. Cristobal talks about how his previous experience as an operator is a value-add as an investor, why talent is a driving force at all levels of a startup, and how the exit landscape is evolving in LATAM.
Follow Cristobal on Twitter: @CristobaPerdomo
For more information on Jaguar Ventures, head to https://jaguarvc.com
Diego Serebrisky is the Co-Founder of Dalus Capital, a venture capital firm based in Mexico and investing in the LATAM region. Diego talks about why his fund invests in the four themes of inclusion, climate innovation, business productivity, and digital consumerism. He also provides his perspective on venture investing and entrepreneurship in Mexico and the broader LATAM region.
Follow Diego on Twitter: @serebrisky
Reach out to Dalus Capital: info@daluscapital.com
For more information on Dalus Capital, head to https://daluscapital.com
For Diego's blog, visit https://serebrisky.com
Luis Barrios is the Founder & CEO of Arkangeles, an online platform democratizing financing in LATAM. Based in Mexico, Arkangeles provides access to investing in startups and alternative assets to the public. Luis also manages the Ark Fund, an investment vehicle for startups. Luis discusses his family's entrepreneurial background, why startups in LATAM should focus on underserviced cities to gain market share, and why investors should focus on building Mexico's ecosystem to create exit opportunities.
Follow Luis on Twitter: @lxbp
Reach out to Luis directly: luis@arkangeles.com
For more information on Arkangeles, head to https://arkangeles.com
Georg Berger is the Co-Founder of Academlo, an education startup based in Mexico using income share agreements (ISAs) to help LATAM individuals finance their learning. Georg discusses his company's business model, why he's tackling this problem, and his perspective on building a company in Mexico.
Follow Georg on Twitter: @georgberger7
Reach out to Georg directly: georg@academlo.com
For more information on Academlo, head to https://www.academlo.com