Venture capital that bets on companies throughout Brazil, in the first round of investment with private capital, reaches portfolio of R$ 6.5 billion
Bossanova Investimentos, which has BMG UPTech as one of its partners, celebrates an important milestone in its trajectory: it has just reached the mark of one thousand startups contributed to its portfolio, with a round of R$ 2 million for the thousandth initiative to receive support – Privacy Tools, a complete privacy and data protection platform.
Eduardo Dominicale, CEO of the BMG Group
For Eduardo Dominicale, CEO of the BMG Group, the achievement is a source of pride and of great importance. “This is a milestone that represents the realization of a dream. When BMG joined Bossanova there were less than 100 startups and today we have reached a thousand. In addition to BMG, others believed in the realization of the project. Our investors, new partners and our employees, and we've come this far. Delivering this mark of a thousand startups shows that we are on the path we are committed to: to foster the ecosystem of innovation, creativity and solutions to various everyday issues in our society. Wanting to invest in Bossanova was a wise decision by our shareholders, who have within the BMG Group a DNA of innovation throughout its history”, he says.
In the view of the Chief Operating Officer of Bossanova and CEO of BMG UpTech, Rodolfo Santos, reaching this result was a rewarding journey. “We had interactions with amazing people, in a process where we all learn together. I believe that we took the lead by raising capital for small entrepreneurs, who with great ideas and this support can grow and change the world. It is in this capacity to transform society that we believe”, he comments.
Created in 2015, Bossanova identifies itself as venture capital, as it invests in startups across the country that are in the initial stage of 'life'. In seven years, it has more than R$ 6.5 billion in its portfolio and more than 60 exits. The pre-seed stage is typically the first round of private equity investment for those seeking funding in the early stages of a startup's development. And it is in this scenario that Bossanova operates: the company already has 63 exits – the moment of the startup in which there is total or partial sale of the participation, either by the partners or investors, or by going public on the stock exchange (IPO); by acquisition by another company; or secondary sale of shares. Among Bossanova's main outputs are Melhor Envio, Agenda Edu, SmartHint, Kinvo and Repassa.
“We have an immense know-how of the startup ecosystem in Brazil and we want to be agents of the positive transformation that this segment can still present in the coming years. Our purpose is to become the main Venture Capital hub in Brazil, whether through investment, management, education, events or news. Being a pioneer in the market also means educating and dreaming for them”, says João Kepler, CEO of Bossanova.
According to Kepler, 2021 was a very positive year, with an increase in the number of innovative initiatives being created and solving real problems for end customers or other companies. “We are excited about the outlook for 2022 and we know that 1,000 is just the beginning. Now we are going to make sure these businesses grow and continue investing”, he adds.
About BMG UPTech
Corporate venture of Grupo BMG – one of the largest and most important business groups in the country – focused on innovation. Basically, BMG UpTech identifies startups whose businesses are viable, invests in their development and puts them in contact with the market, that is, with potential buyers of the solutions. The company has already made more than 800 investments in startups in Brazil and the United States, together with Bossanova Investimentos, a micro venture capital company in which it is a partner.
