La Frontera: Bridging Startups and VCs Across the Americas

Cyrus Bakhshi, Thomas Barrett
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Welcome to "La Frontera," a podcast dedicated to exploring the dynamic startup and venture capital ecosystem in Latin America. We dive into the innovations, opportunities, and challenges unique to the region. Our goal is to bridge the gap between founders in the region and international investors by providing founders with access to high-quality resources and funding and investors with the insights and guidance to invest with confidence. You can explore all of our newsletters and be notified of future episodes here: https://www.lafronterapodcast.com

  1. JAN 21

    Building and Scaling an AI Startup in LatAm with Nico Camhi, Vambe

    How do you raise ~$20M and scale to ~$6M ARR in ~20 months as a first-time founder in Latin America? In this episode of La Frontera, we sit down with Nico Camhi, CEO and co-founder of Vambe, to break down the real playbook behind building and scaling an AI company in LatAm. We cover how Vambe uses AI agents to automate critical back-office workflows for B2C commercial teams, why execution and culture matter more than hype, and what it takes to raise capital through relationships as a first-time founder. Nico also shares lessons from building in Chile, expanding into Brazil, and designing AI systems that actually work across different Latin American cultures. This is a candid conversation about: Building AI products for real operational problems Raising capital and earning investor trust Hiring for ownership, speed, and resilience Why in-person teams still matter Cultural nuance in AI prompting across LatAm The unglamorous reality of entrepreneurship If you’re a founder, operator, or investor building in Latin America—or thinking about it—this episode is for you.

    1h 1m

  2. JAN 7

    Fintech Storytelling, Building Credit & Credibility with Andrew Endicott, Gilgamesh Ventures

    We sat down with Andrew Endicott, GP at Gilgamesh Ventures and former co-founder and president of Petal—one of the earliest fintech companies to challenge traditional credit underwriting by using cash-flow data instead of credit scores. It’s one of those conversations that looks like a fintech episode on the surface, but ends up being something deeper: a discussion about how people make decisions inside complex systems, how founders earn trust over time, and why Latin America continues to produce some of the most compelling fintech businesses in the world. Andrew brings a rare mix of perspectives to the table. He’s a lawyer by training, a founder who built inside U.S. financial regulation, and now an investor who’s spent years developing pattern recognition across the U.S. and Latin America. He’s thoughtful without being academic, opinionated without being dogmatic—and refreshingly honest about what he doesn’t know. We talk about fintech complexity, regulatory tradeoffs, the capital cycle behind lending businesses, storytelling as companies scale, and the “light-bulb moment” that led to Gilgamesh’s LatAm thesis. We also wander into employee compensation, investor psychology, and why spending time away from screens might be one of the most underrated founder skills. If you’re a founder building in fintech—or an investor trying to understand why some teams win and others stall—this episode is pure gold.

    1h 10m

  3. 10/22/2025

    Empowering Founders & Flipping the Fundraising Script with Marcial Gonzalez Fraga

    We sat down with Marcial González Fraga, Founder of Oss, to explore how startup founders can raise capital on their own terms. From launching Mercado Libre’s fintech lending arm to co-founding a startup and leading 100+ investments at Latitud Ventures, Marcial has seen every side of the fundraising table. Now, as a self-described “fundraising sherpa,” he helps founders flip the power dynamic and run their raise with confidence and control. In this episode, we discuss: How to think like a VC when fundraising Why even the best founders need a coach How to keep leverage in your hands during a raise Marcial’s contrarian takes on follow-on capital and investor alignment What it means to build a company and a life with purpose You can find show notes, deep dives, and other great content in our newsletter 👉 www.lafronterapodcast.com Intro and outro music is Me Quema by The Berger / Sanchez Project.

    1h 1m

  4. 10/07/2025

    Inside VEMO’s $500M Bet on Clean Mobility in Latin America with Nico Estrada, VEMO

    We sat down with Nico Estrada, CFO of VEMO, to dive into how this Mexican company is accelerating the electric mobility revolution across Latin America. Nico takes us through his journey from Colombia to Wall Street to Mexico City — and why he left investment banking to become VEMO’s first non-founder hire. We explore how VEMO rolled up multiple startups to build an integrated EV ecosystem that combines fleets, charging infrastructure, and fintech-style solutions, solving the chicken-and-egg problem of EV adoption in LatAm. Nico also shares how VEMO is driving financial inclusion through lease-to-own programs for ride-hailing drivers with Uber and DiDi, helping gig workers access cars, credit, and ownership. Finally, we discuss VEMO’s recent $250M fundraise, one of the largest in Latin America this year, what it means for scaling fleets and charging networks, and the lessons Nico has learned guiding a capital-intensive startup through hypergrowth. You can find show notes, deep dives, and other great content in our newsletter 👉 www.lafronterapodcast.com Intro and outro music is Me Quema by The Berger / Sanchez Project. Keywords: latam, startup, electro-mobility, climate tech, mexico, VEMO, BYD, DIDI, UBER, nico, estrada, Vision ridge, electric vehicles, charging network

    59 min

  5. 09/22/2025

    Why Sustainable Impact is the Next Big Venture Opportunity in LatAm with Daniela Pacheco, New Ventures Capital (NVC)

    In this episode, we talk with Daniela Pacheco, Managing Partner of New Ventures Capital (NVC), about making impact investing in Latin America both sustainable and profitable. Daniela shares how NVC is bridging philanthropy and venture capital with a $20M fund focused on youth, women, and overlooked sectors like healthcare. We dive into why impact + returns go hand in hand, how her team proactively sources deals, and why disciplined growth beats blitzscaling in today’s market. You can find show notes, deep dives, and other great content in our newsletter 👉 www.lafronterapodcast.com Intro and outro music is Me Quema by The Berger / Sanchez Project. Keywords: new ventures capital, impact investing, venture capital, Latin America startups, healthtech LatAm, women's health, fintech LatAm, sustainable growth, Daniela Pacheco, New Ventures Capital, Fibrazo, Plenna, Smartbeemo, early-stage VC, Colombia venture capital, Botnar Foundation, entrepreneurship LatAm, startup ecosystem, La Frontera podcast

    58 min

  6. 09/11/2025

    Democratizing M&A: Inside the New Marketplace for LatAm Businesses with Daniel Rodriguez, Adquiere

    In this episode, we dive into why M&A matters now more than ever in LatAm, and how Adquiere is tackling the region’s exit gap head-on. Daniel shares how a failed acquisition of his last company sparked the idea for Adquiere, why small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) may hold the key to a virtuous cycle of reinvestment, and how connecting cross-border capital (think the Hispanic diaspora) can supercharge the ecosystem. This conversation is packed with insights on building in public, democratizing acquisitions, and preparing early for an exit. You can find show notes, deep dives, and other great content in our newsletter 👉 www.lafronterapodcast.com Intro and outro music is Me Quema by The Berger / Sanchez Project.

    1h 4m

  7. 08/15/2025

    The Creative Edge: A Musician’s Journey to Supercharging GTM Teams with AI with Tomas Uribe, Mavity

    Tomas Uribe's unconventional path, unique style and perspective is a refreshing one, and his journey has a bit of everything: from a childhood steeped in music and the arts to a leap from Colombia to New York City. He shares hard-won lessons navigating the U.S. immigration maze and building a startup that’s caught the attention of investors like Pharrell Williams and Morgan Stanley. In this episode, Tomás shares how his creative roots give him an edge in tech, why being authentic helped him fundraise, and how he’s using AI to supercharge creative work. If you’re a founder from an unconventional background, an immigrant entrepreneur, or an investor interested in the creative economy, this conversation is packed with golden insights. You can find show notes, deep dives, and other great content in our newsletter 👉 www.lafronterapodcast.com Intro and outro music is Me Quema by The Berger / Sanchez Project.

    1h 9m

  8. 08/05/2025

    First Check, Lasting Impact: Remembering Ali Jamal of First Check Ventures

    Ali Jamal, Founding Partner of First Check Ventures, was more than just an early-stage investor. He was a friend, a mentor, and a quiet force who backed founders before anyone else did; often when all they had was conviction and a dream. In this special episode, investors, founders, and friends share about their moments with and memories of Ali that defined who he was and the deep impact he had on the venture ecosystem — especially in Latin America. While it doesn’t capture everything, we hope this tribute offers a glimpse into the legacy he leaves behind. Thank you to everyone who shared their memories of Ali for this episode: Alex Zorychta, Not Yet Ventures Andres Cano, Pygma Ihar Mahaniok, Geek Ventures Ivan Montoya, NuMundo Ventures Juan Sebastian Jaramillo, Pari Martin Tobias, Incisive Ventures Mike Ma, Sidecut Ventures You can find show notes, deep dives, and other great content in our newsletter 👉 www.lafronterapodcast.com Intro and outro music is Me Quema by the The Berger / Sanchez Project.

    49 min
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About

Welcome to "La Frontera," a podcast dedicated to exploring the dynamic startup and venture capital ecosystem in Latin America. We dive into the innovations, opportunities, and challenges unique to the region. Our goal is to bridge the gap between founders in the region and international investors by providing founders with access to high-quality resources and funding and investors with the insights and guidance to invest with confidence. You can explore all of our newsletters and be notified of future episodes here: https://www.lafronterapodcast.com

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