At the beginning of the year, the Japanese corporate Softbank announced the creation of a fund to support startups in Latin America. Although Softbank Group COO Marcelo Claure said the fund would not focus on one country, Brazil has clearly been favored by the group. Of the $ 5 billion announced by the Japanese group, almost half have fed Brazilian startups.
As a result of the capital injection led by Softbank, this year, five new unicorns have emerged in the South American nation, making 2019 a magical year for Brazil’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
This fact is far from a surprise. From the beginning, the Japanese corporate clarified that it sought to invest in unicorns or in companies with the potential to become unicorns in Brazil.
These are the five Brazilian unicorns of 2019:
Loggi, June 2019
Founded by Frenchman Fabien Mendez in São Paulo, the startup specializes in the delivery market. He became a unicorn after receiving $ 150 million from Softbank. “It’s a financial milestone that confirms that Loggi is on the right track to reinvent logistics using technology,” says Loggi president and co-founder.
Gympass, June 2019
The Gympass is home to fitness gyms and services of Brazilian firms. The startup received an investment of $ 300 million, also directed by Softbank. “We believe that this investment will allow us to take our solution to more organizations worldwide, revolutionizing the way people engage in physical activity,” said César Carvalho, CEO of the startup.
QuintoAndar, September 2019
Also invested by Softbank, the real estate rental startup received $ 250 million. Kaszek Ventures, from Argentina, and General Atlantic, from the United States, also participated in the round. For Gabriel Braga, CEO and founder of QuintoAndar, the achievement shows that the company is “on the right track.” “It seems that you have completed a stage, but it is only the beginning. Now is to celebrate and think about what will come. “
Ebanx, October 2019
Curitiba (PR) fintech achieved unicorn status after receiving investment from US FTV Capital. Ebanx offers services throughout Latin America, payment processing companies with global operations, such as Aliexpress, Wish, Gearbest, Pipedrive, Spotify, and Airbnb. Alphonse Voigt, co-founder and CEO of the startup says that the challenge of providing services across the continent is to know the details of each country deeply. In addition to payment, fintech offers market intelligence analysis, anti-fraud strategies, and marketing consulting, among other services.
Wildlife Studios, December 2019
In a round led by the US fund Benchmark Capital, the mobile game company was the last to join the 2019 list. The multinational game was born in 2011, created by brothers Arthur Lazarte and Victor Lazarte. By the end of this year, Wildlife Studios plans to reach the download mark of two billion. Some of its 70 titles are Sniper 3D and Tennis Clash.