LATEST REGIONAL PROJECT UPDATE
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1 COLOMBIA
2 MEXICO
Bia Energy ( Bia ), a Colombian startup specializing in B2B digital energy solutions , has secured a $ 10m credit line from BBVA Spark .
Stori , the Mexican FinTech unicorn serving over three million clients , has raised $ 212 between debt and equity .
The money will strengthen Bia ’ s technology infrastructure and support expansion plans .
Founded in Bogotá in 2022 , Bia is a digital solution that enables businesses to streamline their electricity procurement and management , optimizing energy consumption and costs . Bia currently serves over 2,500 Colombian clients , cutting energy consumption through smart meters and data analysis .
Stori will use the funds to expand its offer – accelerating growth , launching new products and further develop existing products . Of the $ 212m , Notable Capital and BAI led the $ 105m equity portion , with participation from ACE Redpoint Ventures , GIC , General Catalyst , Goodwater , Lightspeed and Tresalia .
Goldman Sachs and Davidson Kempner Capital Management led the $ 107m debt side .
“ Bia is competing in a large market where technological innovation can play a crucial role . This aligns with our goal of providing global services to high-impact companies : businesses with scalable models based on technology and innovation , growing rapidly with the support of recognized investors .” said Eduardo González , Country Manager , BBVA Spark .
3
ECUADOR
Ecuadorian tech startup Mercately has confirmed the closing of a pre-seed investment round for US $ 2.6 million .
The capital injection was co-led by Inventus Capital Partners and SVQuad with the participation of BuenTrip Ventures , Salkantay Ventures and Techstars .
This investment is to accelerate Mercately ’ s LATAM growth – with a focus on Mexico and Colombia .
Stori offers financial services targeted to the underserved population .
“ From the beginning , we recognized an unfair gap in Mexico ’ s traditional financial system , which has historically served only certain sectors of the population . This investment will enable us to continue developing innovative solutions through technology , promoting financial inclusion and education ,” said Marlene Garayzar , Stori ’ s Co-Founder and Chief Governance Officer .
4
ARGENTINA
Argentinian paytech Tapi is targeting Mexico for an expansion of operation having raised $ 22m in a Series A round led by Kaszek – with participation from Andressen Horowitz .
The Mexican expansion – and a planned overall enhancement of tech infrastructure – is pitched as having the potential to quadruple the volume of Tapi ’ s processed payments .
Founded in 2021 , Mercately developed a solution that allows SMEs and large companies to access AI through WhatsApp or another platform to deliver a comprehensive solution to boost e-commerce sales
Tapi was founded in 2022 to offer payment infrastructure for banks and fintechs to handle recurring payments , cash transactions , airtime top-ups and gift cards across multiple countries and regulatory environments with a single solution .
To date , Mercately has reached a turnover of more than US $ 1.5m and plans to use the latest investment to develop virtual agents and establish more alliances with Delivery and Digital Payment companies .
The FinTech currently serves over 25 clients in Argentina , Chile , Mexico , Colombia and Peru – including Ualá , Mercado Pago and Lemon , with whom it has partnered to bring cryptocurrency payments to Argentina .
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