We need a new playbook for deep tech ventures in LatAm 🔬🌎

In my last post, I shared about my commitment to building a long-term career in LatAm deep tech VC and why the myth that deep tech is “too hard” for our region needs to be debunked. We have the talent, but more importantly, we have no choice. Increasing water stress 💧, biodiversity loss 🐾 and strained public health systems 🏥 require bold, systemic solutions. LatAm needs science-based innovations designed for our unique environmental and social realities and technologies that go beyond incremental fixes.

The challenge for the ecosystem is two-fold:

1️⃣ While many funds are evolving and innovative financing models keep gaining strength in the region, some traditional VC investors still evaluate startups using metrics suited for software or consumer tech. Of course that evaluating and aiming for rapid growth 🚀, fast adoption 📈, and clear exit paths is much needed, but so is for investors to have the technical sophistication required to successfully evaluate and support deep tech ventures through the journey of scaling novel technologies or even complex first-ok-a-kind (FOAK) systems. 

2️⃣ Deep tech founders are often scientists or engineers rather than traditional entrepreneurs. They require tailored support — business mentorship, strategic guidance, and networks that understand both science and markets. This support must also include fundraising education 💡, as many first-time founders are unfamiliar with key concepts like SAFEs, convertible notes, or term sheets, making early-stage capital navigation challenging.

From my experience, after two years at a venture builder, involved in spinning out two LatAm deep tech startups, plus some years on the investor side, some of the biggest hurdles founders face include:

🔹 Extended development timelines that clash with traditional VC’s appetite for speed and exit needs

🔹 Complex risk profiles, including regulatory challenges and capital intensity

🔹 Impact-driven value that’s hard to quantify with traditional metrics (hence the importance of impact investing professionals!)

🔹 Founder background diversity: a need for more commercial, technical, and fundraising technical assistance

🔹 Ecosystem fragmentation: e.g., fragmented regulations 

These challenges aren’t minor. That’s why I’ll be sharing weekly more on two key fronts:

 🔸 How investors can better evaluate and support deep tech ventures

 🔸 How founders can build stronger ventures from day one (ideation), smoothing their path through VC

Deep tech in LatAm requires tailored approaches — not one-size-fits-all playbooks. If you’re a founder or investor navigating this space, I’d love to connect and learn from your experience 🤝.

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