Latin America Data Insight (Year-End 2018)
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Revived investor faith in Brazil’s economic prospects drove a surge in fundraising for Latin America in 2018. Brazil-focused funds accounted for USD6 billion of the total USD8.7 billion raised, with Patria Investments closing its sixth private equity buyout fund—the largest ever raised in Latin America—at USD2.7 billion. Yet, even as Brazil continues to dominate investment and fundraising in the region, investment in the Pacific Alliance countries has steadily grown over the past decade, with fund managers investing USD2.3 billion across the bloc in 2018. Mexico has historically led the pack, accounting for almost two-thirds of the group’s deals since 2015, but aggregate deal count for Chile, Peru, and Colombia more than doubled during the same period. Similarly, 2018 was a standout year for the burgeoning venture capital ecosystem in Latin America. Fund managers deployed USD889 million via 162 VC deals—a more than tenfold increase since 2010. Newly minted unicorns like Nubank and Rappi have drawn increased attention from established global venture investors, illustrating that Latin America’s startups are now competing with their developed market counterparts on the global stage.