The Leaders Driving Chile's Venture Capital Sector

Chile has consolidated itself as the most efficient venture capital ecosystem in the region. In 2025, the country attracted more than US$249 million in investment, representing a 57% increase compared to figures recorded in 2024. According to the VC Efficiency Index (VEI) published in the Latin America Venture Capital Report 2026, Chile achieved the highest score in capital deployment efficiency (VEI Index of 40.2), surpassing Uruguay (39.1) and Brazil (38.2) to position itself as the region’s most efficient ecosystem for venture capital management. This leadership comes amid a broader regional context in which VC investment in Latin America reached US$4.126 billion across 681 rounds during 2025, marking the beginning of a recovery cycle for the industry.

The Chilean ecosystem is built on strong institutional pillars: CORFO has provided more than US$1.069 billion in credit lines to VC funds since 1998, while since 2010, Start-Up Chile has accelerated more than 3,000 startups from 98 countries. The country now boasts an investment and venture capital ecosystem that supports an increasing number of companies every year — and behind these figures are individuals actively shaping the industry on a daily basis. Below, we present some of the most prominent investors in the Chilean ecosystem.

Andrés Pesce: Kayyak Ventures

Andrés Pesce is Co-Founder and CEO of Kayyak Ventures, the largest venture capital fund in Chile’s history. Before leading Kayyak, he spent more than a decade at Fundación Chile driving innovation initiatives and accumulated experience in both Chilean and international asset management as well as technology companies. He is also a Board Member of GSG NAB Chile and ACVC (Chilean Venture Capital Association).

Founded in 2020 and backed by the Ibáñez-Atkinson brothers, Kayyak Ventures deployed its first US$100 million fund across 21 companies that now generate combined revenues of US$380 million. The firm invests with an impact-driven approach in Latin American technology startups at Seed, Series A, and Series B stages, focusing on sectors such as FinTech, SaaS, HealthTech, and AgTech.

Macarena Liu Rivas: Driven VC

Macarena Liu Rivas is Co-Founder and General Partner at Driven VC, a seed fund specialized in commerce enablers and fintech across Latin America. She brings nearly a decade of experience in Venture Capital, Impact Investing, and entrepreneurship, including a notable tenure at Mercado Libre, the region’s leading marketplace.

Launched in 2022 from Chile, Driven VC backs high-performing founders who are digitizing commerce and finance across South America, with a focus on B2B marketplaces and digital commerce solutions.

Cristián Olea Simunovic: Manutara Ventures

Cristián Olea is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Manutara Ventures, a venture capital firm created with the conviction of being “a fund by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs.” Educated at Stanford University, he was previously co-founder of IONIX, a leading Chilean company in mobile payments and banking security.

Operating since 2016, Manutara Ventures has invested in more than 22 companies, with a particular focus on fintech and foodtech. Among its most notable portfolio companies are Zepelin, Rocketbot, and several atomic kitchen businesses with operations in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay.

Javiera Araneda de la Sotta: Start-Up Chile

Javiera Araneda is the Executive Director of Start-Up Chile (Corfo), the public acceleration program widely recognized as the world’s first public accelerator. With more than nine years of experience in the innovation ecosystem, she initially worked as a lawyer before transitioning into entrepreneurship and rising through the organization’s ranks.

Under her leadership, Start-Up Chile reports that the combined valuation of its portfolio equals more than 68 times the government’s investment, while generating nearly 37,000 jobs and accumulating 90 exits. The program operates through three acceleration tracks — Build, Ignite, and Growth — and has deployed more than US$100 million in public investment into over 3,000 startups.

Juan Turner: Tantauco Ventures

Juan Turner is Managing Partner at Tantauco Ventures, a firm he co-founded alongside Cristóbal Piñera. A lawyer trained at the University of Chicago Law School, he previously served as Managing Partner at Grasty Quintana Majlis for six years, specializing in M&A and corporate finance.

Tantauco Ventures now holds a portfolio of 23 investments in startups addressing structural challenges across the region, with a focus on ecommerce, fintech, and insurtech. Among its recent bets is Grupalia, a fintech company that raised US$7.7 million in a round led by Tantauco.

Paula Enei: Platanus Ventures

Paula Enei is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Platanus Ventures, one of the leading accelerators for Spanish-speaking early-stage startups. With a background in psychology, she built her career within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, including serving as Acceleration Director at Start-Up Chile before co-founding Platanus in 2020.

Platanus invests US$200,000 in exchange for 5.5% equity through a SAFE agreement and supports teams during an intensive three-month acceleration program. With more than 50 alumni companies in its portfolio, the firm is considered one of the driving forces behind the development of technology startups in Latin America.

Andrés Meirovich Bellolio: Genesis Ventures

Andrés Meirovich is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Genesis Ventures, a firm he established in 2006 that now operates internationally from Santiago with teams in London, Milan, and Miami. He holds an MBA from MIT Sloan and a DBA from SDA Bocconi, and previously served as President of ACVC (Chilean Venture Capital Association).

He has evaluated more than 400 projects and accumulated over a decade of active experience in the venture capital industry. Genesis Ventures invests in Venture Capital, energy infrastructure, and ETA (Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition), positioning itself as one of the country’s most established firms. Meirovich also serves as an adjunct professor at IE Business School, UAI, and UDESA.

María de los Ángeles Romo: SQM Lithium Ventures

María de los Ángeles Romo leads SQM Lithium Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of lithium giant SQM. A Forestry Engineer from PUC Chile with a Master’s in Finance from Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez and executive specializations from Stanford, Harvard Business School, and Columbia, she brings more than 20 years of experience in strategic consulting, venture capital, and acceleration.

She previously served as Manager of Start-Up Chile, Corporate Director at CORFO, and Executive Director of Endeavor Chile. Romo was recognized among the 50 Emerging Leaders in Corporate Venturing 2025 by Global Corporate Venturing and has repeatedly been named one of Chile’s 100 Leading Women by El Mercurio.

SQM Lithium Ventures launched in 2022 with a commitment of up to US$40 million, investing between US$1 million and US$5 million in startups focused on the lithium value chain, water technology, and electromobility globally. Its largest investment to date has been Altilium, a battery recycling company that received US$12 million.

David Alvo: Impacta VC

David Alvo is Founder and Managing Partner of Impacta VC, the Chilean venture capital fund focused on startups with social and environmental impact. An Endeavor entrepreneur and Industrial Engineer with a Master’s in Business Engineering, he has founded, invested in, and worked with more than 10 startups while participating in over six global accelerators.

Impacta VC supports seed-stage startups creating positive impact across Latin America, with portfolio companies including Betterfly, Kilimo, Quipu Bank, and Airbag, among others. Alvo also promotes soft-landing initiatives for Latin American startups expanding into Miami.

Federico Iriberry: Broota

Federico Iriberry is CEO and Co-Founder of Broota, Chile’s first equity crowdfunding platform for startups. A Business Engineer from Universidad del Desarrollo, he joined Broota in 2014 as an operating partner and eventually became the company’s leading public figure.

With more than 14 years in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, Broota has financed more than 65 rounds, channeling over US$24 million from more than 3,800 investors into startups such as Algramo, Karün, BabyTuto (acquired by Walmart), Khipu, and Poliglota. The platform democratizes access to venture capital by allowing tickets starting at US$2,100.

Bernardita Araya: CMPC Ventures

Bernardita Araya is Head of CMPC Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of forestry and paper holding company CMPC. A chemist from the University of Chile with a Master of Science degree and a PhD in Biotechnology from the University of Cambridge, she brings more than 20 years of experience across startups, corporations, and science-based VC funds.

She previously served as Executive Director of HubTec Chile, a consortium of seven universities focused on technology transfer, and was recognized by Bloomberg in 2021 as one of the most influential people in Latin America.

CMPC Ventures, formally launched in 2023 with a US$100 million budget, seeks startups developing disruptive technologies in textile fibers, new biomaterials, sustainable packaging, innovative wood applications, and industrial process digitalization.

Felipe Camposano: Taram Capital

Felipe Camposano is Managing Partner of Taram Capital, a firm he founded in Santiago in 2019. He is a Fellow of Class 16 of the Kauffman Fellows Program and has more than 15 years of experience in business management and entrepreneurship, including a previous role as General Manager of Dimerc Labs.

Taram Capital invests in B2B and B2B2C startups in software, healthtech, fintech, and SaaS with operations in Chile, Peru, and Miami. Its portfolio includes companies such as SimpliRoute, Webdox, Radar, and Keirón.