Startups to Watch & Tech Talents
#63 - Caic AI, Lugui AI, ex-Head of Engineering at NG.CASH, ex-Co-Founder at Gabriel, and much more...
Happy Wednesday!
I know it has been a while… but please bear with me! Life has been completely crazy, and the truth is time is my main challenge today. There are several things I love to do (such as this edition of the newsletter) but little time to dedicate. Therefore, as a normal individual, I sometimes need to choose what to focus on, and pick my battles.
With this said, I am happy to be back! (at least for now)
As a reminder, this series is dedicated to startups and founders from LatAm that have just entered or exited stealth mode.
It is written in partnership with Pedro Mesquita from Tech Talents and aims to use data-driven tools to foster the local tech ecosystem by helping founders connect with the right people who can contribute to their success.
In case you do not know yet, “stealth mode” is when individuals are building a new business but choose not to disclose details about their projects, often for competitive reasons. This term has been used for years in the US Venture Capital ecosystem but has only recently become more common in Latin America.
Expect to receive Startups To Watch & Tech Talents every other Wednesday, separately from my traditional weekly newsletter.
This week, we’re featuring two AI startups — one focused on Sales and another in Real Estate — along with six other stealth founders with noteworthy profiles.
Also, before we dive in, I wanted to share an interesting study conducted by my co-writer in this series. By leveraging Tech Talents’ database, the study identified the emergence of a new wave of tech mafias or talent hubs in Latin America — extending beyond the well-known “Rappi Mafia.”
While the list isn’t exhaustive, as it only includes companies identified by Tech Talents, and some hubs may be missing, it still offers a promising sign of the growing maturity of the local tech ecosystem!
Note that there is no bias in the companies and founders featured – apart from the fact that we like their stories and backgrounds. I am not an investor, nor do I get any financial compensation to promote startups and founders featured. This is intended for informational purposes only, using my solid base of subscribers to share intel about good people doing cool things, thus fostering the ecosystem.
Also note that this is just a small section of what is featured in Pedro Mesquita’s Tech Talents newsletter. If you want to receive the complete version, as soon as he releases it, be sure to subscribe to his newsletter!
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Opinions expressed here are solely my own and do not represent those of people, institutions, or organizations that I may or may not be associated with in any capacity unless explicitly stated.
🎊 Startup Launches
Founders who have just publicly announced what they are working on.
Caic AI
Overview
Startup Description: Caic is the first AI-powered conversational commerce platform within WhatsApp Business.
Industry: E-commerce, AI
Team Size: 2
Time in Stealth: 6 months
Founder Profile
Alex Sátiro – Founder at Caic AI
Founder Highlights: Technical Founder, Scaleup Experience, Ex-Corporate
Previous Experience: Ex-Software Development Manager at BHub, ex-Development Team Lead at Grupo Boticário, ex-Coordenador de TI at Carrefour, ex-IT Specialist at Oppa Design, Bachelor of Technology in eCommerce from UNIBTA.
Headquarters: São Paulo, Brazil
Ask for an Intro: Click here
Lugui AI
Overview
Startup Description: Lugui is a vertical platform leveraging generative AI to reinvent rent for real estate agencies, landlords and tenants.
Industry: Real Estate
Team Size: 5
Time in Stealth: 7 months
Founder Profile
Thomaz Guz - Founder & CEO at Lugui AI
Founder Highlights: Previous Exit, Serial Founder
Previous Experience: Ex-Founder & CEO at Nomah (Exit to Loft), ex-Sales Executive at ADP, ex-Private Equity Analyst at Astra Investimentos, ex-Intern at Air France.
Headquarters: São Paulo, Brazil
Ask for an Intro: Click here
🤫 Talents Entering Stealth
Talents with relevant experiences who have just entered stealth mode.
Gustavo Amaral – Co-Founder at Stealth Startup
Founder Highlights: Technical Founder, Scaleup Experience
Previous Experience: Ex-Head of Engineering at NG.CASH, ex-Full Stack Software Engineer at Dados Legais, ex-AI Developer at ICA PUC-Rio, ex-Optimization Engineer at Pareto Group, Bachelor's in Computer Engineering from Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro.
Headquarters: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Time in Current Position: 5 months
Ask for an Intro: Click here
Jessica Thie Kato – Founder & CEO at Stealth Startup
Founder Highlights: Masters, Ex-Big Tech, Top University
Previous Experience: Ex-Canada and Latin America Corporate Go To Market Manager at Microsoft. Master in Marketing and Digital Communications from ESPM, Bachelor's in Business Administration from FGV.
Headquarters: São Paulo, Brazil
Time in Current Position: 4 months
Ask for an Intro: Click here
Sergio Andrade – Co-Founder at Stealth Startup
Founder Highlights: Serial Founder, Scaleup Experience, Technical Founder
Previous Experience: Ex-Co-Founder & CTO at Mayla, ex-Co-Founder & CTO at Gabriel Tecnologia, ex-CTO at Epicom Tech, ex-Director of Software Engineering at Peixe Urbano, ex-Software Engineer at Power.com, Bachelor's in Computer Sciences from Universidade Federal Fluminense.
Headquarters: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Time in Current Position: 1 year
Ask for an Intro: Click here
Bernardo de Pádua – Founder at Pharoi
Founder Highlights: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Masters, Top University, Scaleup Experience, Y Combinator Alumni
Previous Experience: Chairman at Quero Educação, ex-Founder - CEO at Quero Educação, ex-Founder/CTO at Redealumni Servicos De Internet, Master in Computer Science from ITA, BSc. in Computer Engineering from ITA.
Headquarters: São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil
Time in Current Position: 1 year, 1 month
Ask for an Intro: Click here
Gui Santa Rosa – Founder at Stealth Startup
Founder Highlights: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Masters, Ex-Big Tech, Top University
Previous Experience: Ex-Head of International Product Growth, LATAM & Europe at Meta, ex-EIR at Liga Ventures, ex-CEO & Founder at Fábrica de Aplicativos, ex-CTO & Partner at MoWA, ex-Co-Founder & Head of Product at Compass Tecnologia, ex-Solutions Architect at MicroStrategy, Bachelor's in Computer Engineering from USP, Master's in Entrepreneurship from USP.
Headquarters: Miami, Florida, United States
Time in Current Position: 5 months
Ask for an Intro: Click here
Carolina da Costa Carvalho – Co-Founder at Stealth Startup
Founder Highlights: Masters, Ex-Corporate, Ex-Investor, Top University
Previous Experience: Ex-Credit, Risk & Structuring at Credix, ex-Investment Professional at Noon Capital Partners, ex-Investment Professional at CPP Investments, ex-Investment Professional at Mubadala, ex-MBA Associate at Cartesian Capital Group, Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School, BA in Economics from Insper.
Headquarters: São Paulo, Brazil
Time in Current Position: 11 months
Ask for an Intro: Click here