Last year was a milestone year for AVP Ventures. We invested $1 million in 11 startups across Latin America, accomplishing our mission of connecting investors and startups and empowering relentless founders. An open deal flow process ensures that selected founders meet with multiple potential investors along the way. Here is the selection funnel of the Lima office during 2019. The diversity of the deal flow comes from a deliberate approach to process. We actively seek opportunities from across the region and founders from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Three pillars
We do that through venture capital funds, co-investment syndicates and matchmaking. AVP Seed Fund I is a seed stage venture capital fund that partners with relentless founders as they build solutions to real problems in Latin America Co-investment syndicates group multiple investors in a single vehicle, allowing founders to receive small investment amounts without burdening their cap tables. Matchmaking comprises direct investments by angel investors who we have introduced to startup founders.
AVP Seed Fund I is a seed stage venture capital fund that partners with relentless founders as they build solutions to real problems in Latin America
$1 million in 11 startups
These capabilities allow us to introduce selected startup founders to as many investors as possible. Ultimately, in 2019, we invested $1 million in 11 startups. Of the total invested, 75% was through funds that we administered and 25% was direct investment from individuals who are part of our angel investor network. If we take a double click of managed funds, most of that is from AVP Seed Fund I, our Peru-based seed stage venture capital fund. In addition, we create syndicated funds in order to group angel investors into one entity. This allows people to invest smaller tickets and founders to receive one large ticket. We assign one investor from the syndicate to act as representative.
Backing female founders
Of the investments of AVP Seed Fund I and syndicates, 46% of capital was invested behind startups led by women. Most of the startups we invested in operate regionally, but the origin of the startups are a broad mix. One key investment from 2019 was in Rebus, an online platform for event organizers. Rebus is led by WeXchange finalist Juliana Villaba and launched in Colombia. AVP Ventures invested through AVP Seed Fund I and a co-investment syndicate. We also invested in Quantum Talent, a startup that optimized human resource processes for companies in Latin America.
Team Effort
Our work in 2019 was due to the efforts of Elizabeth Acuña, Frank Cerna, Roberto Arbe, Juan Diego Garcia, Yanira Caraza, Emanuel Sanchez and Rosa Bocanegra. They found the opportunities and prepared founders for investment. We were able to operate and direct private capital to startup founders in 2019 due to the support we receive from the Peruvian government, through the Innovate program and BID Lab, through the Xcala program.