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Fernando Pontaza

North America, Guatemala, Guatemala, Guatemala City

Description

Fernando Pontaza is a Co-Founder and Managing General Partner at Invariantes Fund, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Established in January 2022, Invariantes Fund is dedicated to investing in promising startups across Latin America, aiming to support companies that are shaping the region's future. Pontaza, leveraging his background in investment banking and private equity, plays a pivotal role in identifying and nurturing these high-growth potential ventures. The fund's strategic focus is on the burgeoning tech ecosystem within Latin America, recognizing the significant opportunities for innovation and disruption.

Invariantes Fund maintains a broad sector focus, actively seeking opportunities across various high-impact industries. Their investment thesis spans sectors such as Fintech, SaaS, E-commerce, Logistics, Proptech, Healthtech, and Edtech, reflecting a diversified approach to capturing market growth. While the fund describes itself as stage-agnostic, its typical investments are concentrated in Seed to Series A rounds, targeting companies that have demonstrated initial traction and are poised for significant scaling. This early-stage emphasis allows Invariantes Fund to engage deeply with founders and contribute to their strategic development from a foundational level.

The firm's initial investment checks typically range from $250,000 to $1,000,000, positioning them as a significant early-stage capital provider in the region. Invariantes Fund is prepared to either lead or co-lead investment rounds, indicating their commitment to taking an active role in their portfolio companies' governance and strategic direction. As of early 2024, the fund has made over 15 investments, demonstrating a consistent deployment of capital into the Latin American startup landscape. Their inaugural fund, Fund I, has a total capital commitment of $10 million, underscoring their capacity to support a growing portfolio of innovative companies.

Investor Profile

Fernando Pontaza has backed more than 20 startups, with 0 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 0 rounds, about 0% of its total and boasts 4 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Series A, Series Unknown rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States.
  • Strong thematic focus on Software, Financial Services, FinTech.
  • Typical check size: $250K – $1M.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (35%)
  • Series A (20%)
  • Series Unknown (20%)
  • Series B (15%)
  • Pre Seed (5%)
  • Series D (5%)

Country Focus

  • United States (100%)

Industry Focus

  • Software
  • Financial Services
  • Fintech
  • Information Technology
  • Automotive
  • Autonomous Vehicles
  • Sensor
  • Big Data
  • Logistics
  • Shipping
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Fernando Pontaza frequently co-invest with?

UP2398
North America, California, United States, Redwood City
Co-Investments: 2
Canvas Ventures
North America, California, United States, Portola Valley
Co-Investments: 2
FS
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 1
500 Global
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 2
Telegraph Hill Capital
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 2
1517 Fund
North America, California, United States, Oakland
Co-Investments: 6
Invariantes Fund
North America, Guatemala, Guatemala, Guatemala City
Co-Investments: 15
Andreessen Horowitz
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Co-Investments: 2
10X Capital
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 3
Alumni Ventures
North America, New Hampshire, United States, Manchester
Co-Investments: 2

Which angels does Fernando Pontaza often collaborate with?

ND
North America, United States
Shared Deals: 1
EL
North America, Florida, United States, Miami Beach
Shared Deals: 1
KB
North America, Texas, United States, Plano
Shared Deals: 1
JR
North America, United States
Shared Deals: 1
JS
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
AI
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
JD
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
BF
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
BC
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
BH
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Shared Deals: 1

What are some of recent deals done by Fernando Pontaza?

Atom Computing

Berkeley, California, United States

Atom Computing builds truly scalable quantum computers out of individual atoms.

ComputerInformation TechnologyProduct Research
Series BJan 20, 2022
Amount Raised: $60,000,000
Lambda

San Francisco, California, United States

Lambda is a cloud-based GPU company catering to developers throughout the entire lifecycle of AI development.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Cloud ComputingGPUHardwareMachine LearningSoftware
Series AJul 14, 2021
Amount Raised: $15,000,000
Hamama

San Francisco, California, United States

Hamama provides indoor microgreen seed kits enabling people to grow nutritious microgreens at home.

Home and GardenReal Estate
SeedJun 23, 2021
Amount Raised: $3,190,812
Favor

San Mateo, California, United States

Favor is a wellbeing coalition committed to to accessible, affordable birth control, skin care, menstrual care, & other services.

DeliveryHealth CareMedicalmHealth
Series BJun 14, 2021
Amount Raised: $41,900,000
Revere VC

San Francisco, California, United States

Building the "Morningstar for Venture Capital"

Big DataBusiness IntelligenceFinancial ServicesFinTechMarket ResearchVenture Capital
SeedMay 5, 2021
Amount Raised: $1,350,000
Reforge

San Francisco, California, United States

Reforge offers selective growth-focused programs for experienced professionals in marketing, product, data, and engineering.

E-LearningEducation
Series AFeb 23, 2021
Amount Raised: $18,000,000
CareRev

Los Angeles, California, United States

CareRev is an online technology platform where hospitals and outpatient facilities can directly access per diem medical staff.

Health CareHuman ResourcesMarketplace
SeedDec 1, 2020
Gisual

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Gisual provides outage intelligence for telecoms and service providers

Big DataSoftwareTelecommunications
Pre SeedNov 11, 2020
Vinovest

Culver City, California, United States

Vinovest is a wine investing platform.

Wealth Management
SeedSep 20, 2020
Hopps

Los Angeles, California, United States

Hopps is a collaboration and upskilling platform that offers one-on-one screen-share sessions for enterprise teams.

ConsultingEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSoftware
Series UnknownAug 12, 2020