If by the middle of this year CB Insights‘ global State of Venture report counted $9.3 billion for Latin American startups, double what was contributed in all of 2020, preliminary data points to 2021 as a record-breaking year for the region.
One such broken record for Latin America was the IPO of Nubank, which was even valued, at the peak of its first day as a public company, at more than $50 billion.
LABS went after the figures for the most valuable startups in Latin America to date with Brazil’s innovation platform Distrito, LAVCA (Latin American Private Equity Investment Association), and Crunchbase. While the lists have names in common, each of these companies has a different methodology, some consider M&As and IPOs, others only venture capital rounds.
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According to Distrito‘s list, the most valuable startups in Latin America are:
- Nubank – $30 billion
- PagSeguro – $8.2 billion
- Kavak – $8.7 billion
- Rappi – $5.2 billion;
- QuintoAndar – $5.1 billion
- Stone – $5 billion
- Nuvemshop – $3.1 billion
- Loft – $2.9 billion
- Ualá – $2.45 billion
- VTEX – $2.24 billion
LAVCA also keeps track of venture capital rounds of Latin American unicorns. As of December 20, LAVCA counted 27 companies in this group. Some have disclosed their valuation in recent rounds, others have not, just saying they had already reached or exceeded $1 billion in market value. Check out:
- Nubank – The last valuation released before the IPO was $30 billion; And the last round before the NYSE listing was $750 million.
- Kavak – $8.7 billion; $700 million (2021).
- Rappi – +$5.25 billion; $500 million (2021).
- QuintoAndar – $5.1 billion; $120 million (2021).*
- Nuvemshop – $3.1 billion; $500 million (2021).
- Loft – $2.9 billion; $425 million and $100 million (2021).
- Ualá – $2.45 billion; $350 million (2021).
- Bitso – $2.2 billion; $250 million (2021).
- Gympass – $2.2 billion; $220 million (2021).
- Mercado Bitcoin – $2.1 billion; $50 million (2021).
- CloudWalk – $2.15 billion; $150 million (2021).
- Clip – $2 billion; $250 million (2021).
- Mural – $2 billion; $50 million (2019).
- Loggi – $2 billion; $205 million (2021).
- Creditas – $1.75 billion; $255 million (2020).
- Olist – $1.5 billion; $186 million (2021).
- NotCo – $1.5 billion; $235 million (2021).
- Konfío – $1.3 billion; $110 million (2021).
- Wildlife Studios – $1.3 billion; $60 million (2019).
- Merama – $1.2 billion; $60 million (2021).
- Facily – +$1 billion; $135 million (2021).
- unico – +$1 billion; $125 million (2020).
- CargoX – +$1 billion; $200 million (2021).
- Clara – $1 billion; $70 million (2021).
- Movile – Undisclosed valuation; $194 million (2021).
- MadeiraMadeira – $1 billion; $190 million (2021).
- Auth0 – $1 billion; $103 million (2019).
Crunchbase, on the other hand, surveyed, at the request of LABS, the funding data, up to December 21, considering venture capital, corporate venture capital, and private equity funds and firms. According to Crunchbase, the ten Latin American firms that raised the largest rounds in 2021 were:
1 – C6 Bank – Corporate round in June – $2 billion
2 – Kavak – Series D in April – $485 million
3 – Nubank** – Series G in January – $400 million
4 – Nuvemshop – Series D in March – $90 million
5 – Loft – Series D in March – $425 million
6 – Rappi – Series F in July – $500 million
7- EBANX – Series B in June – $ 430 million
8 – QuintoAndar – Series E extension – $120 million
9 – Ualá – Series D in August – $ 350 million
10 – Merama – Series B in December (with extension) – $ 120 million
*QuintoAndar data was updated by the firm, since it raised a $120 million Series E extension that lifted its valuation to $5.1 billion in 2021
**Nubank had an IPO