Acceleration startup focused on retail, newcomer Merama raises $ 160 million round

Launched in December 2020, Merama invests, scales and operates retail partner brands

Merama $160 million round — Cofounders at Merama, Guilherme Nosralla and Renato Andrade. Photo: Merama/Courtesy

28.Apr.2021 11:58 BRT
UPDATED 12:01 BRT

Newcomer to the market, Merama, a retail brand acceleration startup with an emphasis on e-commerce, announced a $ 160 million Series A ($ 60 million of equity and $ 100 million of credit line). The round includes the participation of the funds such as Monashees, Valor Capital, Balderton and MAYA Capital, in addition to entrepreneurs from companies such as MadeiraMadeira, Rappi, iFood and Loggi.

Headquartered in Brazil and Mexico, Merama started operating in December 2020 as a company to accelerate others brands on digital platforms. According to the co-founders, Merama wants to consolidate itself as the largest business in e-commerce products and marketplaces in Latin America.

Guilherme Nosralla, a co-founder of Merama, says that e-commerce in Brazil and Latin America reached a new level during the pandemic, accelerating digital sales by more than 3 years. It is in this gigantic wave that Merama wants to surf. “We are ready to be the main player of brands in the region and be the biggest partner of companies such as Mercado Libre, Amazon, B2W, Magalu and Via Varejo, in addition to other marketplaces,” says Nosralla.

Partnering and capital to leverage business

In Merama’s business model, the startup becomes a partner of selected companies and brands and injects capital to scale the businesses, connecting them to large marketplaces.

In addition, Merama provides a series of resources and tools to leverage the business, which includes internationalization, marketing optimization, investments in new products and processes automation. The company argues that this model combines the best deals with large-scale and low-cost access to capital and expertise in marketplaces and technology.

The entire investment process takes less than 45 days, according to the company. Currently, it has in its portfolio brands from various segments, such as sports, electronics, pet and baby, and plans to end 2021 with a revenue of more than $ 100 million.