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Latin America · Angel Investing

The angels behind Latin America’s startup boom

Before the venture funds arrive, someone writes the first check. This site maps the people who do it in Latin America — the region’s best-known angel investors — and explains how angel investing actually works, from the first term sheet to the exit.

Meet the top angelsWhat is angel investing?
≈US$16Bventure capital invested in LATAM at the 2021 peak, per LAVCA reporting
40+technology unicorns created across the region since 2017
US$5k–100kthe typical range of a first angel check in LATAM
Start here

Three ways in

The people

Profiles of the founders-turned-angels who consistently appear on LATAM top-angel lists — from MercadoLibre and Nubank alumni to the Rappi and Platzi crowd.

Top angel investors →

The concept

What an angel investor actually does, how angel deals are structured (SAFEs, convertible notes, priced rounds), and how angels differ from VCs.

What is angel investing →

The playbook

A step-by-step path to your first check: budget, deal flow, diligence, portfolio math, and the networks that make starting easier in Latin America.

Become an angel →

Featured

Names you keep seeing on the lists

A handful of people appear on virtually every ranking of Latin American angel investors. Three examples — the full list has more:

Wences Casares

Argentina · Patagon, Xapo

Serial fintech founder and one of the region’s earliest prolific angels, backing startups across the Americas for over two decades.

David Vélez

Colombia · Nubank

Co-founder and CEO of Nubank, the largest digital bank in the world by customers — and a reference point for a new generation of LATAM founder-angels.

Brian Requarth

Brazil · VivaReal, Latitud

Built VivaReal, co-founded the Latitud community, wrote a widely read playbook for LATAM founders, and backs early-stage startups across the region.

See the full list →

Frequently asked questions

What is an angel investor?
An angel investor is an individual who invests their own money in early-stage startups, usually before venture capital funds get involved. In exchange they receive equity (or a right to future equity via instruments like SAFEs). Angels often add advice, contacts and credibility on top of capital.
Who are the most famous angel investors in Latin America?
The names that recur across top-angel lists are mostly successful founders reinvesting in the ecosystem: Wences Casares (Patagon, Xapo), Marcos Galperin (MercadoLibre), David Vélez (Nubank), Brian Requarth (VivaReal, Latitud), Sebastián Mejía (Rappi), Freddy Vega (Platzi) and the Cornershop founders, among others. See our top angel investors page for profiles.
How much money do you need to be an angel investor in LATAM?
Less than most people assume. First checks in Latin America commonly range from about US$5,000 to US$100,000, and syndicates or angel networks let individuals participate with even smaller amounts pooled alongside other investors.
Is this site investment advice?
No. Inversionistas Ángeles is an editorial and educational resource. Angel investing is high-risk and illiquid — most startups fail — and nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Always do your own diligence and consult a licensed advisor where appropriate.
What is a SAFE, and why is it so common in LATAM angel deals?
A SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) is a contract that converts into equity at a future priced round, without interest or a maturity date. It’s the most common instrument for early LATAM angel checks because it’s fast and cheap to paper compared with a fully negotiated priced round.
Where can I find angel investor networks and communities?
See our directory of angel investor networks in Latin America and the US — LATAM-wide communities, country-specific groups, and US networks, with links to each.
Where can I get more detailed answers about angel investing?
Our full angel investing FAQ covers 25 questions in depth — deal structures, check sizes, diligence, taxes, portfolio construction and more.