Wences Casares
Often called one of Latin America’s original tech angels, the Argentine entrepreneur has been building and backing companies across the Americas since the late 1990s.
Track record
Patagon
Co-founded the online brokerage Patagon in Argentina in the late 1990s; the company was sold to Banco Santander in 2000 in one of the earliest large exits by a Latin American internet startup, giving Casares his first major liquidity event and, with it, angel capital to deploy.
Lemon and Xapo
Went on to found Lemon (a mobile wallet later acquired by LifeLock) and Xapo, an early and prominent bitcoin custody and wallet company — cementing his reputation as one of the first well-known Latin American advocates for cryptocurrency among institutional and tech circles.
Board and advisory roles
Has served on the boards of major technology and financial companies over the years, reflecting a network that spans well beyond Latin America — he is publicly known for having introduced bitcoin to a number of prominent Silicon Valley figures in the early 2010s.
How he invests
Casares is best known as an early-stage angel and board-level advisor rather than a fund manager — his public profile centers on personal checks and hands-on involvement rather than a formal investment vehicle with disclosed AUM. Reporting on his activity most consistently points to fintech and financial infrastructure as his core area of interest, consistent with his own founding history.
Because his investing is personal and largely undisclosed in detail, treat any specific portfolio claims (beyond publicly confirmed roles like board seats) with caution and verify independently before relying on them.