Every fortnight we compile a list of important news updates and events covering the Americas FINTECH, MFGTECH, CLNTECH, and AGRTECH sectors.

For a downloadable copy of America’s Issue #33

FINTECH

Homebrew backs Higo’s effort to become the ‘Venmo for B2B payments’ in LatAm
Higo, a B2B payments platform, raised a $3.3M funding round led by Homebrew. Susa Ventures, Haystack, and J Ventures also participated in the round. Higo is a digital payments automation platform for SMBs in Latin America. The platform aims to make small business payments more efficient and visible with its automated processes and digital solution.
Rodolfo Corcuera Meier is the Founder & CEO at Higo

Mexican fintech Baubap raises $3M for credit loans
Baubap, a Mexican fintech, raised a $3M funding round led by Alfin. Baubap is a micro-financing platform that offers small credit loans via its online app. The platform has seen increased demand for microcredit loans in the last year due to the financial difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Roberto Salcedo is the Founder & CEO at Baubap

Neon launches credit card for micro-entrepreneurs
Neon, a Brazilian fintech, announced the launch of a new credit card for micro-entrepreneurs. Neon launched a corporate digital account designed for individual micro-entrepreneurs (MEIs) in late 2020. These customers now have access to a credit card.
Pedro Conrade is the Founder & CEO at Neon

Minu raises $14M Series A for regional expansion
Minu, a Mexican fintech, raised a $14M Series A funding round led by Fintech Collective. Various angel investors also participated, including Tom Gonser, founder of DocuSign. Minu is a fintech that offers Mexican employees access to their already worked salary when they need it.
NimaPourshasb is the Founder & CEO at Minu

Flourish, a startup that aims to help banks engage and retain customers, raises $1.5M
Flourish, a US fintech, raised a $1.5M funding round led by Canary, a Brazilian VC fund. Flourish aims to help banks attract and retain customers with its “engagement and financial wellness” solutions.
Pedro Moura is the Co-founder & CEO at Flourish

SoftBank-Backed Loggi Valued Near $2 Billion in Fundraising
Loggi, a Brazilian delivery startup, raised a $205M funding round led by CapSur Capital. Loggi is a last-mile logistics company that operates a delivery dashboard to help companies optimize their delivery management and efficiency.
Fabien Mendez is the Co-founder & CEO at Loggi

Northgate Capital invests in iVoy
iVoy, the leading Mexican next-day delivery startup, announced a new investment from Northgate Capital.  iVoy is a digital delivery logistics platform that aims to transform the outdated traditional delivery system in Mexico. The platform ensures next-day delivery and uses a messenger system to notify customers of their orders.
Alvaro de Juan is the CEO at iVoy

Nubank launches credit cards in Colombia
Nubank, the Brazilian neobank, launched its long-awaited credit cards in Colombia. The first 3,000 people on the waiting list are now receiving their cards. The neobank is commencing its Beta stage in the country with the launch of its Nu card to 3,000 of the 250,000 neobank customers in the country.
David Vélez is the Founder & CEO at Nubank

Cryptocurrencies set for LatAm payments growth
Cryptocurrencies are reaching an inflection point in Latin American payments, as multiple players – from global payment networks to central banks – embrace digital money as a lower-cost way of transferring funds. And while clear regulation would further boost the sector, the financial industry is not waiting for the blessing of supervisors to experiment with the technology.

4 Key Trends that will Define LatAm Payments in 2021
Latin Americans are fast changing the way that they pay: they are adopting digital wallets, QR codes and cryptocurrencies in increasing numbers. For payment services providers, facilitating new purchasing preferences, while also preventing fraud, will be key in 2021.

Nuvemshop Raises $90M As It Catalyzes E-Commerce And Entrepreneurship Across Latin America
Nuvemshop, the leading e-commerce platform in Latin America, today announced a $90M Series D investment led by Accel. The company, also known as Tiendanube in Spanish speaking countries, is the dominant e-commerce platform in Latin America,empowering entrepreneurs to build and grow thriving online businesses.
Santiado Sosa is the Co-founder & CEO at Nuvemshop (Tiendanube)

AGRTECH

Smart Agro”, technology at the service of agriculture in Latin America
The “Smart Agro” initiative, by Telefónica Movistar and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), seeks to promote the use of technologies for the development of “sustainable agriculture” in countries such as Colombia and El Salvador.

Experts call for technologies adapted to agriculture in Latin America
A group of experts agreed on the need for technological solutions adapted to agriculture to be promoted in America and the Caribbean in order to promote the development of rural areas.

Agricultural machinery: create the first laboratory to certify international standards
The National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI) and the National University of Rosario (UNR) in Argentina a signed an agreement to create laboratory for testing and technological development of agricultural machinery.  The new enclosure will be located in the annex building of the Institute of Applied Mechanics and Structures (IMAE) of the Faculty of Exact Sciences, Engineering and Surveying of the UNR.

Corteva Agriscience Selects SimbioseAgro for First Biologicals Collaboration in Brazil
Corteva Agriscience and Simbiose Agro, the largest producer of microbiological technologies in Brazil, announced today a multi-year collaboration benefiting Brazilian farmers. Working closely together, the two companies will commercialize and develop Simbiose’s portfolio and pipeline of biostimulants and biological control solutions for crops such as sugarcane, soybeans, corn and other specialties.
Jim Collins is the CEO at Corteva Agriscience

Superfüds raises $3.3M Series A
Superfüds, a Colombian health food store, raised a $3.3M Series A funding round led by Alere Advisors. The total funding for the startup now amounts to $5.1M. Superfüds is the Whole Foods of Latin America, providing health food products to customers and retailers alike in a market where these products are more difficult to come by. The platform also aims to serve SMEs who are otherwise overlooked by traditional distributors.
Sebastián Hernandez Dugand is the Chairman & CEO at Superfüds