Barn Investimentos
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These guys made history in 2018 as the first Brazilian agtech fund to actually return capital to investors, multiplying their Strider investment 16x when Syngenta acquired it. They're one of the few Brazilian VCs to complete a full investment cycle with positive returns, which in Brazil's notoriously tough VC landscape is like finding a unicorn. Zaclis and Mendes have deep operational experience - not just finance bros who stumbled into agtech. Seven of their current portfolio companies have raised follow-on rounds at higher valuations, with only one going through a down round. The risk? They're struggling to close their third fund and had to push deadlines due to market conditions, which could mean they're being pickier about new investments or LPs are getting cold feet about Brazil.
- —Best for: Agtech founders who want investors with actual exits under their belt
- —Watch out for: Fund III fundraising delays may signal tighter deployment pace
- —Known for: The only Brazilian agtech fund that's actually made money for LPs
Barn invests in green technologies across four main verticals: agriculture & land use, transport & mobility, clean industry & circular economy, and renewable energy & energy efficiency. They focus on startups that reduce environmental impact while increasing efficiency of natural resource use.
Primarily seed and Series A investments, with average round sizes of $3.97M and $7.05M respectively. 65% of their portfolio is in agtechs within the agriculture and land use vertical, with the remainder spread across energy, logistics, and circular economy companies in Brazil and Latin America.
Founded three financial businesses and has 20+ years in PE/VC in Latin America, with experience at AIG Capital Partners and Vision Brazil Investments. Emory Goizueta Business School graduate who sees private equity as 'an art much more than a financial activity.' Led Barn to historic 2018 exit with Strider acquisition by Syngenta, multiplying investment 16x.
Production Engineering graduate from USP who worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch's Equity Research in São Paulo and NY, covering financial sector in LatAm and participating in major IPOs including Santander Brasil and Cielo. Investment specialist who has been Zaclis's partner at Barn for 10 years. Strong agtech advocate who believes agriculture is Brazil's competitive advantage.
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