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Big Bets
Big Bets launched in São Paulo as a seed-stage venture firm targeting founders across Latin America.
Big Bets
Big Bets launched in São Paulo as a seed-stage venture firm targeting founders across Latin America. Pierre Schürmann and Leo Guardado co-founded the firm after operating inside the region's startup ecosystem — Guardado as an early executive at Rappi, the Colombian delivery platform that became one of LatAm's most valuable tech companies. The origin story anchors the firm's thesis: operators who experienced hypergrowth can identify it before it starts. The firm runs a concentrated portfolio construction model. It writes initial checks at the seed stage, typically into enterprise software, fintech, and AI/ML companies across Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. Big Bets then reserves capital for follow-on investments through Series A and beyond, a structure that avoids the spray-and-pray dynamics of accelerator-era seed funds. Confirmed investments include Brazilian fintech infrastructure providers and enterprise SaaS companies selling into the region's legacy-industrial backbone. The firm participates almost exclusively in direct deals, occasionally co-investing alongside US-based funds that lack local origination capabilities. Big Bets operates with a lean partnership structure out of São Paulo. Headcount remains undisclosed, but the firm deploys capital through a generalist investment committee led by the co-founders. In recent months, the firm has publicly signaled its intent to deepen its presence in Mexico, where digital payments infrastructure is drawing venture dollars away from the traditional Brazilian stronghold. No adjacent vehicles — such as a growth fund or philanthropic arm — are publicly documented. Structurally, Big Bets functions as a bridge fund. It sources deals on the ground in São Paulo, conducts diligence in Spanish and Portuguese, and syndicates capital from limited partners in the United States and Europe who access Latin American tech through a single trusted allocator. This dual identity — local operator, international fundraiser — distinguishes it from both the domestic Brazilian family offices running small venture books and the large multi-stage global funds entering the region without dedicated local partners.
General information
Firm type
Private Equity
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Latin America
Country
Brazil
City
São Paulo
Corporate office
São Paulo, Brazil
Principals
Pierre Schürmann
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Leo Guardado
Co-Founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Big Bets?
Co-founders Pierre Schürmann and Leo Guardado lead the investment committee. Schürmann serves as Managing Partner out of São Paulo. Guardado brings operating experience from Rappi, where he served as an early executive. The firm's lean structure means final decisions rest with the co-founders, who jointly evaluate every seed-stage commitment.
How does Big Bets source proprietary deal flow?
The firm originates deals through deep operator networks across Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. Guardado's tenure at Rappi provides access to a diaspora of former Rappi executives now launching companies across Latin America. Big Bets also leverages its cross-border LP base — US and European funds that refer local deals needing on-the-ground diligence.
Does Big Bets participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Big Bets invests almost exclusively through direct seed-stage deals. It does not operate as a fund-of-funds and is not known to make LP commitments into other venture funds. The firm will co-invest alongside US-based funds entering Latin America when those funds lack local origination and diligence capacity.
What investment stages does Big Bets typically target?
The firm targets seed-stage startups, writing first checks to founders who have not yet raised institutional venture capital. Big Bets then reserves significant capital for follow-on rounds through Series A and beyond, a structure that allows concentrated portfolio construction rather than broad index-style seeding.
Where does Big Bets invest geographically?
Brazil remains the firm's core market, where it maintains its São Paulo headquarters. Big Bets has publicly expanded into Mexico, targeting fintech and enterprise software companies in Mexico City and Monterrey. Colombia, where co-founder Leo Guardado worked at Rappi, is a secondary focus. The firm does not invest outside Latin America.
How is Big Bets structured relative to US venture funds?
Big Bets operates as a bridge fund: it sources and diligences deals locally in Latin America, then syndicates capital from US- and Europe-based limited partners. This structure allows international LPs to access LatAm seed-stage tech without building their own regional teams, while Big Bets retains investment discretion and portfolio concentration on the ground.
Which sectors does Big Bets explicitly avoid?
The firm has confirmed no explicit sector exclusions. However, its portfolio concentration in enterprise software, fintech, and AI/ML — and its public messaging around Latin America's digital infrastructure migration — suggests heavy underweighting of consumer social, gaming, hardware, and capital-intensive climate technology.
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