Nilo Ventures

Ricardo Garcia-Amaya and Alejandro Garcia-Amaya, the firm's founders, execute its investment decisions. Ricardo's operational role as CEO of ILUMA AI and his position as a founding equity partner at Acrew Capital provide the primary lens for evaluating early-stage technology deals. Alejandro complements this with a broad network cultivated through his GettingHere podcast and shared Y Combinator community ties.

The firm sources deals through tightly-held founder and institutional networks rather than public marketplaces. Ricardo Garcia-Amaya's founding governance committee membership in Orange DAO and the brothers' active participation in the Y Combinator alumni network are the primary origination engines. These channels grant the firm direct, non-auctioned access to early-stage startups.

Nilo Ventures operates with the characteristics of a family office, managing the Garcia-Amaya family's capital across venture, real estate, and operating businesses. Unlike a traditional venture firm, it does not solicit external limited partners for a blind-pool fund. Its hybrid model allows co-investment alongside external GPs like Acrew Capital without standard fund-structure constraints.

Ricardo Garcia-Amaya is a founding equity partner of Acrew Capital, a separate venture capital firm. This relationship creates a co-investment corridor between the two entities, where Nilo Ventures can participate in Acrew-led rounds or share deal flow. The link provides the family office with institutional-scale diligence resources while preserving its independent decision-making.

No. While the firm's venture activity targets early-stage technology companies, Nilo Ventures LLC also holds a direct real-estate portfolio. Public records show ownership of mixed-use and residential properties in Erie, Pennsylvania, indicating a broader asset allocation that includes physical real estate alongside startup equity.