The VC Firm That Helped Build Latin America’s Startup Scene Is Crossing Into Silicon Valley

Monashees, one of Latin America's oldest and most influential venture capital firms, is expanding its presence into Silicon Valley to better support the region's burgeoning startup ecosystem. Founded in 2005 in São Paulo, Monashees recently opened a San Francisco office to connect Latin American entrepreneurs with capital and AI research resources in the Bay Area. Fabiola Quinzaños, a partner in the firm's Silicon Valley office, spoke about the company's evolution and its role in the AI moment.

When Monashees was founded, Brazil had no startup ecosystem, no network of founders, and no LPs backing venture capital firms. Over the past two decades, the country has emerged as a startup powerhouse, with a highly digitally savvy market and strong demand for AI and technology solutions. In response to this growth, Monashees recently announced a partnership with Google, known as the Gama Fund, to co-invest up to $2 million in AI-native and deep tech startups in Brazil.

The firm now makes around eight to 10 new investments per year and has deployed $370 million into 35 companies.

The firm's expansion into Silicon Valley began in 2022 with an office in Mexico City, followed by a move to San Francisco in September 2025. Quinzaños highlighted the importance of being in Silicon Valley to stay abreast of the rapid pace of AI development and to access the talent and funding necessary for building global businesses. She explained that many Latin American founders are now building AI-driven companies and need to be close to Silicon Valley's resources and talent pool to remain competitive.