Depois de um exit de R$ 1 bi, ele agora aposta em AI, consumo – e ‘hungry dogs’

Celso Ribeiro, a former owner of BR Media, recently sold his company to Publicis for an estimated R$ 1 billion. Following this significant exit, he has founded Paros Ventures, a venture capital firm that will invest only its own capital in two distinct areas. The first focus is on artificial intelligence startups that have the potential to disrupt entire industries, while the second is on traditional real economy companies, emphasizing the growing relevance of brand, culture, and community in an era of attention scarcity.

Ribeiro explained that these are unrelated areas of investment, aiming to support both innovative AI companies and real economy firms that provide strong brand, culture, trust, community, and human desire. When describing his approach to these investments, Ribeiro emphasized that he intends to participate actively in the day-to-day operations of the startups, taking on an advisor role to the CEO and leading an operational committee.

He aimed to provide value through his experience, rather than being a distant board member. Ribeiro's first investment in the AI sector was in Uncover, a startup using AI for media measurement, which he joined in the June round led by Cloud9. He also took on the role of advisor and leader of the go-to-market committee. Other AI-related investments include FlyMedia, which creates digital influencers with AI, and fintech Nexa Finance.

In the consumer vertical, Paros has invested in American brand LiquidDeath and Brazilian company Dane-se, both of which use a distinctive branding approach. Paros is also a shareholder in Droper, a sneaker marketplace, and Baw, a clothing brand previously acquired by Arezzo and later returned to its founders. Ribeiro met the founders of Baw in 2017 and began supporting them even without investing capital.

Later, they gave him a 10% stake in the company without requiring additional investment. Ribeiro noted that he does not actively seek out startups but rather co-invests with trusted funds. Nevertheless, he believes that the founder should be a "hungry dog," with a passion and drive to grow their business. He has a plaque on his office wall that reads, "hungry dogs run faster," reflecting his desire to find and help such individuals.