Brazil AI Startups 2025: Venture Capital Rebounds After Pandemic Drought

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Venture capital is back in Brazil

Brazil AI startups faced a sharp downturn after the pandemic years of 2020–2022, as venture capital Brazil slowed to its weakest levels in over a decade. 2023 marked the bottom of the cycle, with investors prioritizing portfolio survival and avoiding large new rounds.

But since late 2023, and accelerating through 2024–2025, venture capital Brazil has rebounded sharply. According to O Estado de S. Paulo, new investments in Brazil reached US$1.25 billion in the first half of 2025, already more than half of 2024’s total (US$2.25 billion). By contrast, 2023 saw just US$1.18 billion — the lowest level in recent history, far from the record US$11.8 billion invested in 2021.

The recovery reflects stricter investor standards. Rising U.S. rates and global inflation forced funds to reassess models, demanding profitability and operational excellence. “Investors are now rewarding startups that combine growth with financial and operational discipline,” said Gerry Giacomán Colyer, co-founder of Clara, which raised US$80 million in 2025 from Customer Value Fund (CVF) and General Catalyst.

From drought to targeted bets in Brazil AI startups

This renewed wave of venture capital Brazil is not just visible in aggregate statistics — it is materializing in some of the largest and most strategic rounds seen in years. The cautious optimism of investors, coupled with stricter due diligence, has translated into targeted bets on companies that combine AI-driven innovation with strong revenue traction. Several São Paulo startups have become the clearest examples of this shift, securing significant rounds in 2025 that would have been nearly impossible during the funding drought of 2023.

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Omie: largest raise of 2025 in venture capital Brazil

In September 2025, Omie, one of the leading Brazilian SaaS startups, raised R$ 855 million (~US$160 million) in the largest Brazilian startup funding round of the year, a secondary led by Partners Group.

Metrics:

• ARR: ~R$ 600 million
• 180,000 clients
• Invoices processed: R$ 35 billion/month
• Growth: 30–40% annually
• Valuation: ~US$ 700 million pre-money

This deal — unthinkable in 2023’s tight market — underscores how international investors have returned to Brazil. Omie’s ability to integrate AI into ERP systems and expand fintech offerings convinced funds to commit capital again.

Legal counsel: Pinheiro Neto Advogados (André Bernini).

UME: retail credit powered by AI startups in Latin America

UME’s US$21.8 million Series B (Valor Capital, Bewater, September 8 – 2025) shows how AI startups in Latin Americacan now attract funding again.

Key stats:

• GMV annualized: ~R$ 1 billion (2025)
• Partner stores: ~6,000
• Credit origination: R$ 220 million in 2023 → ~R$ 1 billion projected 2025

Investors are betting on UME’s AI-driven risk analysis and collections, giving retailers access to credit infrastructure once dominated by banks. In the capital-scarce years post-pandemic, UME would have struggled to raise. Now, it scales rapidly.

Legal counsel: Foley & Lardner LLP (André Thiollier); BZCP (Guilherme Potenza, Paula Bobrow); Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (Matt Squires).

Unico: Brazilian SaaS startup scales identity solutions globally

Unico, valued at over US$1 billion, has raised US$338 million to date and reported ~US$360 million annual revenue. In 2025 it acquired OwnID, expanding into passwordless authentication in the U.S. and Israel (September 22 – 2025).

As one of the leading São Paulo startups, Unico has become a benchmark for how investor confidence in Brazil is returning.

With over 800 corporate clients, Unico illustrates how global VCs are once again backing scale-ups in Brazil, betting on fraud prevention, biometrics, and AI as mission-critical infrastructure.

Among the most prominent Brazil AI startups, Unico illustrates the scale at which local companies are now competing globally.

Legal counsel: Foley & Lardner LLP (André Thiollier, Krista Cabrera, Alexandre Camargo Turqueto); AYR (Israel) (Daniel Chinn).

QI Tech: financial infrastructure extension for Brazil AI startups

QI Tech’s US$63 million Series B extension (General Atlantic, July 2025) confirms how venture capital Brazil is doubling down on fintech.

With 400+ corporate clients and billions in assets under custody, QI Tech is consolidating its lead in Banking-as-a-Service, while expanding into insurance and FX infrastructure (July 31, 2025).

Legal counsel: Demarest Advogados (João Busin, Juliana Maluf, Paula Magalhães).

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From startups to São Paulo’s central role in venture capital Brazil

Taken together, Omie, UME, Unico, and QI Tech illustrate how Brazil AI startups and venture capital Brazil are bouncing back with force. What unites these companies is not only their focus on AI and financial infrastructure but also their base of operations: São Paulo startups. The city has become the gravitational center of Latin American venture capital, concentrating talent, capital, and corporate demand — making it the natural stage for this new cycle of growth.

Why São Paulo for Brazil AI startups and venture capital Brazil?

São Paulo not only leads Brazil in the Innovation and Development Index (score 0.872), it is the undisputed capital of venture capital in Latin America. The city concentrates investors, accelerators, universities, and corporate innovation hubs.

The surge of funding since 2023 suggests a structural recovery: Brazil is back on the map for growth equity and venture funds, especially in Brazilian SaaS startups and AI-driven fintech models.

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The Firms Behind the Deals

Firm	Key Players	Focus
Foley & Lardner LLP	André Thiollier, Louis Lehot, Casey Knapp, Krista Cabrera, Alexandre Turqueto	Complex cross-border venture capital and M&A in Brazil and Latin America
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati	Matt Squires (presently at Greenberg Traurig)	Venture and technology transactions (LatAm startups, investors)
Gunderson Dettmer	Dan Green, Brian Hutchings	Growth-stage companies and venture financings in Brazil/Mexico
Morrison Foerster	–	Global investors entering Brazil’s fintech and SaaS markets
Bronstein, Zilberberg, Chueiri & Potenza Advogados	Eduardo Zilberberg, Guilherme Potenza, Paula Bobrow	Brazilian VC transactions
Mattos Filho	–	SaaS and fintech financings
Pinheiro Neto Advogados	André Bernini	Growth equity and fintech financing rounds
Machado Meyer Advogados	Arthur Penteado, Manuela Lisboa	Venture and M&A in technology and financial infrastructure
Veirano Advogados	Guilherme Ohanian Monteiro, João Pedro Zagni, Luciana Figueiredo Maffei	SaaS, M&A, and cross-border venture financings
Demarest Advogados	João Busin, Juliana Maluf, Paula Magalhães	Corporate venture investments and expansion transactions
Lefosse Advogados	–	Venture financing and technology M&A

Conclusion

Brazil’s venture capital market has entered a new phase: leaner, more disciplined, and more sustainable than the boom years of 2021. After the contraction of 2023, São Paulo has re-emerged as the epicenter of Latin American innovation, attracting global and local investors back into Brazil AI startups and venture capital Brazil opportunities. Companies like Omie, UME, Unico, and QI Tech illustrate how capital is once again flowing into businesses that combine technology with recurring revenues and operational resilience.

This revival is also backed by a strong legal ecosystem, with leading U.S. and Brazilian firms ensuring that cross-border venture capital and M&A transactions are executed at the highest level. The message from 2025 is clear: Brazil is not only back on the venture capital map — it is setting the tone for the next cycle of disciplined, innovation-led growth in Latin America.

Related Reading

• Omie’s R$ 855M 2025 funding round
• QI Tech’s US$ 63M Series B extension
• Unico expands with OwnID acquisition

Don’t miss our Series “The Associates: Partners can’t live without” to checkout the contribution associates give in support to these key U.S.-Latin America’s deals.

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Resumo em português

Depois da pandemia, os investimentos de venture capital no Brasil haviam secado entre 2020 e 2022. Em 2023 o mercado atingiu o fundo do poço, com apenas US$ 1,18 bi. Mas a partir de 2024 e agora em 2025, os fundos voltaram com força: já são US$ 1,25 bi captados no primeiro semestre. Startups de São Paulo como Omie (R$ 855 milhões), UME (R$ 118 milhões), Unico e QI Tech (US$ 63 milhões) mostram que o capital de risco está de volta. O ambiente é mais rigoroso, mas investidores globais retornaram, e a cidade reafirma seu papel como epicentro da inovação na América Latina.

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Resumen en español

Tras la pandemia, la inversión de venture capital en Brasil se redujo fuertemente entre 2020 y 2022. En 2023 el mercado tocó fondo, con solo US$ 1,18 mil millones. Pero a partir de 2024 y especialmente en 2025, los fondos regresaron con fuerza: ya se han captado US$ 1,25 mil millones en el primer semestre. Startups de São Paulo como Omie (R$ 855 millones), UME (R$ 118 millones), Unico y QI Tech (US$ 63 millones) demuestran que el capital de riesgo vuelve a fluir. El entorno es más exigente, pero los inversionistas globales han regresado, y la ciudad reafirma su papel como epicentro de la innovación en América Latina.