Monashees, one of Latin America’s oldest and most influential VC firms, believes the next phase of the region’s startup ecosystem requires a permanent Silicon Valley presence. Founded over two decades ago in São Paulo, the firm last year opened a San Francisco office to connect Latin American entrepreneurs with the money and AI research coursing through the Bay Area.\n\nFabiola Quinzaños, a partner in the Silicon Valley office, notes that the firm is entering a "Global Lat Am" phase, backing founders building global businesses. Monashees is currently finalizing the deployment of its $370 million fund into roughly 35 companies.

The firm also recently announced the Gama Fund, a partnership with Google to co-invest up to $2 million in AI-native and deep tech startups in Brazil.\n\nBy establishing a presence in San Francisco, Monashees aims to bridge the gap between Latin American talent and the AI frontier. The firm seeks to help founders absorb Silicon Valley best practices and connect with the research diaspora to identify the best emerging technologies.